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Operating system not recognised

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  • 07-01-2014 4:54pm
    #1
    heartofwhite
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭


    Hey all,

    So a bit of a strange one. Recently my Windows Vista has been running slow on the laptop. Anyway it got to the point yesterday where I got annoyed and hit the corner of it with my fist… the laptop froze and when I rebooted it says that the operating system cannot be found.

    However, I do also have Ubuntu on the laptop and this works fine. More importantly, I can still view and access my Windows C drive via Ubuntu.
    I am wondering if Windows is fixable and where or not I will still be able to access my files this way?

    The reason that it is important is because I have a Genealogy program installed on Windows which will not work on Ubuntu.

    When I try to access Windows, I get a faint clicking sound from the laptop also. Am I in trouble?


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    #2
    Gone Drinking
    Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭Gone Drinking


    Sounds like the disk is shagged. That clicking sound is usually the head stuck in the disk.

    The fact that you can view the files from unbuntu.. have you tried copying any around? Or opening something? i'd imagine it won't work or it will fail quickly after starting.

    If you can copy the stuff, back it up as soon as possible. Otherwise, your only option is getting a company to repair the disk to recover the data. You'll be looking at 50 quid to get an estimate and between 350 and 500 depending on what needs to be replaced, or fixed. If you go for the repair, the 50 you paid for the diagnosis is included in that for most places.


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    #3
    heartofwhite
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭heartofwhite


    Gone Drinking wrote: »
    Sounds like the disk is shagged. That clicking sound is usually the head stuck in the disk.

    The fact that you can view the files from unbuntu.. have you tried copying any around? Or opening something? i'd imagine it won't work.

    I have been able to open up word documents from within Ubuntu which gives me some hope. I am going to bring it in to a repair shop tomorrow and see what they think. I just wonder if they can re install Windows while keeping my files.


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    #4
    mordeith
    Registered Users Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    heartofwhite wrote: »
    I have been able to open up word documents from within Ubuntu which gives me some hope. I am going to bring it in to a repair shop tomorrow and see what they think. I just wonder if they can re install Windows while keeping my files.

    A Gone Dinking said, backup everything you can before taking it to a repair shop


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    #5
    nelly17
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭nelly17


    You can try and run the programme through wine on Ubuntu. I'd say its probably actually a problem with your bootloader and your disk is fine. if you bring it to a repair centre make sure they know what they're doing with linux because most dont.


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    #6
    Irish Steve
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 6,522 Mod ✭✭✭✭Irish Steve


    I would be sorely tempted to try and find a friend who has an external caddy that will take the drive from the laptop, and try to image it to another device before doing anything else with it.

    After that, then the options are wide open. The fact that it boots Ubuntu and works, but won't boot windows make me suspicious that there's either corruption or damage on the disc, giving it a clatter won't have helped any, but it could be nothing more than a bad connection on the drive or motherboard or memory, so the safest solution for now is to try to get it imaged on another machine as an external drive.

    Depending on where you live, a caddy or cable to connect via USB to another machine is not expensive, or hard to find, it may make for a less stressful repair.

    Shore, if it was easy, everybody would be doin it.😁



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    #7
    heartofwhite
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭heartofwhite


    Irish Steve wrote: »
    I would be sorely tempted to try and find a friend who has an external caddy that will take the drive from the laptop, and try to image it to another device before doing anything else with it.

    After that, then the options are wide open. The fact that it boots Ubuntu and works, but won't boot windows make me suspicious that there's either corruption or damage on the disc, giving it a clatter won't have helped any, but it could be nothing more than a bad connection on the drive or motherboard or memory, so the safest solution for now is to try to get it imaged on another machine as an external drive.

    Depending on where you live, a caddy or cable to connect via USB to another machine is not expensive, or hard to find, it may make for a less stressful repair.

    Thanks for that idea - I will see what is possible tomorrow!


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    #8
    little man disorder
    Registered Users Posts: 83 ✭✭little man disorder


    If you know what make of hard disk drive it is, you could download hdd tester from manufacturers website, ISO image and burn it to disc and test the drive yourself. At least you will know if its the hard disk or not and choose reinstall of windows or replacement hdd.

    Make sure you have backed up your files or done an image with acronis or norton ghost or something before doing this.


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