Starting a new thread since the previous problem has changed.

When I boot up my computer, I get an error after the initial startup, where the windows loading bar normally would go..It goes to a blank screen with a blinking underscore in the top corner, and after hanging there for about 10 seconds it says

"No boot device available" followed by F key instructions

I've tried unplugging and replugging all plugs, using different power cables for the HD, using a different SATA cable to connect to the mobo, and still same error. Sometimes I'd hear a loud clicking after startup and it will say it had trouble auto detecting the secondary hard drive and says press F1 to continue, and then follows the keypress with No boot device available. I'm not sure what that message is about as I've never had a secondary drive.

Any suggestions?

Loud clicking and no boot device = failing hard drive
most likely possibility
Mark

does that mean it's not recoverable?

I seriously would hate to lose all those files..

Can you describe the loud, "clicking" , a little more, is it coming through the speakers, or some place else ?

It's similar to the clicking the system makes when you do a hard shut down by holding down the power button for a few seconds

Edit: But seeming to come from the area with the HD

That blinking screen with the underscore...is indicative of a bad MBR.

Black Screen (fixmbr) - http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;314503

Louis

Ok how can I create a boot disk without the use of a floppy? My PC doesn't have a floppy drive.

Boot disk for what?

Louis

Recovery steps say you need a boot disk..from that link

Go into the BIOS and change the first boot device order to the CD drive as number one and just use the XP CD
Mark

mate if you are hearing clicking, stop using ur pc, unplug that drive and get a new one, dont use it till you get all your data off.

as garmanma said, click hdd = failing hdd, and fast..

if you go to get the data off, and find that it kinda stopped working, stick your HDD in the freezer for a bit, that shud give u some time to get the data off

Can't find the CD..but will post back when I found and have results.

So then how do I retrieve data from it if it has an OS on it? Even if I get a new one and plug that in to transfer..wouldn't the OS conflict?

You remove the hard drive...connect it to a known good system long enough to copy/transfer files...disconnect and put it back in the original system. You will be able to see all files, just won't be able to run any programs from that drive.

Louis

yeah hook it up as a slave drive(make sure jumpers are set correctly), check your boot order to make sure that its still the same(not booting off of the newly added, possibly faulty drive).

when you boot windows, doulbe click my computer, you should see your old drive :D then start copying! if you are going to be copying a fair few GB's worth of stuff, use karens replicator (http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp) - beats your copy process failing at 95% and having to start again!

Ok so I'm looking at the hard drive..and Not sure what to set the jumpers to..If there's even jumpers in it..It doesn't say on the front..and I don't see the tan/white thing covering 2 of the pins.. It's a Maxtor Diamond Plus 9 80GB SATA..On the 10 pin plug, it's got one missing on top

- - - | O
- - - - -

Basic text image..The | indicates a missing pin..and the O indicates some black thing covering it, only on one pin though. How do I configure this to be a slave?

ok on the top of your drive there should be a large manufacture(western digial, seagate, samsung, maxtor) sticker which will outline what pins have to be covered for the respective setting, also wil have general information regarding the drive

what is this mystery "some black thing" - is it a jumper or a physical part of the drive?

EDIT: OK i finally completely read your post sorry for my ignorance

its a sata disk - you dont need to set any jumpers.

if your bios wont see the disk,check that sata isnt disabled in your bios(unlikely)..if you still cant get it to work, i would either look into data recovery or buy a new drive.
goodluck

In order to move a SATA drive to another system (to transfer data), that other system must have SATA capability or you must employ something like the following: http://addonics.com/products/io/adsaide.asp

Older motherboards/systems will generally be lacking SATA capability.

As stated, there is no master/slave nonsense, no jumpers (or if they exist, they can be ignored).

Louis