xp cd will not install on ide hdd

[cv65user]

I had a maxtor 160gb running win XP sp3 perfect with the partition config 5gb , 10gb , 145gb.

I ammended it with easus free home edition partition software to 10gb , 10gb , 140gb . I note the software it said to back up my data (which i did) but if it did mess up for any reason I should be able to run chkdsk and it should restore my hdd . It rebooted it into DOS said executing tasks 3/3 success. Then it rebooted to operating system not found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried reboot to recovery console. It found my existing windows xp installtion. So I logged in to the installation and ran chkdsk, it found some inaccuracys and it corrected it but it still re booted to operating system not found.

So I thought partitions must be royally messed up. So I went to re install windows xp and it listed my new partitions as
C 10GB
D 10GB
E 135GB
So it seems it did convert it successfully but seems mbr messed up?

So I cancelled that and rebooted to recovery console and did fixboot/ fixmbr which still did not work , still getting operating system not found.

So I went to re install windows XP , requested to re install on top of c partition (copied temp files over ) but it still rebooted to operating system not found.

So I then did NTFS quick format on C drive only (again, it copied temp files over) but it still rebooted to operating system not found.

So I thought I will delete all partitions, started all over again , and did a full format still rebooted to operating system not found. So I gave up...

So seems I need to FDisk it? But recovery console doesnt have fdisk option? I only have card reader built in (No FDD) . I will need to source an USB FDD? Or any ideas please??? I do have to admit my XP sp2 CD is pretty scratched and around 51% it keeps saying proseg4.swf is missing but I can press escape to skip it. But from google it shows that its just an SWF animation start up file so surely this shouldnt be bringing the HDD to boot failure?

 

[alphanumeric]

I've had a similar situation come up when trying to install XP on a drive that had Windows 7 on it previously. I would get an "error loading operating system" message on the first reboot during the install. I tried everything you did and a few more things and got no where. What I ended up doing in the end was writing zero's to my drive using the manufacturers drive utility. I used a floppy but there were images to make a boot-able CD on the Western Digital site. Maxtor has them too. This has happened to me several times and writing zeros to the drive fixes it. I don't know what windows 7 does to the boot sector but XP doesn't seem to be able to undo it. It sounds like your program has done something similar that XP can't undo and doesn't like.

 

[cv65user]

yes , thanks for taking time to read my problem. I didnt realise I type out so much, but I thought I'd be detailed.

I suspect EASUS partition software may have messed up the MBR / bootloader/ logical structure too.
I have been on Maxtor website which redirected me to Seagate website as I presume they have now merged together and it allows me to download a 123mb image of their disk doctor software problem is I dont have another commputer with a CDRW in it.

I do have a spare 120gb IDE so I will swap that and see, get XP up and running and then install/run getdatabackup to try and investigate that 160GB drive in an USB caddy.

When you wrote zeros , did you do the full thing? Or the first few sectors which is instantaneously?- Quick Zero Fill (first 63 sectors of the drive, instantaneous)

 

[Monkey34]

Make a floppy with Darik's Boot and Nuke, and nuke that HDD. It's a useful utility. It will wipe it clean for sure.

 

[alphanumeric]

The quick zero fill should work, it worked for me. I have a USB floppy and USB DVD burner. They have saved my ass a couple of times and I have to say were well worth the investment.