Bad MBR - want to repair, SATA drive

[Gwen Morse]

I have a SATA drive with a bad MBR, and data on it that I'd very much
like to recover.

Windows Recovery will not run -- I need the SATA/RAID drivers in order
to get it to read the disk. They do not come on a normal XP disk. I've
tried slipstreaming them into a new XP disk. The slipstream disk boots
and shows the install process, and shows that it's loading the correct
drivers during the text mode. However, it still doesn't see any sata
drives connected when I choose "R" for recovery.

I have a laptop with an external drive connector with an adaptor for
SATA. So, I can plug the SATA drive into my laptop. I think the USB
drivers interface with the SATA and it works that way. The laptop has
Windows XP pro on it.

Is it possible to run some sort of utility or repair program that can
"fix" the MBR of my SATA drive, via an active session of Windows
(rather than using the repair disk, which is a sort of mini-version of
the OS that is missing those key drivers)???

Alternatively, is there some way to clone the SATA drive onto an IDE
drive, with some software that recognizes SATA _at least_ enough to go
through the clone process?

Gwen
--
Gwen Morse mailto:[email protected]
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then
suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night,
the ice weasels come." -- Matt Groening

 

[Rod Speed]

I have a SATA drive with a bad MBR,

How do you know that ?

and data on it that I'd very much like to recover.

Windows Recovery will not run -- I need the SATA/RAID drivers in
order to get it to read the disk. They do not come on a normal XP
disk. I've tried slipstreaming them into a new XP disk. The slipstream
disk boots and shows the install process, and shows that it's loading
the correct drivers during the text mode. However, it still doesn't see
any sata drives connected when I choose "R" for recovery.

Then you likely havent used the correct sata drivers when you slipstreamed.

And you can use the F4 when booting the CD to load the drivers from the floppy drive.

I have a laptop with an external drive connector with an adaptor
for SATA. So, I can plug the SATA drive into my laptop. I think
the USB drivers interface with the SATA and it works that way.
The laptop has Windows XP pro on it.

Is it possible to run some sort of utility or repair program that can
"fix" the MBR of my SATA drive, via an active session of Windows
(rather than using the repair disk, which is a sort of mini-version of
the OS that is missing those key drivers)???

Yes, it runs PE which is a subset of XP.

There are a number of MBR repair utes out there,
some of which may well work in that situation.

I like Acronis Disk Director Suite myself.

Alternatively, is there some way to clone the SATA drive
onto an IDE drive, with some software that recognizes
SATA _at least_ enough to go through the clone process?

Yes, Acronis True Image can do that after
booting what it calles the rescue CD.

I'd confirm that it really is a damaged MBR before assuming that tho.

What makes you decide its a bad MBR ?

 

[John Doe]

I have a SATA drive with a bad MBR, and data on it that I'd very much
like to recover.

Always keep a removable media copy of any important files. A hard
drive can fail at any time without notice and you can lose all your
important files.

At this point, don't do anything except safely try to recover those
files.

Good luck.

 

[jaster]

I have a SATA drive with a bad MBR, and data on it that I'd very much like
to recover.

Windows Recovery will not run -- I need the SATA/RAID drivers in order to
get it to read the disk. They do not come on a normal XP disk. I've tried
slipstreaming them into a new XP disk. The slipstream disk boots and shows
the install process, and shows that it's loading the correct drivers
during the text mode. However, it still doesn't see any sata drives
connected when I choose "R" for recovery.

I have a laptop with an external drive connector with an adaptor for SATA.
So, I can plug the SATA drive into my laptop. I think the USB drivers
interface with the SATA and it works that way. The laptop has Windows XP
pro on it.

Is it possible to run some sort of utility or repair program that can
"fix" the MBR of my SATA drive, via an active session of Windows (rather
than using the repair disk, which is a sort of mini-version of the OS that
is missing those key drivers)???

Try Ultimate Boot CD it has MBRtools and others tools that manipulates the
MBR. Obviously other utilities as well.

Did you load the SATA drivers from your motherboard CD as requested when
you booted the XP CD?

 

[Anna]

I have a SATA drive with a bad MBR, and data on it that I'd very much
like to recover.

Windows Recovery will not run -- I need the SATA/RAID drivers in order
to get it to read the disk. They do not come on a normal XP disk. I've
tried slipstreaming them into a new XP disk. The slipstream disk boots
and shows the install process, and shows that it's loading the correct
drivers during the text mode. However, it still doesn't see any sata
drives connected when I choose "R" for recovery.

I have a laptop with an external drive connector with an adaptor for
SATA. So, I can plug the SATA drive into my laptop. I think the USB
drivers interface with the SATA and it works that way. The laptop has
Windows XP pro on it.

Is it possible to run some sort of utility or repair program that can
"fix" the MBR of my SATA drive, via an active session of Windows
(rather than using the repair disk, which is a sort of mini-version of
the OS that is missing those key drivers)???

Alternatively, is there some way to clone the SATA drive onto an IDE
drive, with some software that recognizes SATA _at least_ enough to go
through the clone process?

Gwen

Gwen:
Just so we have a better understanding of your present situation and exactly
what you're trying to accomplish...

1. Your SATA HDD is from a desktop PC? There's no present connection between
it and your laptop, right? If I have this right - the SATA HDD is still
installed in the desktop machine or do you have it in some sort of SATA or
USB enclosure?

2. The SATA HDD was a formerly bootable HDD and somehow became corrupted so
that it will not boot. Is that right? How do you know that drive has a "bad
MBR"? Any reason to believe that you might be dealing with a defective HDD?
What's the make & model of the SATA HDD?

3. Is your present objective (at least at this point) just to access that
SATA HDD so that its contents - your user-created data - can be accessed? Is
that the reason you mention a possible connection to your laptop? Or is your
main objective (at this time) to return that SATA HDD to a bootable,
functional state?

4. Could you clarify your idea about cloning the contents of the SATA HDD to
a PATA HDD? This can be done, of course, but what would the purpose be? Just
to "safeguard" the contents of the SATA HDD?

I think I might have some suggestions for you, but before posting them, I
really would like to get a clearer picture of just what machines &
configurations you're working with and your precise objectives.

If you want to go on in this vein, please provide as much detail as you can
re where that SATA HDD came from; what kind of problem did you experience
with it and how did it arise; specifics as to the PCs you're working with
and whatever other details you think are pertinent.
Anna

 

[Gwen Morse]

Gwen:
Just so we have a better understanding of your present situation and exactly
what you're trying to accomplish...

1. Your SATA HDD is from a desktop PC? There's no present connection between
it and your laptop, right? If I have this right - the SATA HDD is still
installed in the desktop machine or do you have it in some sort of SATA or
USB enclosure?

The SATA drive is cabled up to a desktop PC. However, the physical
case is open, so, I have easy access to it.

2. The SATA HDD was a formerly bootable HDD and somehow became corrupted so
that it will not boot. Is that right? How do you know that drive has a "bad
MBR"? Any reason to believe that you might be dealing with a defective HDD?
What's the make & model of the SATA HDD?

Seagate Barracuda 7200 250 GB SATA drive.

Why I think it has a bad MBR: It has Windows XP on it. It will not
boot into windows. Instead, it gives the error message: DISK BOOT
FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

If I put in a different physical hard drive (older, IDE, also with
Windows XP on it), I can browse the SATA drive if it's also plugged
in. I can run programs off of it. Etc. The only thing I _can't_ do is
boot from it.

3. Is your present objective (at least at this point) just to access that
SATA HDD so that its contents - your user-created data - can be accessed? Is
that the reason you mention a possible connection to your laptop? Or is your
main objective (at this time) to return that SATA HDD to a bootable,
functional state?

My ultimate goal is to restore it to being a functional primary drive
on my PC. If I have to, I can clone it to another, blank 250 gig SATA
drive (Although that won't fix the issue with it not booting). But, I
want to end up with one 250 gig SATA drive (that boots into Windows)
in my PC. After that works, I want to go back to having two SATA
drives that mirror each other (the reason I have two 250 gig drives).

4. Could you clarify your idea about cloning the contents of the SATA HDD to
a PATA HDD? This can be done, of course, but what would the purpose be? Just
to "safeguard" the contents of the SATA HDD?

If it's necessary to get the OS and contents off the SATA drive, I can
clone it to large PATA drive. However, I still need the image to
eventually be bootable.

I think I might have some suggestions for you, but before posting them, I
really would like to get a clearer picture of just what machines &
configurations you're working with and your precise objectives.

If you want to go on in this vein, please provide as much detail as you can
re where that SATA HDD came from; what kind of problem did you experience
with it and how did it arise; specifics as to the PCs you're working with
and whatever other details you think are pertinent.

The problems started when I had a working SATA mirror array (two 250
gig drives) and didn't realize just how badly Linux handles SATA. I
took down the array and tried to install Linux on one of the drives.
The other one was bootable as a single drive for a short time (a few
days?) but then started coming up with the error message I show above.

Gwen