PC Help needed re. broken HDD

OK PC literate people, here’s one for you.

Got my old PC with a dead HDD that won’t boot up. Tried the repair console and that didn’t work. I’m guessing that the boot sector on it is fubar’d. However, as this machine has an old HDD from a previous PC in it, I can boot up from that HDD and go to a command prompt where I can then see the broken HDD. I can still see all my files (photos, videos, program files and folders etc etc) on the broken HDD from the command prompt.

What I want to know is this – both the working and broken HDD have XP Home on them. Is it possible to format the working HDD and then install XP Pro on it and then put the broken HDD in the machine as a slave drive. Once that’s done, can I then take ownership of the files on the broken HDD, bearing in mind that I’m guessing it’s only the boot sector on it that is knackered. If so, what’s the best way of going about this?

If this doesn’t quite make sense, just let me know and I’ll try to explain in a little bit more detail.

Cheers boys and girls.

Easiest way (to save confusing yourself).

Take out the defective hard drive. Install Windows on the working hard drive. Once installed, shutdown, and plug the defective hard drive in again (if it's on the same IDE channel as the other hard drive, make sure the working one is master, the defective is slave).

Boot the machine, hey-presto, you have 2 drives.

Goto Windows Explorer, Right click the drive (the one that's not C and goto Security. Click Advanced, then the Ownership tab, then click "Take ownership."

Done, you can now copy files.

Wouldn't be the way I'd do it, but it is the easiest way to get the files off it.

Don't rush to do it though, as someone will be along to tell you how to repair the boot sector in a second.

[fizzwheel]

If you formated the busted disk with NTFS Baphs right thats the easiest way IMHO. Only thing I'd add is that you might have to reset the security permissions on the files / folders once you've taken owenership of them.

You used to be able to rebuild the MBR with Fdisk... but I dont think Microsoft give you any useful stuff like that with XP anymore.

PM me your e-mail I have a program that might be able to fix the disks broken boot sector...

Originally Posted by Baph

Easiest way (to save confusing yourself).

Take out the defective hard drive. Install Windows on the working hard drive. Once installed, shutdown, and plug the defective hard drive in again (if it's on the same IDE channel as the other hard drive, make sure the working one is master, the defective is slave).

Boot the machine, hey-presto, you have 2 drives.

Goto Windows Explorer, Right click the drive (the one that's not C and goto Security. Click Advanced, then the Ownership tab, then click "Take ownership."

Done, you can now copy files.

Wouldn't be the way I'd do it, but it is the easiest way to get the files off it.

Don't rush to do it though, as someone will be along to tell you how to repair the boot sector in a second.

Thats pretty much exactly what I was thinking of! Just wasnt too sure on the details of taking ownership of files/folders. Once the data is off there, the drive is going in the bin anyway unless the boot sector can be repaired but theres quite a lot of old photos etc. on there and guess who hasnt backed up for ages

Originally Posted by M65

Once the data is off there, the drive is going in the bin anyway unless the boot sector can be repaired but theres quite a lot of old photos etc.

Hmm. Now. If by 'Boot Sector' you really do mean Boot Sector, then after the data is off, format it, and away you go, you can use it for what you like.

However, if you mean any of the other technical gubbins (like Landing Sector - which never has any data whatsoever written to it because the needle bounces off the magnetic disc slightly every time you turn the machine on) then the disk is probably ruined and you'll be lucky to get data off. It can be done, but the only sure way to do it is in a vacuum sealed environment, which will obviously cost.

The 'Boot Sector' is just a part of the disc that defines where to look for the next stage of the boot process. If that sector is bad (corrupt), you can scandisk the disc, mark it bad, and use another sector (the next one along physically) as the 'Boot Sector'.

HTH

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Baph

Hmm. Now. If by 'Boot Sector' you really do mean Boot Sector, then after the data is off, format it, and away you go, you can use it for what you like.

However, if you mean any of the other technical gubbins (like Landing Sector - which never has any data whatsoever written to it because the needle bounces off the magnetic disc slightly every time you turn the machine on) then the disk is probably ruined and you'll be lucky to get data off. It can be done, but the only sure way to do it is in a vacuum sealed environment, which will obviously cost.

The 'Boot Sector' is just a part of the disc that defines where to look for the next stage of the boot process. If that sector is bad (corrupt), you can scandisk the disc, mark it bad, and use another sector (the next one along physically) as the 'Boot Sector'.

HTH

And when he says costs he means you could buy a NEW bike for the price - and still have change

I dont think the data on there is worth QUITE that much!!

Did you try it yet?

Not yet unfortunately. Been a bit of a busy few days so far. WIll have to di it when Ive got a few hours spare. Will let you know how it goes though once I have a crack at it