computer wont start

on my taskbar it said USB surge and then my computer crashed and wont start, i cant even get to bios. anyone know what could have happened? im guessing my motherboard friend

Motherboard friend?!?!

i havent slept for two days now, im sorry.

PARADOX.

How can you post if you're computer is fried?

BRAIN EXPLODES

i have an older computer, i put the harddrive from my fried computer into my old one and it starts but whenver i try to access the drive it says "the disk in drive d is not formated. format it now?" is there anyway to get past this so i can use and view my files?

>>5
Yes, if you're lucky you can use a file restoration app such as Filescavenger to read the blocks on your hard drive. I've used that to recover broken raid arrays, works like a charm.

>>6
is that the only way i can do it? theres no way i could just have the files accessible on the drive?

please i need help, the file recovery programs im using are not really recovering the data that well.

I'm gonna guess that your new(er) drive is NTFS, and your old system is Windoex 9x

Using the information I just gave (assuming it's correct) there are ways to access the drive.

>>9
how would i acess it? I've tried using file recovery programs but either they cost money or just dont work.

First result of google using the search terms "Windows 9x" "access" and "NTFS"

http://www.sofotex.com/Paragon-NTFS-for-Windows-9x-download_L5828.html

"the demo version mounts NTFS partitions in read-only mode" is enough to recover files.

This is of course assuming your hard drive is fine. (Never used the program before, though)

>>11
Someone else here.

First off, OP should confirm what the OS on the working computer is.  If it really is Windows 95/98/Me, then this solution may apply.  Otherwise, there may be other problems, like a corrupt drive.

I haven't used the tool from Paragon, but I have had good success with [ http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsWindows98.html ].  It is also read-only.  You will need access to some system files from a working NT/2K/XP installation, though, depending on what your original OS was.   (Using XP system files should be fine for accessing NTFS drives that were formatted using either of the other two, though.)

BTW, these guys (Sysinternals) joined Microsoft last year.  They are famous for having some very handy Windows tools, including a pagefile defragmenter, a disk cache flushing tool, and other filesystem tools like this one.

>>12
both computers run XP, I dont know a whole lot about computers. I have a question though, I have an intel processor im not sure what exact processor it is, i could find it out if needed, but what i need to know is if i could take the processor from my broken computer and put it in the one im currently using. the processor for the computer im using now is an AMD duron and the one in my broken computer is an intel pentium 4 2.6ghz

>>13
Can't take an Intel CPU of any type and use it on any mobo that takes a Duron of any generation.

The data on your HD might be corrupt.  XP recognizes it as a HD, so I don't think there are any IDE issues at play.  Unfortunately, I have seen this happen first-hand, and I could only recommend a $500 local recovery service to the person it hapened to.  (I didn't want to try anything that might damage the drive further.)

Hopefully someone else can give you better advice.  Hope things work out.

>>14
thanks, im probably just going to end up formating it, i have abunch of music ive made on it and alot of pictures of a friend i really want as she doesnt talk to me anymore. some of the programs ive used have let me access one of the partitions on the drive but not the one with all the pictures.

alright i got a program that can recover properly, now all i need to know is a processor that is equal or better than the 2.6ghz one i had to put in this so its not slow anymore. would anyone be able to reccomend me one?

>>13
Sure, you just have to install a new socket and fab your own northbridge to make it work!

Also, try booting from a linux/BSD liveCD and see if you can read the stuff on the one harddrive.

>>17
Thanks man for answering a question thats already been answered, saging the thread and to top it all off being a sarcastic asshole! i mean whats the point in giving real advice to someone who admits they dont know anything about computers when you can give them a sarcastic response as if they acted as if they knew about what they were asking, i mean thats why they would ask the question in the first place right? to find out something they already know!

JUSSSSSSSSSSSST KIDDIN MAN

bump

>>18
ASRock 754/939 boards aside, the different pin layouts alone should be an adequate answer to the question, even if you've never seen a computer before therefore I know that you didn't put forth any effort to figure it out yourself. Therefore I feel no remorse about taunting you. Or saging your "lets fag up /tech/ noobish /comp/uter questions". Cry moar.

>>21
hey niggerface, heres a great idea. someone who doesnt know shit about a comptuter should be tinkering around inside removing the processor? ever thought hey maybe it wouldnt be a good idea to take a chance at fucking around with my computer becasue if i do oh shit i dont have one anymore? whats easier, asking people or just doing it and possibley fucking it up.  you f-f-f-f-f-f-f-ffaaaaag

>>22
I find your angst entertaining. Also, CPU-z.

>>22
Also you were proposing to do just that earlier!
>>"i could take the processor from my broken computer and put it in the one im currently using"

arrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggh canads the best country ever

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No.

Remove all components from your computer except the following:

Motherboard
1 Stick of RAM
Video Card
CPU
Power Supply
Keyboard

and see if it boots up.  If yes, then add hardware back in one at a time until it stops booting up.  There, now you've identified the piece causing the problem.  If it doesn't boot up with the bare minimum, then if you have a second system, try swapping each component individually into that system and see if it boots up.