XP home sp1 install on start up?

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hey all,
i am working on 2 computers that have the same problem.
1. upon starting the cpu, screen goes to list showing harddrive /cd drive /floppy etc.
2. it wont show the harddrive....says cannot find harddrive 0
3.but yet it does show windows xp home start up screen loading.
4. it goes to a message: windows is restarting........
5. it shows f1 to continue and press f2 for set up.
6. it loops this way always. no matter how i set start up order/ have checked cmos/bios settings /battery on mobo/jumper on hdd is master/
etc.
HERE IS THE funny part.
1. i put the hdd on my test computer, and as SLAVE, I then look to the volume to see if it is full. ITS a 20 geg with 17gegs + left to use..BUT, the pie
table shows the hdd fully used and no space left.
2. so i open the hdd to see if any folders are actually on it.. and NO FOLDERS are displayed lol.

THINGS i have tryed are:

1. pulled the power to the hdd and restarted, thus showing settings..but i dont need that
2. pulled the power cables to the mobo off and removed the battery and tested it , and is good.
3.scanned the harddrive as a slave and found over 97 adware/viruses/trojans and sucessfuly removed them all. (to no avail).

results:
STILL LOOPING to the : "windows is in the middle of installing, please insert the windows xp home cd with service pack 1 into the cd slot and finish installing. (then a selection list if i want to go ahead or cancell.

ok i spent all night up to four n the morning...no difference.

QUESTION;
what do i do now.. i know that the harddrive shows the users name and doc and settings locations where viruses were...so i know the virus scan sees that the harddrive is full of goodies (folders etc.)

So how do i go on getting this thing to start up with out...losing her precious information?

As last effort, i am going to put hdd on again as slave and use www.recuva.com recovery software..it does a pretty good job.

any suggestions.
"mentally unstable, but still hanging on"! al / sasmango/ omaha, nebraska
 
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