Re: Installing XP on a Fried Motherboard?

oldsawfever@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hello everyone!
My wife's computer got a severe voltage spike and fire the
motherboard,(478pin)Compaq Pesario S5100nx using Windows XP so I
bought a new ECS nForce3-A motherboard & AMD 3000+ CPU Plus fan and no
way to backup what is on the harddrive.
The computer will let me into the BIOs settup and everthing is still
on the HD but It won't open Windows.
It won't open in safe Mode or in Last known good configuration,it will
take me to a command prompt (Black Screen) but I don't know where to
go from there?
I need to save Docs &spread*** from HD so I can't do a clean
install. Can I do(& how) a reinstall and save the documents on my HD?

Any help would be Greatly Appreciated!
Mike E.


Take the disk to another computer ? The very first thing I'd want to
do, is back up the disk somehow, before an accident happens. If you
have another WinXP computer, that should be able to understand an
NTFS disk.

A repair install, is how you would normally attempt to try to
fix it. A repair install leaves settings and applications alone.
It takes the OS back to the revision level of the install CD, so
any missing Service Packs or Security Updates need to be added after
it is finished. Yes, a repair install can go wrong, which is why
a backup is recommended. Any time I move my boot disk from my old
computer, into my latest build, the first step is imaging the original
disk so I have some insurance if things go horribly wrong.

Some warnings:
http://cquirke.mvps.org/reinst.htm

Repair install:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

To be visible, the disk connected to a new motherboard, may
need a driver, when the previous system didn't need one. A
driver can be added by pressing F6 at the appropriate time
and offering a floppy with the driver on it. So that is another
tiny little detail. That tends to be necessary, if the storage
connector on the motherboard, goes to a chip other than the
Southbridge.

Your new motherboard...
http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Products/ProductsDetail.aspx?DetailID=502&CategoryID=1&DetailName=Feature&MenuID=48&LanID=9
http://64.124.27.138/ecs/manual/mb/eng/k8/NFORCE3-A.pdf

After looking at this thread, it would seem that the WinXP
built in drivers would work, as long as you aren't using
a RAID setting in the BIOS. The BIOS by default should be
in a non-RAID state, suitable for repairing WinXP without
needing F6.

http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar/browse_frm/thread/5a75d88956739caa/315d83b8a476a1ee

Having two computers to work with, at a time like this, is
infinitely preferable to trying to perform miracles with
only one. In my home setup, I've even managed to break
two computers at the same time, requiring using a third
to repair them/surf the net for answers and so on. A second
working computer, would give you some place to backup the
disk, or find the valuable files you want to save.

I see in your other post, you do have another computer. Check
the jumpers on the two drives on the IDE chain, to make sure
they are set up properly, if attempting to backup the disk
on your computer. (Master and Slave, or both Cable Select
with an 80 wire cable. An 80 wire IDE cable is desirable in
any case, for best signal quality.)

Paul
.