gamer101

i got a unmountable boot volume can i fix this i was running partition logic and it froze i let sit 2 days not 1 percent so i restarted and got unmountable boot volume oh by the way i was just trying to format a external hdd

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Dhaval002

HELLO error u are getting is a hard drive error in near future you might need to replace hard drive.. coz there are many bad sectors on hard drive that are giving this error.

There is temprory fix for it you need to boot from operating system disk and then get into recovery console and then TRY TO RUN < chkdsk /p /r > on c:windows prompt and complete that till u get C:\windows then try fixboot and then type exit and that will restart system and resolve your issue..



Regds,
Dhaval Soni
Dell Technical Support.

gamer101

it is not a hdd failing it has to do with reformating the other hddd the drive is 2 weeks old and in perfect condition never droped or shaken

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justpassingby

Can you explain a bit more ? What did you exactly do and when do you get the error ? What operating systems are installed and what's your drives and partitions layout ?

Please read this information from Microsoft, but also read the rest of my post before you do anything : Unmountable Boot Volume

What's your motherboard's brand and model and what are your drives' brands and models ? If this is a brand computer then what's the brand and model of the computer ?

When formating a drive for the first time it's always better to hook it as an internal drive if possible. XP has it's own disk management utility that allows you to format secondary drives in FAT32 or NTFS : right-click my computer => manage => disk management. Ubuntu has full NTFS support.

Enter the BIOS at startup and see if there's an option to set the UDMA mode to automatic or UDMA5. You can also reset the CMOS with the CLRTC jumper (check the motherboard manual)

If it's your system drive that's giving you this error then grab a retail XP CD (borrow one if you don't have one, any retail version will do), boot the computer on it (enter the BIOS to change the boot order priority to CD-rom first), press 'R' to access the recovery console, select your windows installation and enter your admin password (press enter if left blank). At the c:\windows\ prompt type chkdsk c: /R, leave it test the drive and report the results. Retry to boot Windows normally. If that didn't work then back in the recovery console type fixboot. If chkdsk said anything about a corrupt MBR type fixmbr before you type fixboot. Retry to boot normally and see how it goes.

Be warned that if you're dual booting Ubuntu doing this may force you to reinstall the Linux boot loader afterwards. I believe there are options in Grub (using the command line) and Lilo to scan physical drives and restore the proper boot loader informations, this could allow you to restore your XP installation without needing to run fixboot. I'm using Wubi so can't help you much more with linux boot loader and dual-boot issues.

Testdisk may also help retrieving the proper boot sectors for all operating systems :
Have you "lost" a hard drive, partition or files in your computer?.


@ Dhaval002 :
This is nonsense. An "unmountable boot volume" error doesn't mean the disk is dying or that there are bad clusters on it.

You've already given that same wrong advice several times and each time a moderator had to bin your post. Please stop or you won't last for long on this forum.

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Crespo PC Serv

he works for DELL what do u expect? lol

nah but in all honesty, i would do what justpassingby has suggested, i have tried that on a couple computers that have had that same error. chkdsk always seemed to fix it, if not fixboot was the next step that got it going.

ThorXP

The casue of the problem actually is Partition Magic. I have had this happen to me more times than you can imagine usually with other people running PMagic. Actually the software has gone downhill since an un-named company bought them out. I promised myself I would not mention Symantec.

The fix for this is listed below:

How to perform a Repair Installation of Windows® XP.

Two things are needed here, just a bit of old technology, an ink pen and a piece of paper to write down any special settings that might have to be changed back after the repair-installation is completed.

Please Note: Performing a "Repair Installation" in this manner should not delete any Personal Files, it should 'repair' the core of the installation but to be safe with your data you should follow the next two paragraphs.

You might have to remove the hard drive from this computer and install it in another computer as a slave drive and after it is able to be accessed by Windows on that computer you will have to manually backup all of your important data that you have to another media like CD-R's, DVD or external hard drive. Then when this is done return it to the original computer as a master drive on the primary IDE cable. and do the following:

REGISTRY WARNING:

The details that follow require an above-average understanding of the technical topics involved. If you do not understand the Registry material presented here, either find a technically knowledgeable friend or do not attempt to repair your system Registry yourself. Improper changes in the System Registry can render all data on your hard disk inaccessible. :

Here is a link to a registry backup program that is absolutely fantastic it is called ERUNT and you would use this to backup the registry after running the repair-install procedure successfully.

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

(Remember to always keep a backup of two things: Your registry, and your data. You will never be sorry. ]

(The Windows® XP CD WILL be required for this procedure.)
( Recovery discs are NOT recommended with this procedure.)

A good set of instructions for doing a Repair-Installation are found on the following page and print out the pages of the site for reference further instructions on Slipstreaming Windows XP Home or Pro with any of the service packs are provided also other additional links that might be needed.

Please read the whole page on this web site to familiarize yourself with the procedure and all of the Warnings

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
The following links are provided for reference incase they are needed.

How to perform a repair installation of Windows XP if Internet Explorer 7 is installed. ]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/917964

(How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install with IE6 Installed. ]

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Just be attentive and follow all of the on-screen prompts.

Just let it do its thing...now when you finally are at the Windows Desktop, power down the computer and re-enter the BIOS and change the Boot Configuration Order back to its original configuration.

I hope that this cures your woes.

Post back with the results, and if there are any other queries/concerns.

Cheers

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gamer101

i totaly agree that it is becuase he works for dell but i dont think we should discuss this in front of him so i will go on wat justpassing by said but i am backing up the files right now on my 250passport so i will try soon thanx

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gamer101

thor should i even try the fixboot or no and could i just reinstall windows if backing up files it would be much easier i just need a windows xp media center cd because when i bought the pc did not get the install cd but i did get the coa so how do i go about getting a cd i have xp home and pro cds no media center

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justpassingby

Is this a dual-boot system with Linux and Windows installed on the same physical drive ?

Try running chkdsk c: /R and fixboot from the recovery console using a retail XP CD (you can use an XP Pro or XP Home CD for this) but make sure you read the rest of my previous post if this is a dual-boot configuration.

If your computer is some brand computer that came with a preinstalled version of Windows (OEM licence) then you may not have the option to do a repair installation. What's the exact brand and model of your computer ? You can usually order the recovery CD's on the manufacturer's website and get them shipped to you for a very small fee. Unless this is a Dell computer the recovery disks you get with OEM installations will only allow you to restore the factory default installation. If there are no other hardware issues this will restore a working system but you'll have to reinstall all your apps and copy all your data back. Try chkdsk c: /R first and retry to boot normally. Then try fixboot if chkdsk alone didn't solve the problem. If you ever get another error message than "unmountable boot volume" then tell us about it, there are usually solutions that don't involve reinstalling. Using the recovery disks will be the last resort option.

If you see the word "retail" written somewhere on the COA then tell us about it.

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gamer101

i just backed up files but i now need the xp media cd if someone could burn me one or let me borrow it would be greatly appreciated if im wrong and it is illegal to burn it im srry though i have the understanding it is legal as long as you are not patching it so forth as not have to use legal coa i have the coa used once need media center cd though

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justpassingby

As I said you don't need an XP Media Center Edition CD to run chkdsk and fixboot from the recovery console. You said you had an XP Home and XP Pro CD (I understand those are retail CD's), so you can use of those. Don't try to do a repair install with them, just press 'R' at the first installation screen to access the recovery console. If you're given any other options exit and report here.

Please answer my other questions : you mention XP and Ubuntu in your profile, are both operating systems installed on the same hard drive ? What's the brand and model of your computer ?

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gamer101

the pc i built ubuntu has it's own hdd but i am also working on a hp media center m7334n and i need the media center cd because i did not get it when buying that pc i also just backed up files on the one hdd and formated reinstalled

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ThorXP

Need the disks order here:

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Obtaining a Recovery CD or DVD set

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...cname=bph07143

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gamer101

can i get the install cd there you siad recovery i just need the install

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justpassingby

HP computers come with an OEM installation of Windows. You don't get an XP install CD with those but you can order a recovery CD that will restore the computer to the state it was when you first bought it (losing all your personal data and settings in the process).

If the only issue with the HP is the "unmountable boot volume" error then in most cases chkdsk c: /R and fixboot will fix the problem. To run those commands you'll need to boot the computer on a retail XP install CD and access Microsoft's recovery console. Just use your XP Home or XP Pro disks.

Only use the recovery CD if you want to reinstall XP Media Center from scratch on your HP computer. There's no install CD available, use ThorXP's link to order the recovery CD.

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gamer101

no the hdd failed i replaced with new hdd so i need the install cd to install windows on the new hdd

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