jaclaz

If you can see the folders (but not the files in them) you ARE NOT suffering from LBA0. (and you won't find ANYTHING useful in this thread, please start a new one (DO NOT post here on this thread, start a NEW thread) with an actual EXACT description of the actions taken, current status, etc. Keep in mind these: http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html http://homepage.ntlworld.com./jonathan.deboynepollard/FGA/put-down-the-chocolate-covered-banana.html as a general guideline. In any case, should it have been a LBA0, yes, you would have had to "dirty your hands" and "have to take the whole segeant apart hook up all the wires and put it back together", do you really think that if it was fixable without specific hardware, and by simply running a few lines in hyperterminal we would instead be suggesting the actual (complex) procedure as we do? jaclaz

You are welcome. "random USB images" reminds me of "any .ISO" : TANSTAAFL! http://reboot.pro/8944/ Start by making a plan. Post it in an understandable manner (and NO, "a bootable Windows 7 image with an Acronis recovery image (True Image and Disk Director)" is NOT a description that anyone not being you or failing to have handy a finely tuned crystal ball can understand). Then you will likely be pointed to things to study and experiments to carry (in other words do not expect anyone is going to do your homework, if you want to do simpe things, it is simple to learn how to do them, if you want to do complex things, it will be complex to learn how to do them). jaclaz

JFYI: http://reboot.pro/14258/ http://reboot.pro/14258/page__st__7 Here: http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/ jaclaz

If I may, let's not (yet again) confuse two DIFFERENT things Backing up is one thing and Imaging is another, each has it's advantages and disadvantages. There is a dedicated thread to imaging solutions available: a number of those will also run from DOS or Windows 9x/Me. As dencorso said, if you want to image, you DO NOT run the tool from the booted system, but from "something else", so you have NOT the limit of it needing to run on Win9x/Me, and there are several Linux based solutions. For Backup (NOT imaging) the now discontinued SAMEDIR: http://www.nonags.com/freeware-samedir_529.html http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20070807003907/http://samedir.sbn.bz/ is in my experience a very handy solution jaclaz

Well, you can still READ the thread and maybe you will find liks to OTHER more modern ways/approaches, like, you know: jaclaz

I thought you could only have that as an update to "Windows Millennium Enterprise" jaclaz

If really only 5% was wiped it means roughly 5% of 500 Gb = 25 Gb This (if the drive was a "single BIG partition) means that no useful filesystem data can be retrieved. BUT of course file based recovery would work allright. If the drive had been recently and thoroughfully defragged, the probabilities of recovering a high percentage of the remaining 95% are pretty high. If the drive was heavily fragmented probabilities decrease dramatically (expecially if files were biggich, like .iso's or movies or large databases or large compressed archives) If the drive was multipartitioned, ANY partition starting after the 5% should be FULLY recoverable. Start a new thread, and we'll see what can be done. jaclaz

Now I see. The actual PB (Progress Bar) is NOT what you think (i.e. a "real" progress bar) . Batch processing is sequential, once you have started 7zip, "focus" or actual "execution" won't return to the batch backed Wizapp until 7zip finishes. To understand what PB does, imagine that you prepare 5 bitmaps of a progress bar: progress bar at 0% progress bar at 25% progress bar at 50% progress bar at 75% Progress bar at 100% Than you have code (pseudo-code, actually) like: SHOW bitmap #1 RUN a command Show bitmap #2 RUN a command Show bitmap #3 RUN a command Show bitmap #4 RUN a command Show bitmap #5 Now, replacing the "SHOW bitmap" with PB, you would have: Wizapp PB OPEN RUN a command Wizapp PB UPDATE 25 RUN a command Wizapp PB UPDATE 50 RUN a command Wizapp PB UPDATE 75 RUN a command Wizapp PB UPDATE 100 What you can do (at the most) in your case is: Wizapp PB OPEN 7z x def.7z -aoa -o"D:\" Wizapp PB UPDATE 100 (pretty much unuseful ) I hope you understand the issue. jaclaz

By pure chance I used it / use it: http://jaclaz.altervista.org/Projects/VDM/vdm.html BUT if you had posted a link to it's page might have helped. http://wizapp.sourceforge.net/ I cannot understand your question(s) can you try re-wording them more explicitly? jaclaz

Actually it llooks a lot like you want to switch between the two well before booting the PE (or the "full 7"). This is something that you can do with grub4dos (or a similar bootmanager). The place where to go is (on MSFN) here: http://www.msfn.org/board/forum/157-install-windows-from-usb/ Otherwise browse reboot.pro grub4dos Forum: http://reboot.pro/forum/66/ and/or the Windows 7 one: http://reboot.pro/forum/77/ Particularly check the tutorials on steve6375's site: http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/ By "putting together" different things you should be able to reach your goal. This might also interest you : http://www.multibooters.co.uk/floppy.html jaclaz

No. But it is possible using grub4dos: http://reboot.pro/5041/ http://reboot.pro/5041/page__st__86 title BitDefender Rescue 2011 find --set-root --ignore-cd /BootZone/iso-files/LIVE_OS/bitdefender-rescue-cd.iso map /BootZone/iso-files/LIVE_OS/bitdefender-rescue-cd.iso (0xff) # try this map --mem /BootZone/iso-files/LIVE_OS/bitdefender-rescue-cd.iso (0xff) map --hook chainloader (0xff) Read the grub4dos Guide FIRST: http://reboot.pro/forum/66/ http://reboot.pro/5187/ http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/Grub4dos.htm Take your time understanding the basics, should you need help, please DO NOT post on the mentioned thread: http://reboot.pro/5041/ but start a new thread in the appropriate Forum: http://reboot.pro/forum/66/ jaclaz

Does it attempt to spin up when powered on (or DID it BEFORE you detached/insulated the PCB contacts)? If Yes, somehow you have a bad contact (or somehow managed to fry something, which IS a problem ). If No, your disk may suffer from a sticky bearing, which may be a far worse problem ): jaclaz

Did you "start fresh"? But yes, you need to use a DVD: http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2008/03/02/how-to-make-a-cd-with-all-current-drivers-for-windows-xp/ The .iso should be created allright. Just insert a DVD instead of a CD when burning the .iso. jaclaz

Several things may be possible, examples: nlite integration not being suitable to "repair" install differences in "more relevant/earlier drivers" (like chipset or PCI bus drivers) that create the 0x0000007b at an "earlier" stage tha the actual "mass storage drivers" You might want to try adding the "whole" driverspacks: http://driverpacks.net/ and/or attempt an offline sysprep: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showforum=43 jaclaz

It could be almost anything, but basically you need first thing to get a BSOD, so that we know what the issue might be. If I get it right, you had a 0x0000007b BEFORE, but NOW your XP reboots without giving you the time to read which BSOD it is. You need to disable autoreboot, see here: http://reboot.pro/14142/ and post the BSOD STOP ERROR code, first thing. jaclaz

Maybe had you taken a few minutes reading the read-me first, you might have learned what the requirements are and how to find one of those USB to TTL or Serial to TTL cable and how to choose one: Additionally another five minutes on Board Rules might have lead you to read (among the others Rule #13): http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules The main thread is CHOKING FULL of links to online resources where you can buy one ALREADY proved to be working: jaclaz

Maybe had you spent a few minutes actually READING this thread before posting, you might have found yourself the answer, please READ these two (and possibly the WHOLE thread): jaclaz

Jaclaz, how can you tell? I did not find any match in this forum neither in google for "process effect list". Furthermore Jamesblond stated he has a LBA0 error. Is it necesarry to spin down in this case at all? At least Gradius description for LBA0 starts immediately with partitioning. Until now my understanding was that spind down is necessary to break the infinite loop of bsy drives (however since mine always failed busy, I have no expericene with LBA0). I had some private conversation with JamesBlond in german language and it seems to me that his dirve has a problem whenever it really needs to access the platters. This might be a physical problem either in mechanics or electronic hardware, or wrong calibration values if the data recovery people made some changes for fun. If one of the latter is correct the role of the data recovery company is very doubtfull (considering the quote versus actual costs for recovery of a drive with physically defect mechanics). I am not getting it. What is the point you (or JamesBlond) are trying to raise? As said before it is possible (technically) that a recovery data firm "locks" the drive (intentionally or by mistake): What the i365 guys wrote has not necessarily a connection with "mechanics problems". I don't remember any actual quote posted by JamesBlond, so cannot give my personal opinion on this. jaclaz

I have the usual feeling that there is a mix up between WHAT you want/need to do and the HOW to do it. You don't normally have a USB stick with multiple partitions of which one is an emulated CD-ROM partition. It is more likely that you have a U3 or similar USB stick. The controllers on these sticks can be set to have TWO LUN's (i.e. TWO devices) the first "CD-like" and the second "HD-like". If this is the case, you don't have a "partition" that emulates a CD-ROM , you have a device that emulates a CD-ROM and all the other partitions are on the second device, which emulates a hard disk. Usually on U3 devices the CD-ROM like LUN "prevails", so what one normally does is to use a bootable .iso in it containing a multibootloader or bootmanager, like grub4dos, then this latter once booted allows to choose which of the partitions on the "other" LUN or device . Since it costs nothing to have the same bootmanager on the Active (Primary) partition of the "other" LUN or device,even if the second device is "chosen" by BIOS it won't make any difference and you will still be able to boot the whatever you want to boot. If you are positive that you are NOT having the setup described above, please detail HOW you managed to get that USB stick partitioned/formatted as you initially described. jaclaz

Yep, and this means that it is affected by *something else*, and obviously the "next failure prediction" deriving from issue A cannot be taken into account at all because the drive fails earlier than expected because of issue B. In other words we have a theory that may (or may not) apply to a given problem but that SURELY won't apply to ANOTHER problem. jaclaz

I don't think anyone will like what jaclaz may say. jaclaz has the impression of looking at a bunch of headless chickens running around. corkyblue (with very little of due respect ) seems like been panicking, which is EXACTLY what is not advised. His friend seems like being EITHER well beyond "our" level of knowledge OR a completely unexperienced n00b pretending to be an expert. NEITHER seems like having read (or understood) the main parts (let alone the trivial ones) of the FGA and of the read-me-first. Bloubul, this time with ALL due respect , seems like having forgotten (hint,hint) how Nokia hacking literature actually recommends having the phone battery FULLY charged before attempting anything with those phones. All in all, jaclaz has very little to say as the amount of confusing, probably misleading and definitely partially incorrect info corkyblue posted is simply overwhelming. @ corkyblue This reply makes NO sense: The BIOS "comes into play WELL BEFORE *any* OS. It DOES NOT matter which OS you have installed on your PC, a disk drive is EITHER seen in BIOS or it is NOT. Known possibilities are: no detection from BIOS (i.e. being NOT accessible because constantly in BSY state) having 0 capacity (LBA0) having a "random" capacity (different from it's real one) Basically, posting on this thread ONLY makes sense IF you are in condition #1 OR #2 above, you seem like being in condition #3 or a "strange" mix between #1 and #3 . The firmware "ZZ7L" DOES NOT exist (AFAIK). As I see it there are two possibilities, the problem on your hard disk is seemingly outside the scope of this thread and beyond "our" knowledge and EITHER: it really had this "unknown" problem this problem was caused (intentionally or by mistake) by the recovery company Now, maybe we can try and help, BUT you need to start trying to cooperate by: replying to questions EXACTLY provide EXACT descriptions of what you are doing/you did AVOID going off on a tangent ( I do challenge you to find ANYWHERE on this thread suggesting AIDA as a test method) Let's start again from scratch, OK? FORGET about the drive, just do a loopback test on the adapter (Binary, it either works or it does not). Try powering it "with molex" and WITHOUT powering it, you should "see" the difference. Report. jaclaz

You are welcome. Please note how the bootsector you are now using has TWO fixes, the first one actually needed, the second one probably not. Now that the DATA is OK, you could generate a new bootsector (with bootpart or by booting to Recovery Console and running bootfix or whatever), and have also the CODE "kosher" (the one you have now has disabled CHS addressing). The above is not *needed* of course, what I would advice is to check the copy of the bootsector (Sector 6 on FAT32 volumes) is "in sync", you never know when (and IF ) you may need it . jaclaz

About the IDE, yes, it is possible, and you have been told how to do it. About the HAL it is also possible, but depending on the actual "before" HAL and "after" HAL it may be tricky. I would rather use the BOOT.INI capabilities of "forcing" a HAL - at least for testing. As cdob pointed out other drivers (essentially the chipset ones) may get in the way. My personal advice is: I think everything is possible what you want to do though possible is VERY complex (and prone to problems) if you are doing it in order to "save" your previous install it would be much easier to buy (used) a motherboard identical to the one you have if you are doing this for fun/research it is allright, if not ANY other solution, the above or the "in place upgrade one" will be faster ad safer In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. jaclaz

Hmmm. cannot say. XP has not this kind of protection (that you may have in Vista and later) some BIOS protection? Make sure you know which drive letter the partition has, (it should be C:) and assuming you unzipped the bootsector_mod.dat to the same drive then run dsfi (part of the dsfok package: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/freeware/ to copy the bootsector file to the drive like (open a command prompt, navigate to where you unzipped the DSFOK package and type): dsfi \\.\C: 0 512 C:\bootsect_mod.dat [ENTER] Or check the hex editor settings, it is possible that it has a "read only or "fake-write" kind of setting. The note by cdob about Lenovo was because this brand often has a "queer" BIOS that "sees" devices as having a 240 heads geometry, but since grub4dos (which should use the BIOS info) finds 255, this latter should be the "right" geometry. jaclaz

Sure, three months is something intended as "NOT IMMEDIATELY" and "NOT TOMORROW" it may also depend on the number of (other) problems the drive may have AND by the actual number of entries written to the log. Just as an example if a "good drive" writes just one entry in the log at each boot, if some other events writes at each boot other three events, and you boot once daily, you will reach a multiple of 256 earlier, like 256/4=64 days, that do sound a lot like two months. Some hypothesis explaining the three months (or 106 reboots) possibilities: jaclaz