Dead drive after linux/win reformat crash

[nebeno]

Ok, here's the story. I had a Samsung 40gb harddrive (MP0402H) with 2 partitions on it, one with Win2k, the other for storage. I then installed Linux (can't remember which one, maybe Slax). I let it make it's own partitions, which ended up being something like 7. A few weeks later I decided to just wipe everything and start over so I could reset the partitions and make everything pretty. I booted from a windows CD to start the setup, and when I began deleting the Linux partitions, my laptop froze. At first I was getting the following messege when I tried to restart:

"Windows NT has not found enough extended memory. 7mb of extended memory is required to run Windows NT. You may need to upgrade your computer or run a configuration program provided by the manufacturer.
Memory Map:
00000000 - 0009F800"

However, now (a couple months later), it says this:
"Initializing MBA. Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure"

The second messege obviously comes up if there is no HD plugged in, but when the drive is in it locks up. I tried using a live boot version of Linux with the drive in, but it comes to the menu screen and then freezes up (with no drive it works fine). I've put the drive in an external USB case and tried it on various versions of windows, mac 9, and the live boot versions of linux, but none will read anything. If I plug it in through the USB the drive will run, and as I said, when I have it in the laptop and boot up normal or with a live boot linux it will lock, so the computer sees something. I'm pretty stumped though.

Any ideas on a fix for this? I don't a great deal of linux knowledge, so if you have any ideas give it to me step by step (please).
Thanks

 

[windego]

You could try using the xp recovery console on the installation cd and issuing a fixmbr then fixboot on the command line. Although this only usually works with existing installations, but doesn't hurt to try seeing as you are getting mbr problems.

Btw, did you delete all partitions? You might want to check if there are any left over partitions using linux's fdisk utility (use live cd). fdisk -l /dev/hda should list all partitions.Failing that, the only thing you can do is a low level bios format.

 

[nebeno]

After a bit more testing...

If the HD is in and I try to boot up with a Windows CD in I get the same messege:
"Initializing MBA. Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure"

If the HD is in and I try to boot up with a Linux live CD it loads to the first splash screen then locks.

If the HD is in and there is no CD in I get the messege:
"Windows NT has not found enough extended memory. 7mb of extended memory is required to run Windows NT. You may need to upgrade your computer or run a configuration program provided by the manufacturer.
Memory Map:
00000000 - 0009F800"

While the HD is in I cannot access BIOS, whether there is a CD or not.


It seems if I am going to do anything it will have to be by hooking up the drive through USB. When I plug it into some (I think WinXP) then the computer drags down like it's trying to load something, but I can never access the drive. With other OS's nothing at all happens except the HD runs (it's powered through the USB). I looked at low-level formating and found this link for Samsung products (http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/index.htm), not sure if that's what you were talking about. I'm not sure booting from a CD with this program would do anything more than OS CD's. But if you think it'll work I'll try it.

I guess my first step would be to either get the laptop to boot into something with the drive installed, or to get some program or OS that can read it as an external USB drive.

Thanks again