Linux install sees drive - but Windows install cant

Biggins

I have a friends computer that had reported missing system files (XP). This is after he had a number of power cuts in his B&B business.
I tried to reinstall Windows (a genuine copy) but the during the usual blue installation screen process, the stage where you have to specify which drive you want to install XP to, the "C" drive refuses to show up!

Now, when I try to install Linux (which I have done temp-wise even if to try and fix the drive structure using Gparted - which I have tried to no success so far) it can see the standard 200 gig hard-drive no problem.

Can anyone tell me how to make the said drive be seen again - so that it can be reverted then to Fat31 or NTFS format - so that the windows installation disk, drive detection ability can see the drive?

I can do everything else but actually make the drive detectable for the installation of Windows.

Help?

chin_grin

Had something like this before. SATA drive?

You can make a custom XP disk and load the HDD manufacturers drivers on to it.

I've used this guide before.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows/resolving-setup-did-not-find-any-hard-disk-drives-during-windows-xp-installation/

Hope that helps.

Biggins

chin_grin wrote: »

Had something like this before. SATA drive?

You can make a custom XP disk and load the HDD manufacturers drivers on to it.

I've used this guide before.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows/resolving-setup-did-not-find-any-hard-disk-drives-during-windows-xp-installation/

Hope that helps.

Thanks, will certainly look into that.
Let you now how I get on.

Cheers for pointing me in that direction which might help.

chin_grin

Biggins wrote: »

Thanks, will certainly look into that.
Let you now how I get on.

Cheers for pointing me in that direction which might help.

D'awwwwwww. No worries.

Also just thought have you tried to boot in to the linux live cd and see if the boot.ini looks ok? Even setting up the drive as a slave?

Biggins

chin_grin wrote: »

D'awwwwwww. No worries.

Also just thought have you tried to boot in to the linux live cd and see if the boot.ini looks ok? Even setting up the drive as a slave?

It was an old pc the chap had (which didn't help in all honesty) and the cd drive didn't work (had to replace that which I did eventually) so I had to find another way to boot up.
This I did by using Linux put onto a USB stick using this great FREE and easy to use software tool: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
Worked like a charm. Booted into Linux and inspected the hard-drive. Could see nothing wrong.

The owner don't want to spend any more money than possible on the PC (understandable given its age - besides the fact he's as tight as a ducks you know what!) so making the drive a slave and putting another one in as the primary was not an option I was allowed take.

T-Bird

Try linux booting again and copy all important docs, pics ect to another drive or usb. then remove partitions from the c drive when in windows setup.

Biggins

thundermuppet wrote: »

Try linux booting again and copy all important docs, pics ect to another drive or usb. then remove partitions from the c drive when in windows setup.

Have done all that and tried the above. The XP install Cd STILL cannot see the drive connected internally. That was/is the problem. I've done all the obvious stuff so far.

nc43

Biggins wrote: »

Have done all that and tried the above. The XP install Cd STILL cannot see the drive connected internally. That was/is the problem. I've done all the obvious stuff so far.

Hi ok so you have backed up all the files so why not now use linux to delete all the partitions and see if xp will just see the completely unpartitioned drive and allow you to create a new c drive EDIT: are you saying that xp setup cannot see the drive or can see the drive but not the partitions electrical faults can cause bad sectors making problems for xp

Biggins

nc43 wrote: »

Hi ok so you have backed up all the files so why not now use linux to delete all the partitions and see if xp will just see the completely unpartitioned drive and allow you to create a new c drive EDIT: are you saying that xp setup cannot see the drive or can see the drive but not the partitions electrical faults can cause bad sectors making problems for xp

Ran the Linux USB and reverted the hard-drive down to its bare structure. Set up the partitions, formatted it again and still nothing. It cannot be seen by the XP installation routine in any way. Full stop.

I have since previously posting, contacted the owner, explained the situation and he now seems reassured that with the newly installed Linux Mint (HERE) and Microsoft Office installed on it through using "Wine" application, he is happy to use this alternative operating system - which is working great by the way (not just in detecting his drive) and to be honest was never a hassle to install and use from the start.

ricman

he should have a surge protector, on all pcs.and daily backups of the data, if theres frequent power cuits.
did you format the drive in ntfs mode.

Biggins

ricman wrote: »

he should have a surge protector, on all pcs.and daily backups of the data, if theres frequent power cuits.
did you format the drive in ntfs mode.

I ALWAYS recommend to everyone that they should have their equipment protected by surge protectors. Belkin are the best and to be honest, the only ones I personally trust.
For the sake of a tenner for a single socket one, you could save hundreds of Euros!

A surge protector however won't save you from power-cuts. A back-up power device additionally attached to business systems is more like a life saver sometimes too (see here for example).
Not usually on the top list of items most home owners would go out and buy - and for some, out of their price range, it would for business people at least give the time to shut down their systems properly without the risk of losing data and/or damage to their software/systems.
Such devices give people 5/10/15 minutes to shut down safely in a normal procedure before everything goes without a say in the matter.

The drive was originally fat32 - if I had been able to see the drive during the XP re-installation routine set-up, I would have chosen the NTFS option.
Seeing as I could not get to even see the physical drive connected with the Windows re-install, that later option to format in NTFS was not applicable.

T-Bird

Does disk management in administrative tools see it (thats if you add the drive to another of course)? I am dual booting with some linux partitions and disk management can see them.

if not try http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ or http://www.cutepm.com/ perhaps? never used them myself but they might have something.

Biggins

thundermuppet wrote: »

Does disk management in administrative tools see it (thats if you add the drive to another of course)? I am dual booting with some linux partitions and disk management can see them.

If you read above, you will note I mentioned that Linux from the start could see them - in every way.
Windows in NO way - DOS or GUI - NO WAY sees the drive.

thundermuppet wrote: »

if not try http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ or http://www.cutepm.com/ perhaps? never used them myself but they might have something.

Have them tools, used them before for other jobs, tried them on this one and no joy there.

As previous mentioned, have now installed Linux Mint on his machine and using "Wine", installed Office 2007 on it too.
I explained the situation and he seems happy now so I've made the best of a bad situation - and to be honest, this Linux Mint system seems a lot better to use and less hassle with drivers etc, than Windows.
(The owner is NOT very PC literate so the layout of Linux Mint and its GUI is much better too)