Re: all ext drives - not formatted ??!!

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Malke (malke_at_nospoonnotreally.com)
Date: 03/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 12:57:35 -0800

Martin Whelehan wrote:

>
>>There wouldn't be any "MB against them". The fact that they are seen
>>in the BIOS means that the fault is with something in the operating
>>system. What changed for your friend between the time things worked
>>and the time they didn't? Did s/he install any software or hardware?
>>
>>Malke
>
> I am the friend mentioned by Geoff.
>
> I cannot think what has changed to render floppies, DVD and Zip drive
> to come up with disk not formatted or wrong format and the CD-RW
> wanting to copy files even though the disk is not empty.
>
> The only thing I can think of, except the odd Windows Update, is me
> trying to burn a CD with some data using the built into XP burning
> software and the resultant disk being unreadable. I think it was
> around this point but why does it affect floppies zip drives as well?
>
> Any suggestions very welcom.
>
> Martin Whelehan

Hi, Geoff's friend Martin. It would seem unlikely that making a coaster
would mess up all your drives, but I suppose some fundamental files
could have been damaged. Since I can't see your computer (and I really
think that problems like this warrant a hands-on approach and you may
want to take the machine to a good repair shop), here are some
suggestions (and please remember that I don't know everything you've
tried, so forgive me if some of this is a repeat for you):

1) Make sure you backed up all your data. Since you don't have a burner
available, if the data is important and has not been backed up, find an
alternative way. If you have another machine, copy the files over the
network. If Geoff or another friend has a network or usb drive or the
like, copy the files that way. You can always pull the hard drive and
slave it in another machine and copy the files off that way.

2) Try Start>Run and type "sfc /scannow". Have your Windows XP cd handy,
although this may not work if Windows doesn't see the cd-rom drive.
Perhaps you have an i386 folder on the hard drive you can point the
System File Checker to if needed.

3) If #2 doesn't work, try a Repair Install.

4) If #3 doesn't work, you can always do a format and install,
understand that this will erase *all* data.

5) Before doing either #2 or #3, I would personally do some hardware
diagnosis just to be sure that wasn't the root cause. If you aren't
sure about working with hardware, I can give you some tips but I really
think it would be best to take the machine to a good shop (not a
CompUSA or BestBuy type of store - or the local equivalent).

Please let me know if you think I can help you further, although doing
this sort of diagnosis via Usenet is not really the best way.

Good luck,

Malke 

-- 
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"

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