Windows won't boot!

I run vista 32bit, I installed Partition magic 8.0 and it said there was compatibility issues. it asked if I wanted it to fix it, I said yes, a few minutes later it crashed, and it will not boot. any body can help, I would greatly appreciate it, I have alot of important information on this hdd that I can't lose. thank you.

 

I don't know specifically about this problem, someone else might post shortly for that. Put I'd say its very very unlikely you've lost you're info.

What you might need to end up doing is buying an external hard drive case for the HD either 2.5" laptop or 3.5" desktop and then attach this via USB to another computer where you can access all your files like an external drive.

So don't sweat the files aren't gone at all, but you might need to access them differently, unless there's an easy solution to this I'm not aware of.

72oo

 

Do you have the OS disc? Have you tried booting of it? See if it boots up normally (which I guess it wont) - You could chose repair and restart option. see if it helps.

 

You have to boot into the repair console from a Vista install disc and type in and run chkdsk /r (or /f?). This may work, but I think it maybe a bit more complex involving BCDedit. Then uninstall/remove Partition Magic 8.0, it is not compatible with Vista.

 

I have tried booting up thru linux that i've got installed on a dvd, I have tried using the windows restore disk that came with this laptop(dell), I have tried removing the hdd and connecting it to my desktop, now I am dowloading vista from MS so I can put it on a disk, I'm wondering if i can reinstall vista from the vista disk (not the dell windows restore disk) and If i install using that method, it shouldnt be a clean install and shouldnt delete my files? correct? or Maybe install it in another location besides C:/windows?

or is there a way to partition the drive back to where it was? I'm thinking that I messed up the partitioning from the NTFS to something else.

when I put the hdd in my desktop, it said the hdd was only 9 gigs full, that might just be that I messed the partition and it is really bigger? shhesh thanks for the help guys.

 

it is just a messed up partition table problem. if you install another windows on it, you're going to have all of your stuff in windows_old, or something like that.

 

I sure hope your right f4ding

 

I'm surprised this didn't work!

If that didn't work surely it'll need a reinstall if you can't view the files from a external OS?

 

wow i think it messed up your partition table really bad and the external connection of your HDD to your desktop should work. thats the best way to access it, you might have to reinstall windows in a different partition to access your old partition =/ good luck man

 

you probably have tried this, but just to be sure, you attempted to boot into safemode right?

 

how do i install on a different partitiion?

 

how do I find the drivers to make it a NTFS drive again, I try to install, but it says it can't because it is not a NTFS Drive. Can I install vista on a 8 gig usb drive and boot up through that?

 

can I install xp and than be able to access my vista files?

 

Wow, I'm really scared too now that you've tried all the stuff and they wouldn't work. Maybe get a professional to do this?

 

well. I was able to install XP on the D: Recovery drive, nd it let me recover my files, so I dont mind wiping it now.

 

I had the same problem with partition magic. but it was on xp. i tried to create a partition on my raid-0 setup and windows stopped booting. had to my sony recover disk and everything was wiped out.

Tried it on my laptop and got the same error message. I don't think it's compatible with vista.