Lee, once you get sorted you will need to anti surge that supply and get that ups checked as it has had a spike by the sound of it, I doubt you need that headache again.

lee wrote:EDIT: Just tried it but the connections are completely different to the other computers.

Sounds like it may be a sata drive, theres only 2 kinds of hard drive connectors, IDE (and the small ide for laptops) and SATA, the newest of the bunch.

There are adaptors available that will connect direct from the hard drive to USB, I recently picked some up from Ebay, well IDE ones, they effectively turn the hard drive into a portable hard drive without the casing.

Great piece of kit to have about, but I have no idea if they are available in Thailand, I would have thought so, the one I recently bought was made there surprisingly.

Just try googling for SATA to USB cable, failing that dealextreme.com have them in China, only a few days by post apparently.

Before you comit to purchase though, it may be worth getting a set of IDE to USB cables as well, just incase you ever need them in the future.

This will enable you to back up the relevent files you need to keep, but dont mess with any windows folders or you'll be asking for trouble if you want to try and keep the drive intact.

I have never tried what you said about writing over the boot ini file, may work or may not, not 100% sure on that one.

I presume when you tried Hirens in the cd slot, you set the bios to boot from cd not just selecting on the boot screen, if not give that a try as sometimes windows can over ride the setting.
Also double check that the Hirens disc is ok on another system, as burning too fast can sometimes let it slip a little.

what a joke every one is talking like they are guru in the computer world sata and setting on H/D like the wall came down in your pc no have windows XP disk well go to the mall and buy XP with service pack 3 make sure you buy win/home or pro which ever one you have installed in your computer for 100 baht and you will fix a MINOR problem all you did was knock out a few drivers which is causing it to freeze up you can even try disconnection the power to the PC and turn it on again some times if your lucky that works and if you want to play with the settings on your H/D just read the H/D it shows you the settings and I bet it set for cable select which makes either slave or master depending on which part of the ribbon it hook to not to pat my self on the back but I went to Mohave Community College for two semester to learn the A+ course which is computer repair and I completed the course with a B+ I have crashed my computer more times than some of you have hair on your head and I fix it my self even if it meant formatting my H/D and starting all over with clean H/D and I do not use illegal copies of windows XP or Vista and Lee if you need a legal copy I have available number which is all you need it is in win/xp/home

No one was reallly asking for your previous technical knowledge on computers Ron, I too have degrees in various computer related subjects.

To me it does not sound like a driver issue, they don't usually affect the boot process, which is controlled by the boot ini file.

Lee wanted to know if he could possibly try and save some of the data on the crashed hard drive, so I believe my method will work without disturbing anything else on the drive.
And all being well, with the boot ini file being restored, everything else would remain intact on the drive as though nothing had happened.

Messing around with the c select/master/slave setting on the back of the drive, may do something, but I doubt it.

We all know that the reinstallation of windows or the formatting of a drive is an easy fix, but not if there is something you want to save....

Besides, with you having crashed your computer so many times, do you not feel that you have been doing something wrong to help cause it .

BB what I was trying to say was quote don't look for the serious problem because it not there if we read lee problem it happened after a surge of some sort so to me it was a simple fix as for my suggestion in installing win/xp CD it will not wipe your files on a repair. only if you do a new installation
as for crashing my own PC I do every thing your not suppose to do my reason are that how I get my experience and learn from it at my age I want to keep my brain functioning OH and I never suggested he reinstall windows I only said do a repair his reply was he does not have the CD so I offered a legal copy if he needs it to both fix or reinstall windows like you I was trying to be helpful but I was reading things that were IMO chasing problems that were not there or going to create problems for him but my big mistake was getting evolved in this issue next time I go silent unless asked

I'd just like to say that I appreciate everyone's help and advice. I have saved all replies but haven't had time to look at the computer yet. I'll post an update once I get it fixed.

Thanks.

Lee if you should need a windows XP disk I have one also available with the number (legal)

I decided to take the computer to a repair shop in the end. They re-installed windows and saved all the existing data for 300bt. Can't complain at that.

Lee now that you manage to save all your data get your self a external H/D and save it on that and you won't have any fears of losing your data in the event it should happen again I have two one is 40 gigs & the other is 120 gigs I really didn't need two but my spending habit forced me to buy two
I am glad for you it all worked out well and yes 300 baht is very cheap for saving your important info and
on another note I wish you again a Happy Birthday