Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I keep getting this error on my computer. Is it a disc failure? Because it's happens every time I try and boot. Meaning my computer is useless at the moment. I haven't got another drive to test to see if its something else.

When I boot from the Windows XP disc, it loads straight into the partition selection. I don't get a 'Welcome Screen' or the option to use the recovery console.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

could be a couple of things from a failed drive, dodgy connection to the drive, BIOS setting or damaged / corrupt install of the OS.

Try reseating the cables first and resetting the BIOS to default or safe settings. can the BIOS see the drive? if it can, it's most likely the install is done for. if not, try a different cable. still no drive? buy a new one!! still no drive?? looks like it's a new motherboard for you!!

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

At work we get this with the machines which have IBM Hitachi Deathstars :(
As bender suggests, unplugging the hard drive and plugging it in a few times is often enough to start it up again. At least long enough to get it working so you can make back ups and order a new one.
once started up, checked event viewer
start-> Settings->Control panel -> Administrativer tools -> Event viewer
look through logs see if their are hard disk io warnings.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Are you getting the machine freezing once you are in at all or any problems accessing data, writing to the drive, or random freezes?
As has been said, try reseating the cables, try resetting the bios settings to default and make sure it is set to be the main boot up device.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

boot from xp cd when offered repair take that option and log into os. at the A: type fixmbr and run it. Give that a go

just seen you do not get these options? is this an unattended install?

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

My computer will get to the Windows XP loading screen, the bar goes across then about 20 seconds later I get the BSOD saying 'UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME'.

I have a modified Windows XP boot CD. Its an official version which I have tweaked a little using nLite. It's unattended install after the partition/copying file stage.

When I boot from the XP disc, it just completely skips the 'Welcome Screen' and goes straight to the partition select. (Which I guess means it can't find a good version of Windows installed)

I have tried switching the SATA cable and the power cable, but that didn't work.

I have a disc named 'Hiren's Boot CD 9.5', which contain various programmes including Boot programmes...would they be able to sort the boot manager?

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

run the test hard drive app in testing tools there are various diagnostic tools in the hard drive section also

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I've run one before, and it took like 14 hours, lol.

I'll have to set it going while I'm out or something, cheers.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

At a push if all else fails you could install windows without formatting just select the partition and leave it as is. It may end up a bit mess. Is there anything you particularly need to save? if not just format it. If that fails you knwo you ave a hardware fault

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

There are some files, but I can just disconnect the drive and plug it in another computer and just copy the files.

I've had this problem several times on two separate hard drives. I've also used two motherboards.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Update:

I have taken out the drive that I thought was causing the problems. (80GB Western Digital SATAII) I replaced it with an 80GB IDE Seagate drive...and now I have got the same problem.

It can't be a motherboard problem, because I had the exact same problems on an older motherboard. Plus the power/connections all work in other computers.

Could it really be two broken hard drives?

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

could be a faulty cable

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I don't understand how though, because they both use different connectors. One's an IDE drive and one is SATA.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

When you say you replaced the drive with another one did you then install windows or was windows already installed. If the latter then the problem is probably down to the fact that windows was installed on different Hardware.

If however you are saying that you installed windows on it and then started seeing this issue try disabling the sata bios and make sure that the drive is not sharing the ide cable with any other device e.g. dvd drive

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

You haven't done something silly like having a USB flash drive plugged in and its trying to boot to that?
... I've see it done before.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I seen that today. A guy bought a pc round with this problem and lo and behold it fired up straight away. Turned out he had his ipod plugged in all the time at home and thats when the problem started

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I haven't had a USB drive plugged in. Plus I only have 2 drives as bootable in my BIOS, 1. DVD Drive, 2. Hard Disc. To be honest, the only USB device that's ever plugged into the computer is a USB mouse.

When I swapped drives, I reinstalled Windows.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

How many boots did the system last before failing to boot? Seems very odd, Though I don't want to spread doom and gloom, given the evidence thus far the only component in common seems to be the Mobo.

You are basically at the point where if you need to be absolutely sure then remove all but 1 ram module, remove all non essential peripherals. If still not working reinstall/repair OS as may have been corrupted by something else. see how long you last

You simply need to start ruling out components till only 1 is left, it isn't a quick nor painless process but it is all you've got based upon the evidence thus far presented.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

The system seemed to work for about a week before it encountered problems.

I used to have a socket 754 motherboard with standard DDR memory slots...the same problems occurred.

I now have a socket AM2 motherboard with DDR2 memory slots, which obviously requires different memory to the last board. The problem still occurs.

I formatted the hard drives many times, on both setups, and still had problems.

I only have the motherboard, hard drive and fan attached. I only had the dvd-drive attached to install, then de-attached it.

I know it isn't the Windows XP install disc, because I used the exact same disc on my main computer, which is problem free, after about 6 months.

This means it's only the drives?

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Based upon the evidence I would have to agree that the issue looks (at this stage) to point to the fact that you may possibly be a very unlucky person indeed. Assuming that we are down to just the drives I would be tempted to connect them to a working machine either as secondary drives or through a USB caddy and then running chkdsk on them.

If this is clean it maybe possible that some software you use is causing all this grief. e.g. do you play with vmware or other virtualisation software?

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

It might be an idea to get the diagnostic utility from the hard drive manufacturers website and run it - it could be your developing bad sectors on the drives and its just sods law for them to occur in the MBR on both drives.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I have ran disc checks from a resource disc I have, and that found bad sectors on both drives. Though it said it had repaired all of the bad sectors.

I have used virtual machines before, but I have limited experience and knowledge in that area.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I don't believe that you can 'repair' bad sectors. The terminology that the tools use is misleading you a bit. Modern drives replace bad sectors with a spare mapped in from a reserved area then block the bad one.

Unfortunately the pool of spare sectors is limited and once you run out of spares your drive is toast.

Personally I retire a drive as soon as it shows any bad sectors. In my experience it's usually the start of a downward spiral.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

SpinRite is always a good tool to have in your box of tricks, it has only saved me once but it was a big save so I would always recommend it.

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Seconded. It's an essential low-level tool although it takes forever to run on big modern drives.

:sleep:

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Given the low cost of a modern SATA drive vs the fear of losing your data I would personally replace the drive. In my experience your drive is telling you that it is sick.

cough...cough!

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

Ummm it is booting straight into the partition screen and not from the OS Boot disc?
If so Might be worth checking that the BIOS settings are set to boot from CD, otherwise your system will try and boot from the hard drive partition

Re: Unmountable_Boot_Volume
 

I could boot from the CD, just when I did boot from the XP install disc, it would skip the whole 'welcome screen' and go into the partition selection. Meaning I couldn't access the repair function.

I have now replaced the drive with one I know to work, so far so good.