HELP? Can Not Start windows , harware or configuration problem ~

[Brian Weick]

Hard drive problem- re-installed old hard drive that came with it - works! going to try and install dysfunctional drive as a slave and run check disk to try and retrieve the information and correct sectors- any opinions

[patrick anderson]

well I was close

[Dave Sinkus]

Good news is you have successfully discovered the problem.....bad news...you may have a bad HD.

[Brian Weick]

I installed the original hard drive that came with the computer that warned me that It was on it's way out. Now that worked - although it did tell me that I should back up my drive because the HD had some serious damage - bad sectors corrupted I would guess. So it's not the mother board, it's not the Bios - I even tried to hook the newer drive(the one that keeps looping the F8 setup) as a slave and the old one that works , made the jumper settings for slave and master , I have the master on the end of the ID tape where it's supposed to be and with both identical operating systems on there - it goes from one drive that works then to the bad drive which loops the F8 setup. I also tried to get access to the C section of the drive through an a:/> prompt - tells me invalid path- so what else could it be- I'm at a loss- when you can't even get to the drive- somethings gone haywire - somethings wrong and it is not good news. I even checked goggle for this problem - similar situations but , not exactly the same. Any suggestions at this point - i have no where else to go at this point. I checked though the f2 setup to see if it recognized the drive and it does - this is what baffles me?