Help with MBR

Try pulling the data off with Linux. Here is how: ( Computer First Aid Using Knoppix

SIW2 said:

Open Disk Management. Click Action then click Rescan Disks. Rt-click any disk marked Foreign, click Import Foreign Disks, and follow the instructions on your screen.

If you are asked to Initialize to MBR or GPT - choose MBR.


If it still shows as unallocated (unlikely), then:


D/l this free bootable partition Manager - burn it to cd with isoburner - do not format the cd.

Partition Wizard Bootable CD allows user to boot computer directly to manage partition.

Attachment 29133

Boot the cd and if it recognizes the HD - click Disk 1 at the top, then Partition Recovery in the left pane.

Try a scan of the unallocated space - try Quick scan first.

It says The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error

What does that mean? Is there still any hope?

whs said:

Try pulling the data off with Linux. Here is how: ( Computer First Aid Using Knoppix

Knoppix is not reading the disk at all

Sounds like devices trying to share resources:

the device manager shows it under other devices >> unknown devices

Rt click it in device manager - under the Details Tab , select Problem Code in the drop down flap.

- could be there is a partition table error.

Often Gparted copes well with those.

D/l from here - burn the .iso to cd - Boot the cd. See what it says.

Direct d/l link - to make sure you get the right one:

Download GParted from SourceForge.net

link to site:

Browse GParted Files on SourceForge.net

If it reads as unallocated - create a small partition - doesn't matter how small on the RIGHT. Gparted should then rebuild the partition table.

After that, use PW partition recovery function - click Disk1 at the top - click Partition recovery on the left pane - Quick scan the whole drive.

If it offers the original partition structure you want - tick the partition(s) you want to keep, and click Apply.