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Just back after a Re-format!!!!

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 15:43
by Nigel H-J
It had to happen didn't it!! Yes, that dreaded experience of Windows not loading and forcing the unsuspecting user to re-format the hard drive. :doh:

Booted up the old girl then when windows started to load, came up with an error.......Cannot now for the life of me remember what it said but something to do with security.....I think!! Tried Safe Mode....Got in.....but still could not find the problem. :think:

About six months previously I had a small snag on windows and decided (foolishly)? to re-install windows....that is installing on top of the original, but somehow can't think that would have caused the problem, the day before I did my weekly virus check on the system and that appeared OK.

Still, all that is left for me to do is load FS9 back on tomorrow or Sunday then should be back to normal, by the way, there are two options when about to install FS9 either by Express or using the other option of Complete as well as Compact......Stupid question I know :doh: ......but out of Express or Complete which is the better option :k: ??

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 16:21
by Charlie Bravo
Win98 right? I used to format every few months with that.

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 16:53
by DaveB
I seem to have unwittingly done a bit of that myself today too... ON THE OFFICE PC!!!!!!!!! :crying: :crying:

The system was turned on this morning after what appeared to be a normal shutdown and reported the boot.ini was either missing or corrupt :shock: Advice underneath said 'you may be able to repair this using the original cd at the first screen' :think: OK.. quickly dragging wrapper off cd (not used as system came with XP pre-loaded).. in goes CD.. no 3 options (Enter, Repair, Quit) :think: There, before my eyes, it promptly formatted the drive and started to install Windows :poke: :doh:

One call to Novatech later and having explained what had happened.. the chap said, no.. knowing the recovery cd, it will have formatted your drive first and not given you any other option.. and here was me thinking it might have nabbed the available space and tried to sort it's crap out in there leaving the original partition at least available for comment at some point in the future... but no :crying:

Wifey is close to tears (and who can blame her.. she does the bookwork) and the only saving grace is that she's just done the VAT return. Not sure how the hell we're going to pay the staff but I'm sure they'll understand!! :axe:

It's not even the 13th either :-#

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 16:53
by Nigel H-J
Spot on CB :dance: But this is the only time that I have ever encountered a problem in this way. Now just got to run it in gently!!!

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 17:06
by Charlie Bravo
DaveB wrote:I seem to have unwittingly done a bit of that myself today too... ON THE OFFICE PC!!!!!!!!! :crying: :crying:

The system was turned on this morning after what appeared to be a normal shutdown and reported the boot.ini was either missing or corrupt :shock: Advice underneath said 'you may be able to repair this using the original cd at the first screen' :think: OK.. quickly dragging wrapper off cd (not used as system came with XP pre-loaded).. in goes CD.. no 3 options (Enter, Repair, Quit) :think: There, before my eyes, it promptly formatted the drive and started to install Windows :poke: :doh:

One call to Novatech later and having explained what had happened.. the chap said, no.. knowing the recovery cd, it will have formatted your drive first and not given you any other option.. and here was me thinking it might have nabbed the available space and tried to sort it's crap out in there leaving the original partition at least available for comment at some point in the future... but no :crying:

Wifey is close to tears (and who can blame her.. she does the bookwork) and the only saving grace is that she's just done the VAT return. Not sure how the hell we're going to pay the staff but I'm sure they'll understand!! :axe:

It's not even the 13th either :-#

ATB

DaveB :tab:
A very good reason to not buy a shop built PC.

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 17:30
by jonesey2k
Im having some trouble with my pc atm. Only appeard a few days ago.
For no reason at all it hangs, only action is a reboot. Now That has stopped but now each time I run fs ( or any game for that mater) I get BSOD after a few mins. Now I can run the Prime95 torture tests forever when overclocked and Ive done all the usual virus/disc checks ect with everything how it should be. Ive not installed any software or hardware and I get the same thing when everything is set to stock. Its not heat as my case rarely goes over 30 and the cpu doesnt go over 45 on full load.

Any sugestions?

All I can think of is that either my windows needs reinstalling, my psu is on its way out (rails are a bit less consistant then usual) or my hard drive is going to pop.

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 17:33
by DaveB
Yeh, well.. should something go wrong (which after over 2years it now has) I wasn't going to get the blame for it and as it happens, I have not had the blame for it. :wink:
To be fair, Novatech aren't known for sending rubbish out and I know of another 2 similar systems (one of which I bought for a member of staff) that are both running well and are older than the one I bought.

I'd love to be able to buy the best stuff but can't afford to pay myself enough to buy it and at the time, I couldn't buy the bit's (plus operating system) for what I paid for the Novatech Brava(o). Just goes to prove, you can't win em all. Look at the amount of failures Rick has suffered over the past couple of years as testimony to having the most expensive isn't always the best :wink:

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 17:43
by TobyV
Dave,

Depending how bad the damage is (and therefore how great the need), there are people who can reverse (i.e. unformat) your drive and get your old data back, I know I'd be beside myself if I lost hte contents of my drive.

Toby

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 17:48
by andy
Anyone tried system restore? :think:

Posted: 04 Aug 2006, 18:25
by DaveB
That sounds easy Steve but you need to get into the drive to be able to restore (for my part anyway). Certainly worth it for those that can :wink:

Rgr that btw Toby. I have a few hours in which to consider what sized hammer I can safely use on it without going through the floor :wink:

ATB

DaveB :tab: