jaclaz

Read the stickies in this very forum. Choose one of the available methods. Try it. Easiest should be: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=120444 Plese note how there are TWO versions of the thingy: 0.2.3 STABLE 1.0 BETA that use DIFFERENT methods. jaclaz

jaclaz

Sure. It's the "right" file, 512 bytes in size, i.e. 1st sector or LBA 0: the MBR The .DAT is only a mnemonic, no need for it.. Now, open the file in Tiny Hexer a and have a look at it with my MBRview and PTView Structure viewers. The bad news are that it is a partially cleared MBR, the good news are that the 00ed part is just the MBR code, and the partition table entry is seemingly entirely there. The CHS and LBA are OK. The only partition entrry is about a single, primary partition, NTFS, extending 976,768,002 sectors, i.e. 976,768,002x512=500,105,217,024 which sounds just about the right size. The disk was apparently partitioned under either 2K/XP/2003 or with an utility that respects Cylinder boundaries (by default Vista and 7 do align on cluster size). From the MHDD LOG, the disk has 976,773,168 sectors in total. Aligning to cylinder boundary, the end LBA (in our case 63+976,768,002=976,768,065) must satisfy equation n x 255 x 63 = 976,768,065 which it does with n = 60,801 Now you need to run TOF again and get: the bootsector, i.e. LBA 63÷63 (but since you seem to be able to get the result of TOF without problems, do run TOF on LBA 0÷2999 that should give a resulting file 1,536,000 bytes in size and that may contain some more info that can be useful) the bootsector copy, which should be at LBA 976,768,065, for the same reasons above, please do a TOF on LBA 976768000÷976773167 which should give you a file 2,646,016 bytes in size If the partition start in the MBR was changed, it is likely that the "old" one was created under an unpatched Vista or 7 and in that case it would likely start at LBA 2048. Don't be afraid of the size of the files, once zipped - since they should be mostly 00's - they should result in a smallish archive. If it doesn't fit within the board limitations for attachments, instead of attaching you may want to upload the .zip to a free hosting site and post a link to it. I hope you can follow the above line of reasoning/arithmetics, if you need to ask questions, please do. The general idea is, now that we know that some data exists in the MBR, we try to verify if that data actually points to a partition bootsector or not, and hopefully if the "real" bootsector has been wiped or damaged, it's copy is still valid. With the data in the bootsector we can then check the "main" structure of the NTFS, the $MFT. Once we manage to understand what problems are there in these areas we will try to fix them, either manually or by attempting using TESTDISK on the disk. Since you cannot - for any reason - acces the disk from Windows, you could in the meantime download the UBCD: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ and burn a bootable CD out of it. UBCD contains TESTDISK inside the nice pmagic Linux distro. (in the UBCD Menu choose HDD->Data Recovery -> Testdisk ....) but also a number of other tools that may come handy. (you don't need to know Linux to use it, it is just the underlying (graphical) OS to run the command line TESTDISK.) jaclaz

It is possible that *something* in your current Windows install is the problem. MHDD from pure DOS had no problem, almost anything under your current Windows 7 install does. At this point you can either try on another machine, possibly running 2K or XP/2003, or prepare a "DOS based" set of tools/partition. Actually all you need is some very little space in a FAT16 or FAT32 partition, possibly on a drive smaller than 137 Gb, or however with the partition entirely below this "barrier". A good media would be a USB stick, we make it DOS bootable and install to it MHDD and a few other tools. The "right" procedure would be to image that hard disk "as is" and work on a copy of the image, due to the size of the problematic hard disk it would be handy a 640 Gb surely working hard disk. How familar are you with Linux Distro's? We could try using one of them (with NTFS support) to at least gather the basic sectors, MBR, PBR, etc, and see what is in them (if actually readable). If you try again MHDD, and try using it's TOF command saving to file sector LBA0÷LBA0 (which is the MBR) as, say, my_MBR.DAT it should save it allright, but it does so on the ramdisk. So you need, while running MHDD to have another writable "permanent" drive to store the sector, or on reboot it will be gone. jaclaz

The link I gave you explains the problems AND suggests the commands to be run, here it is again: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8200&st=39 select disk 1 offline disk attribute disk clear readonly rescan exit The other link is about a GUI app that should do the same, here it is again: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12413&hl= jaclaz

OK. Let's try again from Windows 7. Have just the "boot disk drive" (the one you boot Windows 7 from) and the "failing/failed" one attached). See if you can boot normally (or in safe mode). Open Disk Management and describe how the 7200.11 is shown. (or post a screenshot). Then open a command prompt and run diskpart in it. The idea is that the MBR is locked by Windows 7 for whatever reason, see here: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8200&st=39 or you can try using this: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12413&hl= (really cannot say if this is the issue at hand, it shouldn't be, but you never know) Then, try running again HD hacker or get Tiny Hexer and try with it to open the \\.\PhysicalDrive corresponding to the 7200.11. In Tiny Hexer you want to to save as new file Sector 0 of the disk. http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8734 jaclaz

Wait a minute, aren't the 7200.11 all SATA? There should be no such thing as Primary and Master and Slave on SATA. Anyway that result is good news , MHDD can see and access the drive (which should mean that is not BSY or LBA0). But it's also bad news as it could be something worse. Try again with another drive connected, see if FAQ's help: http://forum.hddguru.com/hdd-faq-t5.html (Shift+F3) Try running (take your time reading and make sure you know what you are doing) SCAN on a limited number of intial sectors, say 0 to 3000 and see if it can access them allright. Then we'll try again from Windows. jaclaz

No, you haven't. We are NOT (yet) mind readers, we also have a limited amount of time of our life dedicated to helping other people on boards. We are very keen to try and contribute to solutions to problems that are EXPLAINED and DETAILED, as opposed to be forced to GUESS: your directory structure your intended GOAL (as opposed to the way you think it should be reached) what the heck are the parameters you wish to pass to the called app, the "vague" including the "queer" quotres you put around them You are likely on the verge of falling into a chocolate covered banana situation: http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/put-down-the-chocolate-covered-banana.html Though you are actually in the "I'm ill, doctor. Help!" one, having failed to follow the standard lithany: http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html Put some logic at work. By your own admission you are not a Batch programmer. Here - at least one of us - is one (maybe two ) Now, what you initially posted: makes NO sense, even reading attentively between the lines . HOW do you think we can imagine: HOW the "terminal.exe" in \pa\ has to be linked to profile "pony1" (if "pony1 is an actual "profile") HOW are the OTHER 7 profiles named ( since the 3 you listed are NOT in alphabetical order) HOW are the \pa\ \mo\ \ma\ ordered (seems reverse alphabetic) WHY CANNOT a single instance of terminal.exe (any of the three ones) be run once for each profile? jaclaz P.S.: Were cross-posting. I'll try again. Batch processing is automating something that you do manually. If you do not give us the DETAILS of the SOURCE and the DETAILS of the RESULTS expected, it is VERY difficult to follow you. In your video example, post one or more files AS THEY ARE and the corresponding result YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO BECOME. WHENEVER using a third party file/app post a link to where it can be found, please.

Time again to take out of the drawer the makebootfat "special" dual-mode MBR? As I see it that would be the fastest. Back to ZIP: As said I do have a USB ZIP disk drive - latest 750 Mb model AND a USB 100 ZIP disk drive AND a few original 100 Mb disks AND a few original 250 Mb disks (Mac formatted ) I also have a Scsi 100 ZIP drive (which I cannot use/connect easily as I would need to setup a PC with a SCSI card) and a couple of ATAPI 100 ones - one with the ARMD jumper and one without, BUT unfortunately BOTH suffering from unspecified hardware failure. I have just the 750 drive handy right now. The 250 NEW Mac formatted disks have "strange" data in first sector (not surprisingly). From the little I understand they are "superfloppy". The drive appears in Disk Management just like any USB non-fixed device, i.e. like one of the USB connected card readers that our friend ilko so much like as they tend to force him review once again drive numbering in the install from USB thingy. Exactly as them, if I format it, (FAT16 - Quick Format) I get a superfloppy, with a "normal" 63/255 geometry, with 489532 dec sectors. Exactly as them, if I write to it a MBR with some values, I get it partitioned. A "pristine" ZIP 100 "IBM compatible" (which at the moment I dare not experiment with) has an IOMEGA MBR code and the known single entry in 4th place with 64/32 geometry: at sector 32 there is a non-bootable PBR. I am attaching the MBR and PBR. Let me know if you need any other info (among the ones I can possibly gather from the above description of what I have available). If you have nice ideas, tell me I presume after New Year I could get the 100 SCSI drive mounting it on a DOS/NT 4.00 machine and perform further tests, if needed. I have no "original" and "pristine" IBM compatible 250 disks and none (of *any* kind) 750 ones, though. jaclaz ZIP_disks.zip

Which translates in "drive can not be accessed". Windows 7 is a "strange" platform, and may be part of the problem in accessing the drive's MBR, and safe mode is an additional possible variable. The fact that "normal" Windows 7 refuses to mount the disk is another sign that disk is not accessible. Ideally you should use an external USB enclosure (or el-cheapo adapter) and a "less" problematic (or let's say better known) "base OS", like 2K or XP. However let's try another app. MS's own tool DiskProbe: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5354&st=8 But if the OS cannot mount the drive (not the partition or drive letter, but the actual \\.\PhysicalDrive ) it will get you nowhere. You need good ol' DOS , try with MHDD, ideally disconnect your "main" hard disk from the PC: http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/ mhdd has a rather complete documentation: http://hddguru.com/software/2005.10.02-MHDD/mhdd_manual.en.html and an online command MAN help, but you ONLY want to run the commands: ID and EID and report their output, as well as the staus of the highlighted "flags" at the top. You want to use this bootable CD image: http://hddguru.com/download/software/mhdd/mhdd32ver4.6iso.zip Please be VERY careful, take your time in understanding the above, if you have any doubt, ask about them BEFORE doing anything. jaclaz

The general idea is to ask for help BEFORE running ANY RANDOM software (that may have worsened the problems). STOP fiddling with the disk until we have used PROPER diagnostic non-destructive tests on it. Simply: Get Hdhacker: http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/ Check that it can see your drive (we are talking of \\.\PhydsicalDrive, \\.\PhysicalDrive0 should be your FIRST - i.e. BOOT drive, if the 7200.11 is second drive it will be PhysicalDrive1). If yes, save first sector to a file. Compress the file into a .zip archive. Attach the .zip archive to your next post. jaclaz

jaclaz

I'll try again. Are "vague". This: 'dir /b /s terminal.exe' is vague (because WE DO NOT KNOW what is current directory when the script is executed). Example of a real world info (faked): I have a directory in drive C:\ called "profiles", i.e. C:\profiles\. Inside it there are a number of directories, one for each profile, like C:\profiles\profile1\, C:\profiles\profile2\ ... C:\profiles\profilen\ I have in another drive, drive D:\, another directory called "whatever", i.e. D:\whatever\. Inside it there are a number of directories, one for each flabbergasty , like D:\whatever\F1\, D:\whatever\F2\,... D:\whatever\Fn\ Inside these latter directories there may be (or there may be not) a program called "terminal.exe" (which I won't reveal what is used for). I want to write a cmd, that will reside in C:\profiles and that once double clicked (or if run from command prompt once set current dir to ... ) should ..... etc. You should have got the idea. jaclaz

I have NO doubt you know exactly what you would like to achieve , problem is that you seemingly completely fail in explaining it to us. WHY do you need to load terminal.exe 10 (or any other number of) times? WHAT is terminal.exe? jaclaz

@vn273 I don't want to seem more grumpy that I usually appear , but you posted initially a screenshot where there is clearly written: Now you post "it still doesn't work". How do you expect, that we can (without the use of our crystal ball that is currently - again - in the shop for maintenance and tuning) GUESS what th eheck is the problem. Are you experiencing the SAME error? If yes, it means that still your directory structure contains name of folders or files with SPACES in them. If NO, post a description of WHICH error are you getting now. jaclaz

I would like to remember it also , I found it at the time I put together the converter, really cannot say where it was originally found. jaclaz

You haven't "the guts" to try Partition Logic : http://partitionlogic.org.uk/ jaclaz

Those were only various suggestions, meant as a base for you to experiment.. You have everything right, only in point #7 you do not need grldr.mbr in root (as it is not called by anything. jaclaz

NO. Be VERY AWARE that Hiren's is WAREZ. Check Rule #1.a: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules jaclaz

#3 works bacause you removed a space in it. #8 now ok #9 translates to: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=137119&st=20 (yes it means post #21 ) jaclaz

Try simply: chain \grldr (of course you need grldr in root) BUT: http://www.cdshell.org/doc/cmdref.html#chain It probably won't work, Then you can try: chain \grldr.mbr (of course you need BOTH grldr.mbr grldr in root) OR try chainloading a standard 2K/XP no.emulation boot record (Arnes Boot Record or Microsoft Corporation.img) 2048 bytes in size. chain \XPBOOT.BIN The XPBOOT.BIN needs to be hexedited, as an example, from (see here for reference): http://flyakite.msfn.org/xpprosp1.htm from: SETUPLDR.BINBOOTFIX.BINI386 to something like: SETUPLDR.BINBOOTFIX.BING4D1 and grldr put in \G4D1\, renamed to BOOTFIX.BIN Compare with: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19124 http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=12292 jaclaz

Out of these: Currently (25 November 2010): Examples #1÷#7 work now "as they are" (STILL with the small side issue that current board doesn't "parse" #3 correctly, i.e. the link is not "clickable" AND, since it's first part is shortened, you CANNOT even copy and paste, the only way to get it is to "Reply to topic" and copy and paste the original text in the "Quote" part or "Copy link" on the first part, paste it somewhere - like a notepad .txt - , then copy and paste the second part, then add it at the end of where you copied it tremorarily) Examples #8 and #9 STILL correspond to "a suffusion of yellow". jaclaz

Boot a PE. Install via WINNT32.exe. I.e.: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=121446 Or test this: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7721 jaclaz

Be VERY careful. UBCD is a perfectly legal tool. Hiren's is WAREZ. Be VERY aware of Rule #1.a: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules a good idea would be to simply forget using that. ONLY one partition can be active at ANY given time, and if you are using grub4dos installed on the MBR you don't even need one.. You don't *need* all of them to be Primary. To partiion a device that is seen as removable you can use Disk Management allright, once you have installed a filter driver, known are cfadisk and dummydisk.sys, see here for reference: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=69211 For multiple Vista/7 you can integrate steve6375's method, see here: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8043&hl= http://sites.google.com/site/rmprepusb/tutorials/how-to-create-a-usb-drive-that-will-install-vista-win7-and-server-2008 jaclaz

@kel The smart board software SHORTENS what it thinks is a link (in this case first part of the actual link that the same smart board software breaks in two ). There is NO chance it will ever work with copy and paste. Copy and paste the following: hxxp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3B[ln]%3B326246&product=winxp replace hxxp with http jaclaz