My WinXP computer won't start up and gives me an "unmountable boot volume" message. Can this be fixed or is the hard drive shot?
The "unmountable boot volume" message typically has three causes. One involves using the wrong kind of cable to attach the drive ti its controller inside the computer, and another involves the computer's BIOS settings configured to force faster Ultra Direct Memory Access modes. If neither is the probable cause, a demanged file system is the most likely culprit. An improper shutdown or a system crash may have caused the problem. However, the WinXP system disc can help. (If the PC didn't include this system disc, there are a few options, like contacting the computer's manufacturer and asking for one or borrowing a friend's.) Restart the computer with the disc in the CD drive. When prompted, choose the option to start the computer from the CD drive. On the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R key to start the Recovery Console prgm and type in any requested Admin passwords. When the command-line prompt appears, type in chkdsk /r and press Enter. Next, type exit on the command line and press Enter to restart the computer. If all goes well, the computer should restart back into Windows. Microsoft has a detailed description of the problem and solution at support.microsoft.com/kb/555302.
Source: NY Times 2010-09-09