Nehmo <nehmo54@hotmail.com> wrote

> My machine is down and I'm using one at a different location to post
> these questions. I have a few questions. I'll be back to see if I
> got any answers in the NG tomorrow. But if anybody wants to call and
> help, _Please Do So_ anytime day or night (I go to bed late anyway)
> 913 766-1899.
> {I think I'll be on this for a few days, so if it's in or before
> the first week of January '06, if you can help, please call!} Thanks.

> AN35N Ultra Shuttle mboard
> Award BIOS
> Windows XP Home SP1, NTFS file system
> 3 HD drives and 1 CD/DVD:
> 120 GB as C boot/system
> 80 GB as D
> 160 GB as H

> Computer stalled when rebooting, but on forth attempt was successful.

Clearly some hardware problem.

> I ran virus scan but it froze late in the scan.
> Successfully rebooted and tried to run Checkdisk setting it up to work
> on next boot. This was the last time I had normal Windows working.
> Checkdisk was stalled when I looked at, perhaps after an hour.

> Every time I try to boot, I now get the blue screen 7b stop code
> 0x0000007B (0xF789E640) (0xc0000034) (0x000000) (0x000000), which I
> understand to mean INACCESSABLE_BOOT_DEVICE (which is not actually
> written with the stop code; I got that string from the MS kb page).
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;324103

> Running CHKDSK from a command prompt in the XP recovery counsel
> (booting form CD), I try the option /F , but it says (I think I
> remember correctly) that /F was an invalid parameter. I used /R
> instead, and it ran through it twice on C drive. It reported fixed errors.

> Q1: Why couldn't I have ran the /F option?

> A little on CHKDSK
> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...us/chkdsk.mspx

> At this point I was still unable to boot Windows normally.

I wouldnt worry about CHKDSK at this stage due to the next bit.

> I experimentally physically replaced the 120 GB drive with a 15 GB
> drive I had on a shelf. This drive I know to have a good XP
> installation that works with this machine. I got the same error stop code.

Likely for the same reason mentioned below.

> I physically put the original 120 GB drive back in.

> I tried to reinstall XP via using the CD, but it's only an
> upgrade CD and I don't have my old Windows ME disk. For
> some reason, install program didn't find the old XP installation,

Likely because it couldnt see the hard drive properly.

> and it asked for qualifying media, a ME disk or something
> similar. I couldn't continue with the installation.

> Looking in the BIOS, Standard CMOS Features,

> IDE Primary Master - none
> IDE Primary Slave - none
> IDE Secondary Master - none
> IDE Secondary Slave - 80 GB (and some more
> characters, don't remember exactly, but the drive is listed)

> Q2: I have my boot drive on Secondary Master, so maybe
> this is where the problem is. It doesn't show in the BIOS.
> All the detections are on Auto. Should I change something?

Yes, try a new cable. Try a different power connector too, the metal
tunnels can open up over time so they dont make good contact.

> Nonetheless, I am able to navigate in the drives
> via the command prompt in the recovery counsel.

> Q3: Why does the BIOS seem to not detect the drives,
> but yet I can work with them via the command prompt?


The CD does a rescan for drives above what the bios finds,
do that may well be the reason it sees them when the bios
does with an intermittent secondary master drive.

> Q3: When trying to boot via the CD, it gives an option for Windows
> XP, and for Windows XP Home. Why does it give two options?

Some stuffup with the install most likely. Maybe as a
result of the attempt at another install which failed.

> I only have Home. I've been trying both (one, then the next
> time, the other) with no luck, but which one should I choose?

Looks like some hardware problem with the secondary
master drive, either the cable or the power connector.