winload.exe problem (more severe than most)

I got the error a lot of people got that says windows has failed to
start because winload was missing or corrupt. however If I try to run
the repair disc while its loading files it freezes then gives me a blue
screen. I have tried this several times over with no success.
I have tried the same hard drive on a different computer and that
renders that computer unbootable too (but without winloader error
message)
both computers boot fine with a different hard drive when the faulty
hard drive is not plugged in (internally -sata)

my faulty hard drive is a maxtor , my functioning one is a seagate
barracuda.

Please help me access the data on the faulty hard drive, its very
valuable (sentimentally speaking) it would be a bonus to be able to
boot it but i at least want to access and backup that data.
I have even tried plugging the hard drive in while im already booted
into vista, and then it crashes : (
please someone help me. im desperate.


--
pontypool

pontypool wrote:

>
> I got the error a lot of people got that says windows has failed to
> start because winload was missing or corrupt. however If I try to run
> the repair disc while its loading files it freezes then gives me a blue
> screen. I have tried this several times over with no success.
> I have tried the same hard drive on a different computer and that
> renders that computer unbootable too (but without winloader error
> message)
> both computers boot fine with a different hard drive when the faulty
> hard drive is not plugged in (internally -sata)
>
> my faulty hard drive is a maxtor , my functioning one is a seagate
> barracuda.
>
> Please help me access the data on the faulty hard drive, its very
> valuable (sentimentally speaking) it would be a bonus to be able to
> boot it but i at least want to access and backup that data.
> I have even tried plugging the hard drive in while im already booted
> into vista, and then it crashes : (
> please someone help me. im desperate.

You've done a great job of troubleshooting. You now know that the hard drive
is bad. There are only two ways of getting data that was on a bad hard
drive:

1. Restore it from your backups to a new hard drive.

2. Send the bad hard drive to a professional data recovery company. I use
Drive Savers, but there are others. General prices run from $500USD on up.
Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for one of my
clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the money; only you
know what your data is worth. I understand that some insurance companies
are now covering data recovery charges so check with yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

So is there no way to recover data. or use this drive again?


--
pontypool

pontypool wrote:

>
> So is there no way to recover data. or use this drive again?

I already told you how to recover data from a physically damaged hard drive;
you must send it to a professional data recovery company.

No, you cannot use a physically damaged hard drive again.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

"pontypool" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> I got the error a lot of people got that says windows has failed to
> start because winload was missing or corrupt. however If I try to run
> the repair disc while its loading files it freezes then gives me a blue
> screen. I have tried this several times over with no success.
> I have tried the same hard drive on a different computer and that
> renders that computer unbootable too (but without winloader error
> message)
> both computers boot fine with a different hard drive when the faulty
> hard drive is not plugged in (internally -sata)
>
> my faulty hard drive is a maxtor , my functioning one is a seagate
> barracuda.
>
> Please help me access the data on the faulty hard drive, its very
> valuable (sentimentally speaking) it would be a bonus to be able to
> boot it but i at least want to access and backup that data.
> I have even tried plugging the hard drive in while im already booted
> into vista, and then it crashes : (
> please someone help me. im desperate.
>
>
> --
> pontypool


Hey pntypool--

Do you mean to type the word winlogon instead of winload?

There are methods of recovering data from your hard drive that don't involve
resorting to multihundred dollar expenditures to pros which a good
percentage of the people here who aren't funded by large businesses behind
them can't afford. First you have to make sure that it actually is a failed
hard drive, and not possibly an IDE controller which you seem to have done.
The methods involve a little time, but the recovery utilities are often free
or cheap and may be worth the effort.

I didn't read that you actually ran a hard drive test on the HD you say
isn't working provided by something like Seagate tools, or they keyboard
combo available from most computer makers like Ctrl+Alt+D. I saw that you
swapped the drive to a different box.

Winload errors are software caused errors. They are fixed by running the
bcdedit switches often:

http://forum.onmac.net/showthread.php?t=1324

You can download an .iso for a repair disk from here if yours isn't working
after cleaning it carefully:

Download Vista Repair Disk
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/

There are directions on recovering data from a failed hard drive here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...drive&aq=f&oq=

Best,

CH

Nope definately winload.exe.
It's a SATA drive so ide controller can't be a problem.
I have a perfectly functioning vista disc. (i know because i just
yesterday used it on my second hard drive) but when i try to run the
repair disc it always blue screen crashes when loading files.
I did however get a third party boot disc which allows me to get into
command prompt, I came across some bcdedit commands before, although
theres a couple that link shows that i didnt try..
But i am lead to beleive that the problem is because of my maxtor
diamond max 22 drive. Apparently a large selection of seagate and maxtor
(maxtor have been bought out) have faulty drives and they get physically
damaged and corrupted. Which maybe explains why the vista disc wont
load files to the faulty drive?

I think il even try freezing my drive in a sealed bag. Which i read in
the link you sent me. if i can even get 20 minutes of life from the
drive it would be enough to get back irreplaceable photos. Thanks a lot
for your help.
Any more advice is appreciated.


--
pontypool