Hi Snover,

Whoa! You're in serious trouble.

Try this program if you haven't already:

ftp://ftp.oo-software.de/pub/oobcv4/oobcpro_V … 445_english.exe

If not, try with OnTrack Easy Recovery 6.0:

http://buyonline.ontrack.com/ecom/freeware/lo … ile=ertrial.exe

Maybe Partition Magic could help.

Try also to plug your hard drive to a computer with Win2000 or WinXP.

If none of the above works... well, you can contact those data recovery companies, but unfortunately they charge a lot of money...

Best luck.
Regards.

You've caught me at an awkward time as I was actually in the process of a full OS re-install, this time with Win98SE and XP Pro.
Just learned that Microsoft is claiming that my number for the OS is invalid. Just great.

That's what I get for buying a "grey-market" CD.

In any case, I don't have much more that Leolo. When my computer freaked and insisted that I had an "Invalid system disk", I immediately swapped it with a backup hard-drive.

I then used the backup drive to troubleshoot the original. I'm afraid that RAID complicates the matter as I know precious little about it. In fact my primary concern was the way it "distributes" the data across a group of drives. I know it improves data security etc.. in general practice. But the first thing that crossed my mind about it was "You know, that's going to be an absolute pig if there's a massive system malfunction".

That appears to be where you are now.

If someone has some Partition Magic (v6 or higher) "Rescue Disks", you could use those to check the "validity" of your partitions. I tried this on my last XP install and found that my XP partition "wasn't dismounted properly". I was never able to fix it. PM couldn't do it, my XP-CD repair option couldn't do it. I ended up just deleting it.

OnTrack Easy recovery is good, but the version you need is horribly expensive.

I think you best option is to get a drive (new, borrowed, whatever) and install Win2K on it. Then hook up your hosed drive and start troubleshooting.

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

In any case, I don't have much more that Leolo. When my computer freaked and insisted that I had an "Invalid system disk", I imm […]
Show full quote

In any case, I don't have much more that Leolo. When my computer freaked and insisted that I had an "Invalid system disk", I immediately swapped it with a backup hard-drive.

I then used the backup drive to troubleshoot the original. I'm afraid that RAID complicates the matter as I know precious little about it. In fact my primary concern was the way it "distributes" the data across a group of drives. I know it improves data security etc.. in general practice. But the first thing that crossed my mind about it was "You know, that's going to be an absolute pig if there's a massive system malfunction".

That appears to be where you are now.

If someone has some Partition Magic (v6 or higher) "Rescue Disks", you could use those to check the "validity" of your partitions. I tried this on my last XP install and found that my XP partition "wasn't dismounted properly". I was never able to fix it. PM couldn't do it, my XP-CD repair option couldn't do it. I ended up just deleting it.

The last time I ran CHKDSK /F from the W2K CD and that fixed it, but now, like I said, even hitting "R" so that I could go into console to fix it caused an error in NTFS.SYS, making me think the drives are hosed.

OnTrack Easy recovery is good, but the version you need is horribly expensive.

Heh, someone upload a copy for me 😉

I think you best option is to get a drive (new, borrowed, whatever) and install Win2K on it. Then hook up your hosed drive and start troubleshooting.

My dad may give me his drive, but it would require me to put it in MY box, which means all the drivers and stuff would be wrong, so I'd have to mess with that for a while, and it would be a mess. I imagine NTFS.SYS would error out again, which means the only thing I can think of to do would be spend like $500 for the Geek Squad to come out, plop in OnTrack Easy Recovery, repair the drive in 5 minutes, and leave. For $500.
I'd love to work there. Tried getting an internship... first I had to be 15, then I had to be 16, then they didn't offer it. 😒 Seriously. I just need that software. I don't need a corporate geek to come out to fix it for me. Grr...
oh, well...at least it's not my $500, I guess.

Snover wrote:

The last time I ran CHKDSK /F from the W2K CD and that fixed it, but now, like I said, even hitting "R" so that I could go into console to fix it caused an error in NTFS.SYS, making me think the drives are hosed.

I thought the same thing about mine, but when I checked it with my other drive; all the files were good.

Heh, someone upload a copy for me

Remember that before v6, only the Professional version could handle NTFS, and...update...apparently "EasyRecovery does not work with RAID systems nor servers." So, never mind.

My dad may give me his drive, but it would require me to put it in MY box, which means all the drivers and stuff would be wrong, so I'd have to mess with that for a while, and it would be a mess.

I was talking about a "clean" install, not one with someone else's OS. Obviously, as you said, that would be a mess.

Seriously. I just need that software.

If you can't borrow a "clean" hard drive, you might try buying the cheapest possible hard drive and use it for troubleshooting.

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

I thought the same thing about mine, but when I checked it with my other drive; all the files were good.

Well, then, what the hell??

Remember that before v6, only the Professional version could handle NTFS, and...update...apparently "EasyRecovery does not work with RAID systems nor servers." So, never mind.

Ech. That includes the Profession edition??

I was talking about a "clean" install, not one with someone else's OS. Obviously, as you said, that would be a mess.
If you can't borrow a "clean" hard drive, you might try buying the cheapest possible hard drive and use it for troubleshooting.

*shrug* That still seems like a mess. I mean, going out to, like, Best Buy (evil) for a hard drive on a Friday night may sound all good and fine, but it really, really isn't. Besides, I'd probably pay too much even for the smallest one they've got. I figure I've got a much better chance of just calling the Geek Squad, asking about the problem and getting a quote, and going from there. *sigh* Why isn't there a utility that can fix this??

I tried O&O BlueCon Pro... same problem. It loads with the server edition logo, which is really weird. Anyway, yeah. Unless you all have an immediately better idea, I guess I'll just have to shell out $149+ for the Geek Squad. Oh, and the error that it gives me? "NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM". Gee, thanks. I couldn't have figured that out from the fact that it uses NTFS.SYS or anything...*groan*

Mwahaha! Who says MSKB never gives any good advice?

Nicht, I feel bad that you had to do all that stuff to get YOUR drive working, as while the fix certainly wasn't easy (disks suck, and my dad's CD-RW doesn't like making proper discs, heh). Here's what I had to do:

Make W2K boot disk. Edit TXTSETUP.SIF as such:

1[FileSystems.Load]
2fat      = fastfat.sys
3ntfs     = ntfs.sys

to

1[FileSystems.Load]
2fat      = fastfat.sys
3;ntfs     = ntfs.sys

Wait for W2K setup to load. Hit "R". Go into console. Select the afflicted drive. (It will be there, but you won't be able to get any directory listings or whatever from it. That's how I knew it was the right drive. 😀) Run "CHKDSK driveletter: /p". It will run CHKDSK properly. Let it finish, take the disk out, and restart. FIXED!

MWAHAHA!

Snover wrote:

Well, then, what the hell??

Never did figure it out. The FAT table was originally hosed, but then easily fixed by a backup. It simply refused to boot. Finally gave up, formatted, and re-installed.

Ech. That includes the Profession edition??

Yep.
http://www.ontrack.co.uk/easyrecovery/systems.asp

...much better chance of just calling the Geek Squad, asking about the problem and getting a quote, and going from there.

Any quote you got would likely be more than the cheapest hard drive. My "cheap" instincts wouldn't allow me to ask someone else to fix it.

Snover wrote:

Mwahaha! Who says MSKB never gives any good advice?

Odd. I thought that was you.

Make W2K boot disk.

Floppy or CD-R?

Edit TXTSETUP.SIF as such:...
fat = fastfat.sys
;ntfs = ntfs.sys[/code]

Hrmm. Much like, "Door Broken, use other door" So simple it makes you wonder why it wasn't set to to do that automatically.

This problem *could* be as simple as a bad cable. Had this exact same error 2 days ago on my 120gb WD drive. Bad cable. Simply removed and used another one and problem fixed. It was the cable 2 since when I stuck another known bad cable in there it did the same thing.

If you can stick the HD in another comp and try a chkdsk. If that doesn't work hold on till Tuesday because I have lots of recovery utililities with all the Serial #'s.

Oh...might I recommend an External USB2 HD for backups? 😉

Dude l@@k at my latest post. Problem is solved. Heh...😜

Well, the corrupted disk prob was fixed...how about the cause?

Cause:

Ingredients:
One SBAudigy
One Windows 2000 installation
One set of really shitty Creative drivers for SBAudigy
One copy of Unreal Gold
One ATI TV-WONDER PCI
One S/PDIF input from Digital Cable routed through SBAudigy AC-3 decoder chip
One hard drive with NTFS filesystem
One really l33t set of surround sound speakers

Instructions*:

1. Install the SBAudigy card
2. Install the ATI TV-WONDER PCI card
3. Format drive with NTFS file system
4. Install Windows 2000
5. Install the latest software and drivers for the hardware in steps 1 and 2
6. Set SBAudigy Device Controls to decode AC-3 audio
7. Plug in S/PDIF cable to S/PDIF IN on the SBAudigy box
8. Load the ATI TV software
9. Insert Unreal Gold CD and run installer
10. Begin installing Unreal Gold to NTFS partition
11. Allow to sit for 30 seconds
12. Wait for sudden broken, cracking sound and system lock up
13. Hard Reboot

*Some steps omitted because I felt like omitting them, or didn't feel like including them, or something

Result:

-- when OS attempts load: --

STOP: 0x0000007B (0x81FAF370, 0xC000009A, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

-- and when NTFS.SYS attempts load: --

STOP: 0x00000024 (0x00190256, 0xF2493948, 0xF24935A0, 0xBFD82862)
NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
Address BFD82862 base at BFD0A000, DateStamp 3a638242

😀 Happy now? I am. 😁

Wow, did everyone's win2k system's die this week? 'Cause mine did too! It sure was cool. I was just extracting a large rar (100meg, >10,000 files) when there was a sudden powercut. Upon rebooting, bam, blue screen.

After several reboots, each with different results (bsod instantly, freeze on loading progress bar, loads all the way, able to login, but running anything at all gave an instant hard reboot etc etc etc), i rummaged around for my win2k cd.

It was scratched. Very scratched. So after an hour or so of ranting and screaming and kicking-the-comp, I picked up the fone and called a friend. The next day, he was round with his win2k cd, his computer, his guitar, and all the latest warez (He has broadband. he's a warez junkie. I'm an abandonware junkie. Its easier on my 56k:)

Anyway, nothing worked, couldng fix the damn thing at all. Luckily it could actually see my hdd, so I just reinstalled win2k back onto it, and then everything worked great.

I mean, seriously, I give win2k 9/10 for stability, but when it *does* crash, it makes sure you remember it for a long time. *sigh*, if only linux had better game support...

Anyway, thats where I've been for the last week (we had a week-long lanparty/jam session to celebrate my comps return to health:)

Also, while I'm meandering randomly on and off topic, UK2003. Runs badly. Really badly. I mean, seriously, it takes the piss. It's not like they added anything fantastically new since UT, they just apparently thought quadrupling texture size and making the models more complex and well animated was a good idea for a multiplayer game. I mean, okay, I'm still on a gf1, but my mate has a gf4, and he had to drop all the gfx settings to lowest to get a smooth + decent frame rate in multiplayer. I'm thinking of writing an angry letter, but I doubt theyd pay any attention to someone who didn't pay for the game:)

But still, I'm outraged:)

UT2003 is heavily processor dependent. Runs fine with my GF4/Radeon 9700 @ 1280X1024 on my Athlon XP 1.6ghz (2000+)......

chanza wrote:

I'm thinking of writing an angry letter, but I doubt theyd pay any attention to someone who didn't pay for the game

Oh please, write the letter. Just write in the text from the last few lines of your post.

I'd have thought a 1gig proccy wouldnt run UT too badly... We're both on the same proccy... Althlon 1Ghz. Mine's actually clocked higher than my friends 'cause I have a bigger case with more fans:)

Also, he had to underclock his gf4 to stop UT from crashing. He went down from (i think) 250mhz to 200. Either that or 300-250.

TBH, I think what we really need is more ram. I *definitely* need more, only got 160meg at the moment (I keep putting off buying ram in favour of a new hdd/cdr), but my friend has 512meg, and the fact that to get UT to run he had to downgrade his drivers, underclock his card, and then lower all his settings is absolutely ridiculous.

In fact, he's had so many problems with his GF4 with new games, I'm tempted to get a Radeon as my next vid card.

I suppose it's to be expected though, Unreal has always been a source of horrible horrible problems for us. Especially hilarious was the 50% fps drop I had in the orifinal UT when I upgraded from a 16meg Voodoo Banshee to my 32meg Geforce. It also wouldnt run in anything other than software mode from then on. Fun times were had by all, and I'm still awaiting the reply from the angry letter I sent them.

Okay, 512m is enought for UT2003.

When Unreal Tournament first came out GLIDE WAS better than D3D/OGL for UT. Nowdays OGL/D3D is better.

In fact the rule nowadays is OGL->D3D->S3TC->Glide. Heck, on my GF3 I know I was running UT fine @2048X1536 with all details and it was in the upper 60fps range. Now it's in the 140+ range?

Overclocking the GF4 if you are just using standard cooling is NOT a good idea. It's a FRICKIN' GF4 for cryin' out loud! While I do understand the satisfaction that comes from overclocking something it's just not worth it and ameaturs can never do anything right...which anyone who has never grown up with at least DOS is an ameatur. Sorry. 😉 😁

Not sure what the best res for UT2003 with a GF4 +1ghz proc would be. I'm guessing around 1024 should be fine....but if your an FPS junkie who likes to monitor his FPS during combat then your gonna be disappointed because UT2003 is NOT gonna give you those Q3 FPS. Just play the damn already and ignore the FPS counter (within reason of course)

Reminder: framerate is only as fast as your monitor's refresh rate. So, if your monitor is running at 60Hz, you're getting a max of 60FPS, *NO*MATTER*WHAT*. If it's running at 120Hz, you're getting a max of 120FPS, *NO*MATTER*WHAT*.

Snover wrote:

So, if your monitor is running at 60Hz, you're getting a max of 60FPS, *NO*MATTER*WHAT*. If it's running at 120Hz, you're getting a max of 120FPS, *NO*MATTER*WHAT*.

Unless, of course, you brought the monitor from another universe where the laws of physics apply differently.

Ok, that's a lie. Any monitor with such a capacity would most certainly conform to this universe's physical laws once it has actually come across the "Einstein-Rosen-Podolsky Bridge".