Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Advice needed desperately! Our main PC has for the last couple of days been displaying this message "windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware. Please check the windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information." What the heck does all this mean?? It wont go further than this message no matter what we try. Are there any computer boffs out there that can help. Have had to pinch ES laptop to write this SOS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I'm not a computer boff at all but I'll have a go! Do you have a disk in the drive which it's trying to read? Have you tried continuously pressing F9 while switching it on so you get a boot up in safe mode option? Hopefully Fred (our resident expert) will be along shortly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Thanks ANH but yes we have checked both drives and nothing in either. It wont even start up in safe mode either. Its a puzzler as it was fine the last night it was used but wouldnt start in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 have you got any peripherals connected that weren't connected before you had the problem? e.g. an external, additional hard drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Nope absolutely nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I'm no hardware expert but that doesn't sound good. It might be that you need someone to take a look at it. DON'T take it to PC World - my sick cat would have more idea than them! If "Ooops, word censored!"ody has any ideas find a small local place or even someone keen who works from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 Thanks have done just that. A friend of a friend is going to take a look at it tomorrow, so fingers crossed he can save its life. Weve got too many photo's and music etc on it to have to format it. By the way congrats on your weight loss, I've just been nosying at your diet blog. Well done I keep saying I will do something about my bit of flab, but never seem to get round to it. What type of diet are you on? Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 That's not a good sign I hope that you've got it all backed up to an external HDD. I had a not dis-similar problem with my PC a couple of years ago - a local computer company then managed to totally fry it. Luckily a friend who works in forensic IT managed to restore some of the files Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I doubt formatting it would help. Get your windows CD, put it in the pc, start it up. Hopefully it will boot from CD and you should get a screen saying 'Welcome To Setup' Press ENTER (to set up windows XP) Then a list of Operating Systems should show up, select the right one (using arrow keys) and then press R. This should keep all your files intact. Warning, if repair option is NOT available END the setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Best of luck! Sounds expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 No nothing backed up of course too late now. Thanks Fred will try that now, ** holds breath** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Best of luck!! Mine has gone the same way I haven't tried rebooting from the setup disc yet - I need to bite the bullet I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Good luck Hope that it works out Our computer was fried last year by a power surge (during a thunderstorm), we didn't have a surge protector at the time I immediately referred to the manual and followed the instructions and worked out it was bad news! I rang the Dell helpline with the error codes and the chap on the phone refused to believe I had followed the manual and made me repeat the process - by this time I was in tears! He basically told me it was terminal......and then immediately tried to sell me a new computer! He could tell I was distraught about losing all the files and photos, how insensitive! We didn't have a back up either (I'm clueless about computers) Anyway, my brother came to the rescue and managed to retrieve 99% of the files and photos It took him hours mind you and looked very complicated! We now have a back up drive and a surge protector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 After hours of trawling the net, I have found a solution and the cause of your problem. Basiclly(sp?) Windows can't find itself, its looking in the wrong place of the hard drive. Solution, get a Linux CD (I have one collecting dust somewhere - PM me your address) Put that in, transfer all your music etc etc onto a porable Hard Drive (though Linux) then format your Hard Drive, and do a fresh install of Windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scramble Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Wow Fred You really are the comp genius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Huggers R Us Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Fred, we have just had the friend of a friend look at it and he said the hardrive was goosed! He could still see files and folders and said he had copied what he could see onto 3 dvd disks. When we have looked at the disks and there is practically nothing of any use on them, he said he had put videos, photo's and documents on them but when we try to look it locks up the laptop. If the hardrive is dead will what you are suggesting be of any use formatting it. If we can save anything on the comp then transfer it onto another drive it will be worth it. I think we need to buy a new hardrive by the sounds of all this. Do you think it would work?? Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 If the hard drive was dead, there would be no error message, just a series of long beeps and a message saying "INSTALL OS". if you had the windows CD life would be so much easier. But you don't. So if you PM me your address I will send out the Live CD, which you can use to transfer you files onto a portable hard drive (I STRONGLY suggest buying one, they are going for £20 these days) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
