Any Windows ex-spurts about?

[Donor]

Hey folks,

Got a machine, recently done a Win2k Pro install, and all is well and good.

However, it seems that while in Windows Explorer the 120GB with all my favourite files *cough* appears, the files don't.

Windows tells me it is a 120GB drive, it tells me 119GB is used, but no files appear.

I haven't been able to... errr... review any of my favourite files for several days, and it's beginning to do my head in.

Haven't changed the drive chains, all jumpers are in spiffy place and I have sacrificed the ritual kitten to the appropriate deities.

Help.

For the love of god, don't make me put XP back on.

[Ixion]

Can you list them from the DOS CLI ?

[paturoa]

what was the last few things you did before this happened?

[Donor]

what was the last few things you did before this happened?

1) Inserted and booted from CD
2) Flattened Primary Master - retained NTFS
3) Installed Win2K
4) Updated Windows - SP4 (And there's a niggling felling I get that this could be half the problem...)

5) Had a beer
6) Had another beer

[Finn]

I can solve all your problems. Stop being a conformist and buy a Mac.

[Donor]

I can solve all your problems. Stop being a conformist and buy a Mac.

Now now, there's no need to resort to bad language...

Besides, I'm only wanting this thing to fly for another month, then it's getting the big arse, and will be fitted with a true OS in the form of Kubuntu.

ALL HAIL TUX!

[Donor]

Can you list them from the DOS CLI ?

Haven't tried! (God I need to hand my geek license back...)

Machine is currently laying under my desk sulking after a slight berating and wee foot tap

Will haul it out shortly and have a play.

[Wasp]

have another beer

not a clue, something says hidden folders to me?

[paturoa]

1) Inserted and booted from CD
2) Flattened Primary Master - retained NTFS
3) Installed Win2K
4) Updated Windows - SP4 (And there's a niggling felling I get that this could be half the problem...)

5) Had a beer
6) Had another beer

A genuine win2K disk?
What was the op system before your upgrade?
So it was working OK before you installed SP4?
How many beers - lol

[Donor]

have another beer

not a clue, something says hidden folders to me?

Checked that... nope - no easy fix there dammit!

A genuine win2K disk?
What was on the op systesm before your upgrade?
So it was working OK before you installed SP4?
How many beers - lol

Very semi-genuine
XP Home
Didn't try, went straight from install to update
Not enough clearly, I could have blamed it on drunkenness then...

[paturoa]

XP Home is better that win2k IMHO - so this was a down grade? huh?

So it boots from the disk and the issue is that in explorer you can't see the files - hmmm - buggered if I know

From the start menu select run and type in command

you should see a window pop up with a DOS prompt - type DIR and hit enter - what do you see?

[scracha]

XP Home is better that win2k IMHO - so this was a down grade? huh?
you should see a window pop up with a DOS prompt - type DIR and hit enter - what do you see?

Lecture lecture but you should always backup before doing this sort of thing. I presume you've access to another PC as you're able to get on KB.

You won't be able to list jack $hit if it's formatted NTFS (which it probably will be if he's went from XP). 2000 is a hell of a lot more stable than XP and runs nicely with 128MB ram. If you're files were encrypted you're basically f#cked.

I presume you've not got any knoppix, UBCD, BART PE or similar?

Try this, it'll run after you do the old DOS or win98 boot floppy.
http://public.planetmirror.com/pub/m...s/readntfs.zip

Dunno if this is the same file.
http://files.frashii.com/~bootdisk/alabama/readntfs.exe

Easier method is to mount it on secondary IDE channel and run the above apps. Then you can backup your essential files to the other drive.

[Ixion]

Hey folks,

Got a machine, recently done a Win2k Pro install, and all is well and good.

However, it seems that while in Windows Explorer the 120GB with all my favourite files *cough* appears, the files don't.

Windows tells me it is a 120GB drive, it tells me 119GB is used, but no files appear.

Its not the OS install that is the problem. Obviously we have a dual drive machine, OS on C: and the "missing" files on D: (or whatever). We know that cos the drive is 120GB and the *ahem* files are 119GB. So the OS must be on a different drive. Mr Donor says that W2K is running OK (and can see the drive).

So the fact that the drive will be NTFS shouldn't matter. W2K can read NTFS just fine, and the (pseudo) DOS 7 that it has should be able to also. Go start Run type cmd and OK. Black box opens up, type D: (or whatever drive windows says it is), enter. Then DIR enter. see what it says.

Try running scandisk on the volume.

Do you remember a file name, try to open it with the appropriate application. I suspect some stupid permissions/security issue .

[alexthekidd]

try going into windows explorer and typing like c:/windows and seeing if anything opens up, or d:/[insert folder name here]

[Donor]

Arse.

I believe we have the root of the problem (pun intended)

"Master File Table Corrupted"

So, it's an emergency install of Kubuntu on my main PC (this one) tomorrow that I have been wanting to do for ages, and then a slaving of the drive to see if I can mount the bugger and save the... essential data... *cough*