Reformat Hard Drive, HELP!!

[danl_9x]

I had WinXP and Linux (ubuntu) on my partitioned hard drive and I crashed XP to where I couldn't bring up bios or cmos or anything on it so I copied everything on XP from the Linux OS to a disc so I have my files. Then I crashed linux. Now I'm in a pickle. The only thing to come up is: GRUB loading, please wait... Error 22. I would like to reformat the whole hard drive but it won't let me do anything. Is there a program I can put on a disc and it start from the disc to erase it. Or anything I can do to just wipe it and start over? Thanks

[jagabo]

If you're going to install XP, boot the XP CD. You will get the option to partition and format the hard drive.

One think I don't understand though: getting to the BIOS has nothing to do with the operating system or disk partitions and formats. You should be able to fix this by resetting the BIOS and CMOS with a jumper on the motherboard.

[Nelson37]

Anybody else keeping count? Is this the number five or number six multi-boot system using GRUB which has crashed completely? Time to get out the ten-foot pole.

To the OP - you seem to be under the impression that an OS crash could prevent you from loading CNOS setup. This is ABSOLUTELY NOT POSSIBLE. A completely mechanically destroyed hard drive actually can, but this is not an OS related issue, rather a serious hardware failure. Such hardware failure would cause the OS crash, not the other way around. Since Linux still ran when you experienced this effect, that ain't it.

Either you do not know what the CMOS setup is, or something else has gone wrong. So very seriously wrong that it may very well be a complete waste of time doing anything at all to the hard drive until this vastly more important issue is resolved.

Any OS install disk can remove and create partitions and format. Do all three. Also recommend avoiding multiple OS installs on a single drive. Also avoid having multiple drives present when installing secondary OS.

[Bjs]

Where system fails to enter bios, there are a number of things which can cause this problem, but take the simple steps fist.

Remove all non-essential add-on devices, such as pci, usb, agp/pci-e (only for those with onboard video)
Remove battery, and jumper the bios to clear mode, remove power from system
Leave system in this state for a few hours to allow complete power drain

Next ... this is without any drives connected

Re-jumper bios back to pre-state (non-clear)
Reinstall battery
Reconnect mains power
Fire up system and see if you can re-enter bios

If yes, your in luck, you can now start re-connecting drives, and check bios finds them
If still ok, now add back other hardware

If the above fails, or cannot enter bios, its a new motherboard you need.

Yes, a hard drive failure, even one that appears to be minor in appearance, can cause these problems to appear.

===

Now, as you can actually see grub loading, I suggest you reinstall the os ... check hard drive manufacturer for their utility for drive setup, and use it to wipe the drive clear of all partitions, and reinstall the required os.

[jollyjohn]

Re-jumper bios back to pre-state (non-clear)

G'day. Sorry to jump in but I couldn' help it. What is "Re-jumper bios? I'd like to know.

Thanks

John

[drjtech]

Some motherboards have a have a password reset jumper. Older boards may require removing the battery for several seconds, then replacing it.

How do I reset a BIOS password?

-drjtech

[RabidDog]

Grub is Shrub-bish. You have lost your hard disk parts and need to reformat your hard disk.
Download UBCD and re-format hard wid dis.(boot from this CD)

Install memory first! Beef up Dat puter!

install windows FIRST!
then install LINUX second!.. to a separate hard disk
Then install Vista third!
then install LINUX fourth!.. to a separate hard disk


GoodonyerBaKups tho, saved yer life

[danl_9x]

I can't access anything to boot from cd. I can't access bios to change the boot process. I took the battery out for two day for a power drain and put winxp disk in and I still get the error.

[jagabo]

I can't access anything to boot from cd. I can't access bios to change the boot process. I took the battery out for two day for a power drain and put winxp disk in and I still get the error.

And that error is?

[classfour]

danl_9x is definitely entering another realm.

HDDs like his (and I've had one or two) sometimes have to be interfaced to do a complete wipe - unless he can figure out how to enter his BIOS and locate a working copy of "ultimate boot CD"

[jagabo]

HDDs like his... have to be interfaced

What does that mean?

[classfour]

Pulled from machine.

Connected to USB to IDE devine (Assuming USB connectivity)

jegabo = WIPED

Get It!

XP does NOT automatically wipe the drive.

Sometimes: You must take extra steps.

I've had to do this prior to an XP install.

XP isn't the perfect OS, but it is good.

Linux takes work.

[classfour]

Jagabo: I've seen the Blue Screen Of Windows Install, and the related "Hard Disc Format" option not work on a new install.

Yes: Reset the MOBO

But: XP DOES NOT wipe the drive.

[Nelson37]

Disconnect ALL drives, power and data.

Make certain you can enter BIOS setup in this state.

If you can't, either get a pro to look at it or get another motherboard.

[jagabo]

Disconnect ALL drives, power and data.

Make certain you can enter BIOS setup in this state.

If you can't, either get a pro to look at it or get another motherboard.

Or CPU. Or power supply.

[danl_9x]

I wish I could get into bios, I would have this taken care of. Before it boots to the error I try all the 'F' keys but it keeps going to the error.

[jagabo]

Do you see a BIOS message that says what key to press to get to the BIOS setup? If not, in addition to the function keys, did you try pressing Del or Esc? The key varies from BIOS to BIOS. I think I've seen + a few times too.

I don't know much about Grub. But from what I've read Grub error 22 means the boot manager has been read from the hard drive and is running but it couldn't find the specified partition. The implications are that the computer completed POST and can read at least a little from the drive.

Did you try what Bjs suggested? Remove all devices except the graphics card and the keyboard. If you can, use a PS2 keyboard, not a USB keyboard (some older BIOSs don't respond to a USB keyboard). Reset the BIOS via the jumper or removing the battery. Now can you get to the BIOS?

[danl_9x]

I found bios by hitting the 'esc' key but it still won;t boot from cd.

[DarrellS]

I've had a couple of computers that were supposed to get into BIOS with the F2 key but I had to hit Delete to get in instead. Also, sometimes the screen that tells you how to get in would not show up and I had to hit the restart button and then start hitting the Delete button until the BIOS opened up. Holding down multiple keys should cause a keyboard error with an option to enter BIOS but like Jagabo mentioned, you need to have a keyboard that BIOS will respond to. I have four different keyboards and have had to exchange keyboards before to get into BIOS.

Erasing the drive can be done by installing it into a working computer as a slave drive and reformatting it. If you have an external enclosure, you could also use that. That's what I do now when I want to format an old hard drive and put it into another PC and install Windows.

It might be time to invest in a new modern machine and if you can get this one going, use Windows on the new machine and Linux on the old one.

[danl_9x]

Now that I'm in bios what should I do. What should I put the settings? I tried booting from cd but still the same. Tried different settings but the same. Can't even get to the command line (not that I would know what to do). I just want to erase this hard drive and start over.

[jagabo]

Did you set the boot order so that the CD boots first? Is the BIOS finding the CD drive? Do you have a bootable CD? Linux install discs are usually bootable. Not all Windows discs are.

By the way, you would do yourself (and the rest of us) a favor if gave more details about exactly what you tried.

[danl_9x]

I set it to boot from cd (win xp disk) but still the same error. I thought it would boot from win xp. I tried booting from 'hdd, fdd, cd-rom, and lan but the same happens.

[jagabo]

You are setting the boot order. If the first device in the list isn't bootable the second device is tried. If that device isn't bootable the third is tried. Etc. If you put the CD before the HDD in the list and the CD didn't boot the CD isn't a bootable CD. Or maybe the CD drive is hosed.

[Nelson37]

This is sounding awfully familiar.

The odds of the CPU or Power Supply allowing the OP to get this far and no farther are extremely low. Problem appears to be a hard drive that is either failing or has bad partitions, compounded by user inexperience. If you don't know how to get into your BIOS then you shouldn't be dealing with multi-boot partitions.

Disconnect all drives but the CD, including the floppy. Confirm that the XP CD you are using will, in fact boot.

If it does not boot, test it in another PC and/or get another CD or drive.

After confirming it boots, set the boot order to CD and nothing else. Attach the suspect hard drive and ONLY the suspect hard drive, so you have HD and CD.

Are these two drive on the same cable, by any chance?

Boot the CD, remove partitions, and format.

You could also use an Ultimate Boot Cd, a Linux disk, but you would have to download and create this disk on another PC.

[bevills1]

Do you have a WinXP install CD, or are you trying to boot to the CD from your first post where you "copied everything on XP from the Linux OS to a disc so I have my files?" Such a disc is not bootable, and a bootable WinXP CD will be needed to boot into WinXP setup.

[RabidDog]

THis is difficult

Disconnect ALL drives, power and data.

Make certain you can enter BIOS setup in this state.

I always find.. No power .. no anything..

[danl_9x]

Thanks for all the help out there. I found my XP home disc and booted with it and after going thru the settings I erased the hard drive and am now installing XP pro. Now it says I have an invalid key but thats another problem I'll deal with. Thanks

[Nelson37]

Disconnecting the power and data cables to all drives in the PC will have no effect whatsoever on entering the BIOS.

Disconnecting the motherboard power connector will prevent access to the BIOS.

Perhaps I should have stated "Disconnect all drives by removing both power and data connections to the drives", but if he ain't smart enough to not remove the mobo power connector while attempting to boot into the BIOS, then he shouldn't have the lid off of the case.

OP does not specify but sounds like original disk was non-bootable. Gotta start from square one.

XP install disk is perfectly capable of erasing the disk as long as proper steps are taken to remove all partitions and format. There are a very few partitions it will not recognize, but this is very rare.