How to access lost hard drive partitions in Windows XP

Are you getting error messages when you start the Windows XP operating? Such error messages can occur due to number of possible reasons. When a partition starts to show problems, data in the hard disk partition is completely inaccessible. To overcome such errors, you must take effective measures such as re-installation of the operating system. Reinstall the operating system delete the data on the drive and in such situations, data can be restored from a valid backup. However, if backup is not available, then you can go for third party Windows partition recovery software to recover all valuable data from the hard drive partition.

To illustrate the above situation, consider a scenario in real time, where you try to start Windows XP, but got the following error messages:

“Windows could not start due to a disk hardware configuration problem.

Cannot read from selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk drive.

Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information.”

OR

“Winnt_root\System32\Hal.dll missing or corrupt:

Please re-install a copy of the above file.”

Same error message appears every time you boot the system and the data stored in the partitions become completely inaccessible.

Cause:

The causes, which are responsible for the appearance of the above error message, may be as follows:

1. Invalid value in the Boot Loader section of the 'Boot.ini' file.

2. Windows XP has not been installed in the correct location of 'Boot.ini' file.

3. Damaged 'Ntoskrnl.exe' file.

4. Incorrect setting of the partition path in the 'Boot.ini' file.

5. Any instance of hardware failure.

Solution:

Overcome the errors and restore the partition information you need to follow the instructions below:

1. Change the Boot.ini file to restore the default entry and ensure that other parts of the operating system entries in the Boot.ini file to point to the correct directory.

2. From Recovery console, make use of Bootcfg utility to correct the Boot.ini file. Below steps will guide you through:

· Open the computer system with the help of a Windows XP CD-ROM.

· Hit the key 'R', when the message pops up to repair Windows from Recovery Console.

· Choose the required Windows installation and enter the administrator password when asked.

· Enter 'bootcfg /rebuild', and click the ENTER button.

· After the Windows installation gets selected, it prompts you as: Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All). Type Yes.

· Type the appropriate Load identifier and when asked for 'OS Load options', just leave the field blank and hit ENTER.

If the above problem doesn’t resolve, then you have to reinstall the operating system. While re installation, you may lost your valuable data and in such circumstances, you have to opt partition recovery software to get back your important files and folders