System Restore--PC Will Not Boot

Yes a factory restore will wipe-out everything on the drive. As to moving it to the XP computer, If you have the main programs already installed on the XP computer then you should be able to access your data. You can move the drive into the XP computer and it will, if it is still functional, treat it as a secondary drive and you can recover a lot of your files.

Now to your problem of not booting, can you provide more info on what you see and any steps you have taken. We maybe able to help you get your system back up and running.

I would also recommend the once you get this resolved you invest in a good back up option.

Be sure to include the color of the 4 diagnostic LEDs on the rear panel and the color of the power button (and if steady or blinking) when you post back and say what you've tried...

Even if you don't have the software installed on the XP PC, if you install this hard drive in that PC, you should still be able to copy off whatever data files you need (assuming the drive isn't toast), and then put them on a new hard drive in the original PC with the relevant software loaded.

Sorry for the delay in responding.  I appreciate your advice and now need more.  I now recognize (always too late) that I should have looked at the 4 diagnostic LED's. I took my pc into a local repair shop on Friday and received the news yesterday that the HD has been damaged in some undefined manner and they can't recover the data. So, I've now taken it into another repair shop for a second opinion since I really need the data. I gather there are data recovery specialists who might be able to help but the rates quoted are from a minimum or $300 to $1000 to to get started! Here's today's first Q:  I've read somewhere, and a friend has suggested that as a last resort, seal the HD in a Zip-lock bag and put it into a freezer for a few hours; they claim that they have had some success with this as a last ditch effort. Your thoughts/experience?

So, I've reconciled myself to the loss and am now looking at a new HD, WD Caviar Black, 1 TB.  Any opinions on that?  Also, when I go to install it into the tower and load the operating system, do I 1) use the System Restore Disks I made when I first got the pc, or 2) Use the DELL supplied 'Operating System Already Installed on Your Computer' disk?  I assume the later since this will be a clean install on a new HD.

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Many thanks for your support.

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Can't say if freezing will help, but as I understand it, that only helps if the drive isn't spinning, but not if the electronics got fried or the files or file system are scambled.  Did either of the shops tell you if the drive is spinning or not?

If the drive is spinning, you might look into SpinRite 6.  Watch the video at the link to understand a little about what SpinRite does and decide if you're willing to spend $89 to see if it can rescue your files. I cannot promise SprinRite can recover your files.

As for the 1T drive, you need to do some homework because I can't answer your questions (or my own). Suggest you search these forums for answers or maybe Davet50 can answer some of them:

1. Can BIOS on the D8300 handle a drive as large as 1T, with or without partitioning?
2. Does D8300 BIOS allow you to boot from a HDD connected to a SATA port?
3. How did you go from XP to Win 7? Upgrade or clean install? If you use the restore disks you made when you got the system, your're going back to XP and will have to do an upgrade to Win 7. At this point, it just might be better to do a clean Win 7 install, assuming you have a valid Win 7 install disk, and not just a Win 7 upgrade from previously installed XP.

Unfortunately both repair shops report that it is not spinning.  As far as the BIOS handling  a 1TB drive, it's a 1 TB drive that failed, and I do have a second 1 TB in it also.

With respect to Q3, the XP and the Win 7 are on different machines.  The XP, that I'm writing this on, is about 9 years old and the Win 7 was in a 2 1/2 year old machine that I bought with Win 7 on it.  I do have the install disk for Win 7 and will have to do a clean install as soon as I get my new HD, and then load all the patches, etc from Microsoft along with all of the other programs.  I really messed up my backup scheme somehow and what I thought was being backed up to an external 2 TB HD wasn't. 

Thanks for your support.

If the drive is not spinning then it is toast. And unless you are willing to shell out the big bucks for a data recovery service, the data is gone. I learned the hard way like this too. but mine was just mainly pictures and few files. Now I backup often.

My apologies to all for my lack of clarity.  My 'old' pc is a DELL 8300; it's the one I'm writing on now.  My newer pc is indeed a DELL XPS 8300, which came with the HD installed.  I did, however, install a second 1 TB drive myself shortly after I got; I use it only to store videos I was making.  It has always worked well.

So when the new HD arrives tomorrow from Amazon, I'll do a clean install with the disk I received originally.  Any special precautions that I should take or problems that I might look out for?  I've never done a clean install  of an operating system before.

Thanks again to all.

Not spinning..? :emotion-9: 

You obviously installed the drive yourself, so is there anything left of its warranty? And see if the manufacturer is offering any data recovery for that specific model. There were issues with some 1T drives and at least one of the manufacturers was doing free data recovery on that specific model.

If they won't help, you've got nothing to lose by freezing it. Just be sure to seal it tightly in a plastic bag so no moisture gets in. Maybe even put some uncooked rice in the bag as an absorbant. Then work fast to get it connected ot the PC and see if it spins up...

Unfortunately, we've all been there, done that about not backing up regularly... :emotion-10:

the Win 7 was in a 2 1/2 year old machine that I bought with Win 7 on it.

BTW: I'm totally confused now.  The Dimension 8300 was sold in ~2003-2004, so how did you get it 2.5 years ago with Win 7 installed? Or did you buy it used from somebody? That's why I asked about BIOS and 1T drives, etc...

Are we really talking about an XPS 8300??  :emotion-7:

Read me.

Many thanks for all of your support ROHE.  The article you steered me to was very helpful, and I think I may have even done it correctly.  Now, to install all of the programs and a proper backup.  As I understand it, RAID 1, will give me 100% redundancy as long as both of my 1 TB hard drives don't fail at the same time.  

How do I set that up?  Is it as easy as changing a BIOS setting?