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Desktop Studio 540 hard drive failure
I have a desktop Studio 540 I bought 5 years ago. It had two 640G drives in it which I did not know. I only needed one drive so I decided to use the master drive as C:\ to boot from, and the second drive (HD1) for files. I installed Win XP Pro on the main drive. After a time I disconnected HD1 and used only the HD0 master drive for the last 4 years. A couple of weeks ago, the drive became slow. I did a Dell Diagnostic test and it said the HD0 drive had failed then I couldn't boot it at all, and still can't. I get the error code 2000-0146 which means failed drive.
The second drive (HD1) tested OK but master drive HD0 has boot files on it, so I can't boot the HD1 drive. I also can't access my XP setup disk even if set to boot first-I get same error NTLDR missing and have to exit. I can't view files on hard drive or Win XP disk.I can view files on XP disk on my laptop and see NTLDR file and ntdetect.com file on it but not on my desktop. Is there a way to get my "good "drive to be able to boot? Or if I got a new hard drive or portable drive, would my Win XP set up disk work so I could boot to the desktop. Any other solution? Or is my desktop no good now?
osprey4
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July 23rd, 2015 17:00
Hi book92,
Yes, you should be able to use HD1 as your new boot drive. But you'll need to install Windows XP onto that drive. To do this, you'll need to boot from the XP disc, although it sounds like you're having trouble with this. What I would do is remove the bad drive, install HD1 in the SATA port 0 or 1, whichever is the first port, then boot to the F12 menu and, with your XP disc in the drive, select the option to boot to the DVD drive. If the PC fails to pick up the XP disc, keep trying. If it just simply will not work, then you can look online for a procedure to create a Windows XP installation USB flash drive using your XP disc.
Getting files off your bad drive is most likely not going to be possible.
Book92
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July 24th, 2015 20:00
Hi osprey4, Thanks for reply.
I thought I would be able to use HD1 as my new boot drive, but know it would need Win XP on it, but Win XP CD is not accessible though the boot files can be seen on it but won't boot. I already put HD1 in SATA HD0 which is the first port, but makes no difference.
The 2 drives are the same except for the letters PM in the middle of model number in the HD0 drive and SM in the HD1 drive. PM and SM probably mean Primary and Secondary drives. I have put the disc drive first in booting order many times in both F2 and F12 but makes no difference. I still can't get the Win XP disk to boot nor the hard drives. I don't know why the Win XP disc won't boot. It always did before.
osprey4
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July 29th, 2015 17:00
Yes, the XP disc will install the operating system on any hard drive you put into the desktop. No, you cannot install XP onto an external drive. But you must be able to boot to the XP disc for this to work.
Book92
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July 30th, 2015 21:00
osprey4
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July 31st, 2015 16:00
Two things I would try. Disable all boot options in the BIOS other than the DVD drive. That should force the system to try loading from the XP disc.
Apart from that, it's very easy to create an XP install flash drive. One of these results should help.
Book92
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August 17th, 2015 13:00
Hi Osprey4,
Sorry it took a while to get back to you. I had already tried disabling everything you said in your message, but didn't help. I still can't access the computer with the Win XP disc, but I'm a bit further ahead. I downloaded Hiren's program which is interesting and made a bootable USB from it and I will soon get a Win XP bootable USB, and see if it will iinstall on my desktop and get it going again. I wouldn't say it's very easy to make a bootable USB. I had to get instructions and it took me long enough :) Thanks.
osprey4
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August 17th, 2015 15:00
Ok, good to hear. It's so much faster to install from a flash drive.
Book92
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August 17th, 2015 17:00
To Osprey4.
Yes, booting with a flash drive is quite different. I still have a ways to go yet before I see if the bootable Win XP USB can install Win XP and if I can access the hard drive. I would consider it to be extremely successful after all the things I've tried. I will find out. soon.Thanks for your input.