Trying to retrieve data for crippled XP

Hi guys

I am getting an 'error loading operating system' on PC boot up using MS XP

Have d/l KNOPPIX v6.2.1 on another laptop, burnt to CD & run on faulty PC

The main screen has popped up......I can see my 2 external HD's but am unable to see main 'c' drive that xp is installed on

Does that mean the data on their is unretrieivable :cry: or am looking in wrong place ??

Pls advise
Thanks

You're probably just looking in the wrong spot. Aside from a hard drive failure you should have no problem retrieving any data.

If your hard drive is making strange noises when you try to start it up, then you could have a problem. Knoppix should pick up the hard drives on your desktop screen. If you have an internal hard drive and two external hard drives then you should really see 3 hard drive icons on your desktop.

Try disconnecting your external hard drives and start knoppix again, it should pick up the hard drive and be the only drive on your desktop to access. I've used it a couple of times to get me out of some hairy situations.

Alternatively you could put you winXP cd in your drive and boot from it and use the repair option.

This may seem like a silly question, but is the drive enabled at a hardware level i.e. you have the right master/slave pin settings and can see it in the BIOS?