BleepingComputer.com: UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

Hello Ladies & Gents,
My ex's pc is down again.... So I'm needed....lol anyway the title says it all. She has Windows XP Ser pak 3 on her pc and the only other info I can get out of her pc right now is some Technical Information : (which is) (ox857429E0, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000) Any help would be great.....
Thanks ! have a great weekend...
It may take me some time to relpy so please be patient.... As I will be...

http://www.aumha.org/a/stop.htm, see ED on the right.

Unmountable boot volume errors are often overcome by running the chkdsk /r command from the XP Recovery Console.

Unmountable Boot Volume - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555302

How to Create a Bootable XP Recovery Console CD - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic276527.html

How to use CHKDSK in the XP Recovery Console - http://pirules3.14.googlepages.com/recovery_console_chkdsk

Louis

Hi Louis thanks for the reply ! I tried the CHKDSK method with her windows xp disk.... (I'm no pc wiz, not by a long shot.... lol) Anyway long story short heres what I learned (it doesn't look good if I'm guessing right) in chksk /r
C:\>chkdsk /r
26% Completed
The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems.

Same thing for C:\chkdsk and C:\chksk /p

Any other idea's ?
Thanks,
Robert

It looks like you need a new drive.

To double check...

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

I'll just add a note that either a problem with NTFS or the drive itself...will detour chkdsk /r.

I would try to remove any data files deemed valuable...before proceeding with additional testing.

If it is a problem with the file system...formattting/creating a new partition (after deleting the old) may yield more usefulness from the drive.

Louis

Morning hamluis & Broni...... thanks ! Only one problem, all the above is over my head...lol (not that I can't learn) Sadly I don't know for sure what the hard drive looks like, so I'm not sure which piece inside the pc to get a name off of. I'm on her laptop which is a inspiron 1525 with vista basic... I think (if the laptop will do it) I can figure out how to burn the CD (if I find out which one is needed) but after the burn I'd be lost on which way to go from there.... As for removing any files Louis I haven't a clue as to how to do that... especially since I can't get her pc to boot up..... Any idea's ?
Thanks guys ! And have a goood one
Robert

Nothing that is as well-documented on the Internet...as most routine computer system tasks are...is over anyone's head .

You just have to be willing to look for the freely available info re various things.

Your system owner's manual...contains basis info about the system. In addition to that, the manufacturer's website contains at least one manual that probably indicates how to remove the hard drive, if directions are necessary. Most systems are designed to make such as obvious as possible.

System manufacturer and model?

<<As for removing any files Louis I haven't a clue as to how to do that... especially since I can't get her pc to boot up..... Any idea's ?>>

Can be accomplished in a number of ways. It's immaterial is her system boots, since not all methods for removing data...require that the system boot.

I would simply remove the hard drive...and attach it directly to the motherboard of a different system, as a secondary/tertiary drive. This results in that hard drive being treated as something other than a boot drive and all data files on the drive will then be moveable to a partition/drive on the second system.

Or you can use a USB enclosure/converter cables to connect the drive via USB.

There are other ways, but you get the picture.

Louis

Hi hamluis, This is not a store bought pc...custom built by Technology Partners, Inc.... (but still cheap...not that the ex would agree, but ...) And being almost 4 yrs old I can't find anything on there web site (No. wise) that matchs up with her sales invoice....


I would simply remove the hard drive...and attach it directly to the motherboard of a different system, as a secondary/tertiary drive. This results in that hard drive being treated as something other than a boot drive and all data files on the drive will then be moveable to a partition/drive on the second system.

Or you can use a USB enclosure/converter cables to connect the drive via USB.

There are other ways, but you get the picture.

No I really don't.....lol.... I'm not trying to be funny or anything, I just don't know that much about the working and what nots of pc's.... From the web site where she got this one built, I think I now have a good idea of what the hard drive at least looks like... So I'll tear open her pc case later and see what I can find out... So anything you'd care to explain I appreciate ! By that I mean how to get the CD of program I need to download to run on her pc , etc.....Thanks again !

Robert

P.S. Since you seem to be saying I'll need to replace the hard drive in her old pc, couldn't I just replace her old hard drive, then hook up her old hard drive the way you were talking about to her new one to get the info (files) that way...... LOL Sounds like whos on first ...... Larurel & Hardy

This post has been edited by Copeland: 21 February 2010 - 12:39 PM

<<...Since you seem to be saying I'll need to replace the hard drive in her old pc,>>

I didn't say that at all. I said that unmountable boot volume errors may be a problem with file system (or partition) that does not necessarily result in writing the hard drive off. The purpose of running the diagnostic on the hard drive...is to see if it is a physical problem with the hard drive (which may result in replacement) or a problem with the file system which is like a carpet on a floor and on which the O/S lies.

There's a world of difference between the two, IMO, since a problem with NTFS or the partition...may be able to be corrected by simply deleting the existing structures...then creating a new files system/partition/XP install.

If you want the easy way to handle this...go out and buy a new hard drive, then install XP on it. I don't suggest that, but that's the easy way for those with money to do such.

How To Install A Hard Drive Links

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-ways-to-tra...ter-to-another/

Louis

Hi hamluis, no I didn't mean for it to sound like I'm looking for the easy way out.... (at 52 I'm use to doing things the hard way..lol) No one heres rich either, if that were the case I would have told the ex just to go out and buy a new one....lol... As it sometimes happens words that get wrote can easily sound different than what they really mean.... Today I plan on tearing into the pc and seeing if I can find out what type of drives in here, then seeing if theres a program for testing the drive... If I find a program (and burn it) to test the drive I'll still need to know how to load it and when.... I'm just looking ahead (Shes had problems with this pc for awhile now) because I believe it will turn out to be a bad hard drive in the end...
Thanks for ur patience,

Robert

Someone will show the way, no point in giving you a lot of specifics on how to do this and that at this time...let's try to take it a step at a time.

Creating and running the hard drive diagnostic...is going to dictate what the next round of suggestions will be. The results of the diagnostic are important.

Louis

Well this is weird, I took the old hard drive out (check out prices) and took it with me since I needed to get some blank CD's for burning the programs to check out the HD, anyway theres a little PC shop close to here so I stoped by and they checked out the drive (for free) and the guy there said it was shot.... Got the blanks downloaded the program from the web site, hooked up the OLD hard, turned on the pc and BAM it started up ! ! Not that I think ever things fixed (but if I have to replace the old HD it might make it easier to the the old files off here) Its still slow and slugish... It did start off with a file check that it says theres trouble with NTFS CHKDSK is verifying files ..... says a lot of them are unreadable..... So guess I need to try and run the Western Digital program now right ? I'll keep you posted ......

Ok I created the HD diagostic program but can't seem to get it to load in her pc.... Is there some other than poping the disk in and waiting (hopeing) it'll load ?
Thanks,
Robert

Make sure, "boot order" in BIOS lists CD drive first.

Hi Broni,
Yesterday when I was out I picked up a hard D just in case I needed to replace the old one, soon as the ex found out it was bigger (her old one was only 80 GB) she decided she wanted the new one instead...lol And since the old HD seems to be half way working she wants to get whatever she can out by using the old copy send thur the email system way... (time consuming but doable for now at least) Since I can't seem to get anything to copy to CD from her old system (probably something thats wrong with the old HD ?) Anyway thanks for the help for now, if things don't work out I'll probably be back here to find out how to get whatevers left on the old HD off and onto the new one.... So close this one out ? Or wait till I repost with its a all clear ? LOL
Thanks again !
Robert