jaclaz

duffy, the links posted by dencorso are on the Wayback Machiine and work OK from here. What happens when you click on them? What happens if you go on the home page: http://archive.org/index.php and search for: http://www.utdallas.edu/~jeremy.bryan.smith/articles/explorer_spy.html look for pages in 2004/2005/2006 jaclaz

Yep, but that is simply a black screen with a cursor (possibly flashing) in the top left corner. What happens first? Try describing the steps you go through before that. Use this (it is XP related, but the 2K setup is very similar) as a reference: http://www.labtestproject.com/screenshot/windows_xp/ jaclaz

Everything is well that ends well. jaclaz

Then it is possible that is the HD size, see below. Good. See here: Of course not , I am from Vulcan , but I like the white, red and green. Sure I am from Italy , near Florence. jaclaz

Do you have an appropriate SATA driver integrated? Or can you set it in BIOS the internal disk in "IDE emulation mode" (or similar setting)? (though normally the symptoms would be that no disk is found ) Which SP is that Wndows 2000? Have you enabled 48 bit LBA? Let's wait if some other member has an idea of what the issues could be (maybe too faster processo/too much RAM)? jaclaz

No. That stupid 4shared site wants me to log in in order to download that file. (besides attempting to trick me into downloadin iLivid, etc. ). Upload here: http://www2.zshares.net/ and post the links. jaclaz

If you ever wrote data on that disk it means that it has been partitioned (in at least one partition). A disk partitioned means that a partition table has been written to it's first sector, if out of the 4 possible partition entries in the table only one is used, the disk is partitioned (in a single partition). Instead of providing screenshots, run TESTDISK with a log option, and post the log. Unfortunately the read errors you are getting are NO good news. What you should do would be to stop fiddling with that disk drive, procure yourself a bigger disk drive and image the device, using a tool capable of either ignoring errors or doing partial images. Under Windows I would use Datarescuedd: http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/v3/drdd.htm along the "partial" approach described here: and yes, you will need a third hard disk same size as the failed one or bigger to attempt recomposing the image. jaclaz

There seems to me there is not any particular issue in the log. I see that you have Comodo installed, maybe it's part of the issue? Run a procmon boot log, compress the biggish result .pml file with 7-zip or similar, upload to *any* free hosting site, post a link to it. You can also try setting verbose status on, see: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325376/en-us but usually you don' t get anything of use from it. jaclaz

@Comos See here: jaclaz

The (necessarily due to the translation) "vague" syntax provided seems to imply that a "LOGO" ON command must be run before (and possibly also a HOTK one -which is commented out in your PECMD.ini) jaclaz

I would also explore other (non-malware related) hypothesis, a good idea would be to make a full boot with log: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833721/en-us and if nothing "strange" is logged in Ntbtlog.txt proceed with a full Boot time logging with procmon: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx WARNING this will create a BIG file. Another tool that tends to be forgotten nowadays is Bootvis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BootVis (the wikipedia page provides links to some other similar tool) available from Softpedia: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/BootVis.shtml It could well be a "problematic service" . jaclaz

Post the full pecmd.ini anyyway. Which password is 123456? The (google translation) of the syntax is here: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=zh-CN&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http://blog.csdn.net/kingli_2008/article/details/6765792 As you might know the tool is Chinese and there is a lack of proper documentation in English AFAIK. And the SAME build, but without the password request works perfectly? BUT unfortunately crystall balls are unavailable at the moment , and possibly for this you should ask for help on the AutoIt Forum (in any case if you don't post WHAT you have written, noone will be able to help you). BTW the "official" support board for Win8PE_SE is: http://theoven.org/index.php jaclaz

That's all about how much you value your time. But puntoMX has been IMHO a bit on the low side. That rig is worth all of 130 US$ . You see, the point is not about value of the thingy, but a lot about WHO would be the prospective buyer, let's see: a gamer? No. a business? No. a grandma/grandpa? No. a kid (see gamer above)? No. a hobbyist interested in SOME of the parts? Yes, BUT he/she will want to attribute a value to only those parts, and will offer you at the most 125/130 US$ someone interested in EACH and EVERY of the parts? Yes. (the difficult part is finding him/her). jaclaz

Good Yet another happy bunny in the basket, I presume : jaclaz

Additionally, NOT alternatively, run Combofix: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/combofix/how-to-use-combofix jaclaz

Good. jaclaz

Good , but not "entirely" flawless (see below): Time to try adding some grub4dos "magic" Add to the ROOT of the drive where your 32 bit system is: grldr menu.lst Edit it's boot.ini adding a line to it : C:\grldr="grub4dos" The menu.lst should be: Copy FROM the root of the partition where you have the 32bit XP the files: NTLDR NTDETECT.COM BOOT.INI TO the partition where you have installed the XP 64 bit. Create on this partition the file "thisis_64_bit_part.txt" (or however the file that you used in menu.lst, the name must be "univocal", i.e. a file with the same name must NOT exist on the WIn32 partition). Try booting, then: choose the "grub4dos" <- this is in the BOOT.INI in the active partition, the one where you have the 32 bit install choose the "Windows XP 64 test" <- this is in the menu.lst choose again "Windows <- this is in the BOOT.INI on the partition where you have the 64 bit install Once (hopefully) booted you should be able to remove L: (the XP x86 partition) as it should be not anymore "boot partition". If everything is OK, try again booting how you are doing now (choosing the X64 system in the first BOOT.INI choice) and see if everything works, report. jaclaz

Sure , but the Registry is "vast" . The related keys are mentioned in the already given thread about migrate.inf (which is an indirect way of editing - actually forming - the Registry at install time): http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19663 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices The matter, JFYI, is expanded in detail here: http://diddy.boot-land.net/firadisk/files/mounteddevices.htm and on the old KB by MS (DO NOT EVEN THINK to change the system drive letter the way it is described here, this is in the case that it was already wrongly renamed to restore it): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/en-us and here: http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/10905-change-drive-letters-to-your-liking/ (again DOES NOT apply to the drive letter the XP is booted from) jaclaz

Remove this: which is of no use anyway. And try again. Or add the line: under the [operating systems] label (BEFORE the [spybotsd] label). jaclaz

I sometimes don't get you. After I spent so much time to try and explain you the matter, what do you come out with? "NoDrives Manager" It is this one I presume: http://nodrvman.sourceforge.net/ that makes NO sense whatsoever, 15 Mb of bloat (smartly UPXed to a mere 5 Mb ) that does a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING from what we have talked till now! . JFYI, that tools make a drive not visible in Explorer (this has NOTHING to do with hiding a partition in the MBR or remove drive letter assignment) : http://www.ghacks.net/2007/12/16/hide-drives-in-windows-explorer/ http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/148/ You can use *anything* that does the SAME thing, not *anything* that does ANOTHER thing! About the MBR, you asked for suitable tools which (obviously) allow BOTH the saving AND the restoring, and then you used another tool to do the backup AND don't know how to restore it if needed? Hdhacker (as well as dsfi) can. Same goes for grub4dos, you can ask instead of going on "random" sites, this one: http://ptspts.blogspot.com.es/2009/07/how-to-create-bootable-cd-running.html points to an obsolete version of grub4dos (which you were already told to avoid) This other site: http://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/makegrub4dosiso uses a version of mkisofs and a command line for it that is overly complex and completely UNneeded for the scope at hand, the "simple" way, enough for your scope is detailed in the guide: http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/install_cd.htm jaclaz

But the answer is to a non-asked (or irrelevant) question. Is it advisable to backup the MBR (as is) if it is involved in the Fn thingy? YES. Is it advisable to backup the MBR (as is) if it is NOT involved in the Fn thingy? YES. No matter WHAT they contain is it advisable to backup also hidden sectors? YES. Is there ANY cost or issue in doing the above? NO. Just §@ç#ing make a backup of them - NO MATTER WHAT - and move on to next step. jaclaz

Do you know WHY a SxS folder exists? Do you know WHAT it's contents are and WHY they are there? jaclaz

As said there are several tools available for free. What I personally use is grub4dos BUT it has features far exceeding your needs (and is more complex to setup and uses - when plainly installed - not only the MBR but also a few of the hidden sectors) and it potentially gives to your customers "powers" that they really shouldn't have (unless they know where their towel is), NOT recommended for your specific use. A simpler solution that I also use often is mbldr (fully contained in the MBR): http://sourceforge.net/projects/mbldr/ See here for it's use as a replacement of the Softthinks MBR: the issue as hinted before is with F11 (use F10 instead). Another option is Terabyte thingy MBR Utility: http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-free-software.htm See here for tips/info: page__st__26 jaclaz

There were TWO points I was trying to make: there may be n different ways the "recovery" or "service" partition is booted there are (at least) THREE different ways to avoid automatic drive lettering #1: Ponch just confirmed what was hinted before and partially documented on mentioned Dan Goodel's pages, DELL (which BTW has historically and gerically a "quirk" for introducing changes in almost *anything* from BIOSes to XP install disks, and generally adopting NON-standard solutions) the "DE" partition can contain everything and the contrary of everything. As well the video does not in any way provide means to know (for sure) the exact mechanism that is used to boot to the "DE" partition, the F2 may cause a jump to a routine fully embedded in the BIOS, chainload a "special" DELL MBR passing to it a "switch" parameter, chainload directly another sector on the hard disk, there are many possibilities. Not knowing exactly the specific way the specific machine uses, backing up everything is logical, since it costs nothing (in terms of money) and very little (in terms of time). #2: The generic problem is the following: How is it possible to avoid that a partition or volume is auto-mounted and/or that drive letters are automatically assigned to it? Normaly an XP will autoassign drive letters along an algorithm that is detailed here: but for what is needed here is VERY simple: First Primary partition on first hard disk drive gets letter C: There are at least THREE different ways to avoid that: (ONLY valid at Setup) use a migrate.inf to force the assignment of another letter to that partition (and force the C: to the other partition) (valid BOTH at setup and during "normal" operation) hide the First Primary partition in the MBR partition table, this way NO letter will be assigned to it. (ONLY valid during "normal" operation) force the unmount of the partition and/or assign to it NO drive letter #1 is the most complex and thus more prone to error #2 is the most simple BUT in the case of a dual boot needs a third party boot manager capable of hiding/unhiding partitions #3 is simple and needs NOT the use of a third party boiotmanager BUT cannot be used at setup (actually during setup this aproach is the same as #1 and needs a migrate.inf) The idea is to use the #2 (simpler) during setup and #3 (simple and needing not third party tools) during "normal operation". One of the possible ways to do #2, i.e. hide the partition (in the MBR) through the use of grub4dos has been given, you can use any other tool to do the same. Once the XP is installed, you unhide the partition (again any suitable tool can be used) and implement #3 by using Disk Management or Diskpart (or a direct Registry editing, whatever suits you). jaclaz

If you are positive that it spins up and you have something like 10 or 11 clicks (sorry I have not an audio card) before it spins down I am afraid it's gone. Google for "11 clicks seagate" (without double quotes) That should mean that the disk cannot read it's own "configuration data" from the platter. It may be something trivial (cleaning accurately the PCB contacts) and sometimes doing "crazy" things (like keeping it vertical or upside down) you can manage to have it recognized (maybe once every several attempts), or it may be a catastrophical (head or bearing) failure. No way to really know. If you try it in a USB enclosure you should see the disk not being recognized properly in the "Safe to remove" popup/window. jaclaz