Salvaging data from a Win XP drive

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copwriter

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Nov 9, 2015
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My employer has a Win XP (don't know what version) Dell computer that has been kept running because of a DOS bookkeeping program that ran under XP still had legacy accounts on it. Video output on the machine died a few weeks ago. I've tried several approaches to getting the program to run again:

  • ■ Bought a separate video card to replace the integrated video that apparently went south. No output from that video card.
    ■ Removed the drives (there are two--a primary and a mirror/backup) from the Dell and put them in an external SATA drive mount, connected to a Win 7 machine. The data on the drives can be read, but I can't boot from the external drive, even in a virtual machine. I've tried them together and separately.
    ■ Tried installing the primary drive in another machine as the primary drive for that machine. Machine boots to the XP logo screen, then reboots, over and over.
My employer does not have the installation disks for the bookkeeping program. Even if she did, I wouldn't be sure what data files to copy to run on another machine with the DOS-based software installed.

There are several thousand dollars in receivable accounts documented on the old system. My employer is unwilling to just write them off.

Does anyone have any idea how I can run XP from that drive and get the bookkeeping program running again?
 
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Someone Somewhere

Someone Somewhere

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Sep 23, 2012
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See if you can find another motherboard or PC of the same model, and put the drives in that. It should boot, though you might have licensing issues after a while.

Also, in the other machine you've put it in, see if you can start it in safe mode. I think it's F8.

If you do get the data off, please make it very clear that you probably won't be able to do this again and you need to upgrade to a newer accounting package ASAP.
 
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need4speeds

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Jan 6, 2009
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Go into the bios and change the sata mode from ahci to ide mode or sometimes it's called ide legacy mode. (Win xp needs a manual registry edit and the files copied manually to get ahci working) (Without the ahci drivers it will BSOD just after the win xp screen)

Turn any not needed board features off that you can. Things like the onboard lan and sound so windows doesn't look for those drivers when booting up. (Once you get the system working you can go back and enable each one and then the drivers for it)

Try to start the computer in safe mode.

You likely do not need the exact board. Try and find one with the same brand of chipset.
AMD chipsets tend to be the most forgiving and down compatible. A old nforce or via chipset might also work. I have swapped boards many times and installed the drivers and got the system working without doing a full reinstall.

DO NOT LET WINDOWS DO A REGISTRY RECOVERY OR REPAIR. (Be ready to turn the power switch off if windows trys to mess with the windows install) Try to boot it in safe mode, if it does not boot try another board/cpu combo.
 
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need4speeds

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I would clone the drive first. You can download seatools from seagate, maxblast for maxtor drives and there is a WD version too. (Depending on the brand of hdd's.)

Before the drive is totally messed up i would clone the drive and then experiment with the copy instead of the original one in case something goes wrong.
 
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need4speeds

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Open office might be able to read the office files too. It is free to download and install.
After cloning the drive, put the copy in a working windows computer and install open office.
It should be able to read the spreadsheet files.

Open office should also be able to replace this program too.
 
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C

copwriter

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Nov 9, 2015
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I'll consider the new/duplicate motherboard idea. That should work.
Changing BIOS settings isn't possible. I can't see any video output, so I won't know which keys to press or how to change anything.
Thanks for your help, in any event.

 
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U

unksol

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Sep 12, 2011
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The BIOS features he was referring too were on the other PC you tried the drive in. If you set the SATA mode to IDE and turn off all the extras you *might* get it to boot in another machine in safe mode. The reboot loop could have been because of the SATA mode.
 
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