Help! I've killed my desktop! :-(

[cojak]

Is it possible wreck a machine? It suddenly went dog slow so I thought I'd backup the data and reload the o's from an acronis backup.

But now I can't get it to do anything.
I tried to repair xp using the cd but it won't go past the MBR0 check.

I'm going to get some tea then come back to it.

[TheFaQQer]

Yes, it's very possible to wreck a machine.

If you have another machine, I'd download a Linux live CD (e.g. linuxmint.org) and see if you can boot from that - if you can then you should at least be able to access the data. If that doesn't work, then it sounds like the machine is goosed.

You should still be able to rescue the data if you get a new machine - get a caddy for the existing drive if necessary (£10 ish from eBuyer, I guess) or stick it into a second drive bay in the new machine.

[cojak]

I've saved the data, that should be ok. Now I'm just trying to resuscitate the PC.

Mr C will be very disappointed if I can't get it to work as he gets my cast off and was hoping for an upgrade.

I'll keep trying to fix it over the weekend..

[cojak]

Hang on a mo'! The format has started to work and the e only variable I can think of is the consumption of a large glass of wine!

By Jove it might work yet!!

[NickFitz]

It might be worth booting from a Live CD and running a health check on the disk, just to to be sure it's not about to die permanently. It would probably be extremely annoying to devote a couple of hours to re-installing everything and restoring from backup, only for the blue smoke to get out just as you finish

[cojak]

Nope, it didn't, try again ...

[cojak]

It might be worth booting from a Live CD and running a health check on the disk, just to to be sure it's not about to die permanently. It would probably be extremely annoying to devote a couple of hours to re-installing everything and restoring from backup, only for the blue smoke to get out just as you finish

Rats, now I need to ferry out a new Linux live CD and try to remember how to do a health check,

Rats...

[norrahe]

Didn't this happen before?


If you PM me I can get Mr N to give you some teccy help tomorrow, if need be.

[cojak]

Thanks norrahe, I might well take you up on the offer...

[cojak]

(I'm now trying to delete the partitions, I might just give up and buy another hard drive...)