Reinstall XP without loosing data files

[2Dee]

I trashed HD and remote HD with Acronis TrueImage because I had GoBack
installed but NOT disabled. Let this be a lesson to others.

Tried boot from OEM boot cd and used XP Repair but it just deleted some
more OS files and then crashed. Didn't get to the repair part.

Removed HD and put in USB enclosure.
Can read most of the data files, some corrupt, and am agonizingly
SLOWLY transferring them to another HD over network. Can't do much
batch processing because of corrupt or problem files breaking the
processing regardless of methods used.

Some additional limited success using WinBackup (XP OS tool) and then
restoring to another HD. Still fails on corrupt file.

Haven't been able to do anything other than see the ENCRYPTED (XP OS
File/Folder encryption tool) folders and files. I have my backup of my
*.pfx file which supposedly handles these kinds of problems when
reinstalled in new system that is trying to read the ENCRYPTED files
but apparently I first have to get them on the new HD. I thought it
would allow me to UnENCRYPT files I originally ENCRYPTED even though
they are now on a remote HD.

I would like to bypass GoBack and rewrite the old MBR so its gone and
then repair or reinstall XP in the same place it was before disk
imaging failed when confronted with the GoBack modified MBR.

Enough history. Two questions.

1. How can I solve the XP reinstallation (overwriting MBR without
GoBack changes) without a format taking place when I can't boot from a
drive?

2. How can I solve the ENCRYPTION issue when trying to MOVE or COPY
files from an ENCRYPTED file on the trashed OS (XP) to a network drive
for recovery?

Thanks for any help offered.
2Dee

 

[Rod Speed]

I trashed HD and remote HD with Acronis TrueImage because I had
GoBack installed but NOT disabled. Let this be a lesson to others.

Tried boot from OEM boot cd and used XP Repair but it just deleted
some more OS files and then crashed. Didn't get to the repair part.

XP is a bit counter intuitive there. You're sposed to proceed as
if you are doing a clean reinstall, specify the location where XP
is currently installed as where to install it AND DONT FORMAT
THAT PARTITION. The install will then say that its found an
existing install and will offer to repair that. Accept that offer.

Removed HD and put in USB enclosure.

Can read most of the data files, some corrupt, and am agonizingly
SLOWLY transferring them to another HD over network.

That last is a worry and makes it more likely that
you have had a hardware failure of some kind
unless its just USB 1.1 causing the slowness.

Can't do much batch processing because of corrupt or problem
files breaking the processing regardless of methods used.

Some additional limited success using WinBackup (XP OS tool)
and then restoring to another HD. Still fails on corrupt file.

Haven't been able to do anything other than see the ENCRYPTED
(XP OS File/Folder encryption tool) folders and files. I have my
backup of my *.pfx file which supposedly handles these kinds of
problems when reinstalled in new system that is trying to read the
ENCRYPTED files but apparently I first have to get them on the
new HD. I thought it would allow me to UnENCRYPT files I originally
ENCRYPTED even though they are now on a remote HD.

Urk. That certainly complicates the issues.

I would like to bypass GoBack and rewrite the old MBR so its gone
and then repair or reinstall XP in the same place it was before disk
imaging failed when confronted with the GoBack modified MBR.

Enough history. Two questions.

1. How can I solve the XP reinstallation (overwriting
MBR without GoBack changes) without a format
taking place when I can't boot from a drive?

See the top, that should do that.

2. How can I solve the ENCRYPTION issue when trying
to MOVE or COPY files from an ENCRYPTED file on
the trashed OS (XP) to a network drive for recovery?

Some of the recovery programs claim to
be able to handle that. Havent tried that tho.

 

[2Dee]

Thanks for useful reply. When I put the HD back into the system it
cannot boot from it of course. Soooo I will put it back in the laptop
and then try and boot from the original OEM system CD and follow your
nice directions about choosing "DONT FORMAT THAT PARTITION".
Apparently I missed the fine print for this choice.

I am VERY concerned about writing anything to this HD until I have
recovered everything I can first.
Do you feel that I could SAFELY reinstall the OS just by choosing the
DONT FORMAT THAT PARTITION option without corrupting or loosing any
data files?

I cannot now safely do a backup of any kind on this HD since the
process fails as it encounters corrupted files randomly scattered it
seems.

2Dee

 

[Rod Speed]

Thanks for useful reply. When I put the HD back into the system it
cannot boot from it of course. Soooo I will put it back in the laptop
and then try and boot from the original OEM system CD and follow your
nice directions about choosing "DONT FORMAT THAT PARTITION".
Apparently I missed the fine print for this choice.

I am VERY concerned about writing anything to this
HD until I have recovered everything I can first.

Do you feel that I could SAFELY reinstall the OS just
by choosing the DONT FORMAT THAT PARTITION
option without corrupting or loosing any data files?

Thats harder to say because its not too clear what you have
managed to do to the data structures by not removing GoBack.

I cannot now safely do a backup of any kind on
this HD since the process fails as it encounters
corrupted files randomly scattered it seems.

You could do a forensic clone of the drive, doing a sector level copy.