On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:06:29 GMT, joseph2k
wrote:

Clint Sharp wrote:

In message , Eeyore
writes
I've never previously 'lost' or needed to 're-install' an installation of
Windows you see. Short of total mechanical/electrical failure I'd like to
maintain that record.
Get a copy of Spinrite. It works for errors like the one you have. There
are other tools which are for filesystem corruption and lost
files/partitions but it sounds like you have something a little 'lower
level' than that.


Graham




The problem with that idea is that you can't get to that lower level any
more. That door closed with the introduction of IDE / ATA drives many
years ago.


Even farther back ESDI drives (some) had a small area of one platter
reserved for a CP/M OS which "booted up" on the drives controller cards.
THEN, the system could have access to the drive through an ESDI
controller.