Partition table error after PC restore

You're on the right track.  I know it's long, but the best you can do is study Dan Goodell's page:  Inside the Dell PC Restore Partition.  Don't mess with the numbers after the first two; it appears you have the correct type in the partitions but the 80 belongs on the active partition, which is normally the second one.  I haven't read Mr. Goodell's page lately, so it would be best if you checked that out before making any changes.

Hey Jack  Shack,

Thanks for the reply.  I did read Dan's page - I think I may have parts of it memorized.  I ran the DSRFIX and it came up error free looking like it's supposed to.  No alerts.  Just because I had nothing to lose I ran the fix and it said there was nothing to fix.  Then I ran the PTEDIT and discovered that the partition had what appears to be the whole hard drive in the wrong part.  So I went into la la land reading Starman's site [a place I was referred to] while trying to find an editor program and realized I was WAY over my head.  So now I know the stuff is there and it's just not in the right place. I just need to know how to move it.

I wanted to do a data dump and send it to Dan but there is no floppy drive so I was running DSRFIX from a CD and you can't write it to a CD. I didn't have a thumb drive available and I was too busy today to go get one but I'm not sure Dan's going to respond either.

Any other advice out there from you or anyone?

Yes, lack of tools is sometimes a problem.  You will need to find a way to make a DOS bootable CD having a partition editor on it.  From the table you gave it looks to me like all you need to do is move the "80" to the second partition.  Dell restore would do that for you ordinarily, but with the corruption in the first partition there is no way that is going to happen.  Did you happen to read Manually Restoring the Ghost Image that begins about halfway down this page:  Automatically Restoring the Ghost Image?  The section on manual restore gives you a link to step by step instructions on performing the restore manually, but the only part you really need is the part that tells you what hex characters belong on which line.

If you can get the partition table editor Dan mentions loaded onto a CD you will partially solve your problem.  You need a DOS bootable CD; if you can create one, that's great, but if you have the Dell Resource CD with your diagnostics I believe you can boot that disk and escape out of the diagnostic cycle to get to an A prompt.  Once you've done that you can change CDs and run the partition editor from the second CD

Hey thanks for redirecting me to look at that part of the page again.  Not sure but I must've missed that part when I ran through it the first time thinking I wouldn't have to do that.  Now that I know what I know and have done the other steps that is making a bit more sense and perhaps  I can make it work.  I had to make a bootable CD in order to run DSRFIX so I should be able to figure out how to do that part again with the editor.  If not I will look through my Dell discs and see if I have one with that on it.  I'll chew on this awhile and see if I can solve.

Thanks so much. Even it it doesn't work it gives me something else to try.  I really would like to recover the partition.  I think this PC was one of the ones they shipped without discs.  I think that because I have every disc, I've ever owned since 1987 for every system I've had including all the Nortons way back etc., and I have no discs for this PC except program discs.  I have the manuals for everything too.  I have 4 Dells.  Surely there must be a Resource CD with diagnostics in there somewhere.

It may take me awhile to get to do it but I'll let you know one way or the other.  BTW I used to be from Jersey lots of years ago.....appreciate the hand up.

You are very welcome.  It seems you're getting close to making it work, and I'm happy to have been of help.

Best of luck to you!

Could someone please just list a STEP by STEP solution to this BS problem that DELL should be publishing, but are too busy counting their money?

STEP by STEP because I don't wanna have to learn to be a level VII tech support specialist to fix this problem that DELL is responsible for, a problem which they obviously couldn't care less about because they are using their resources on future products and in turn neglect old customers.  And yes, I have an old and cheap dell laptop, but after this experience, it will be the last I buy with the product name Dell on it.

So someone please, Step by Step.

Joenewbie

Hi Joenewbie,

I posed the original question and Jackshack did try to help me.  After reading all the information in Dan Goodell's instructions which are really helpful and step by step, I decided that editing the partition table for me would be really time consuming.  Also, I thought for some reason I had accidentally discarded the original system discs because I couldn't locate them.  By reading the forum I realized some systems were shipped without discs (don't ask me how I feel about that!) and I located my shipping order and discovered I had been looking for something I didn't have.  So I ordered them and did a complete reinstall which though time consuming (probably about 12 hours with all the updates, etc.) got the system running again and it's fully functional like it's brand new.  Considering I thought the computer was trashed I was very relieved.

I didn't understand originally that there was a "PC RESTORE" function.  My mistake was to locate that after I had already corrupted my partition table by trying to put a disc in for XP to locate a missing file from.  Your best solutions when you have a problem are 1) try to find a recent system restore date and take your system back to that.  My last date wasn't helpful to solving my problems and actually seemed to make things worse 2) I should've located the instructions in the Owner's manual for system restore with PCRESTORE and tried that.  That would've likely worked had I found it before I tried something I shouldn't have.  3) If your PCRESTORE doesn't work before you do anything else, read Dan Goodell's page that was referenced earlier in this post.   Follow his step by step instructions.  If you do what he says, it does work.  I was able to run DSRFIX and analyze my problems.  I would've gone on to do the PT edit of the partition table but even if I had moved the hard drive to the right place there were other corruptions later in the table that I wasn't sure I could fix.  4) If all that fails get replacement discs from Dell. I ordered mine and had them by 2-3 days later.  Once I used them as I said my system was restored.  BUT before you do the reinstall, read the instructions about which drivers to reinstall and in what order..I found those in the instructions.  I'm convinced that save me time and aggravation by knowing that order as I had to download the drivers etc. from Dell's website and then select them for install from the disc I copied them onto.

I'm not a technician and don't always undestand what everyone posts here.  I have found it very educational to read what others are saying about the problem and their solutions.  There are people like Jackshack and Goodell and Bev someone who post that have real answers and solve problems but you have to dig.  For me that was better than having someone else mess around with my system or having to ship it somewhere and pay to have it fixed.  For others, I guess the solution is to pay Dell for their help.  It's up to you if you want to pay by using your time or your money.  Good luck.  My thanks to all those who post and try to help.  I really appreciate it.