[papasmurf]

I always try the easy, simple stuff first. Sounds like either a registry corruption, or MBR. Perfoming a format /mbr command at the prompt, or from a dos disk will eliminate the possibility of a master boot record corruption. So, I would do that first. If you have a subscription for a good a/v, they usually come with a dos based virus checker/repair app. That would be my second shot.
Next, I would try safe mode. If you can boot into safe mode, your chances of salvaging everything is pretty good. To get into safe mode, repeatedly tap the F8 key while booting, then select Safe Mode (only).
Post back if you are able.

papa

[kenth]

He can’t do a mbr replacement from a dos disk being win2k, but it’s the same procedure from within the recovery console, slightly different command. But having done these a number of times, it’s most likely a driver inconsistency that isn’t allowing the ntfs tables to be read, or they’ve gotten a bit trashed which the chkdsk should be able to fix. Getting the inaccesible boot device error means it hasn’t gotten to the bulk of his registry yet and it should be okay, so long as the rest of the drive is too.

That reminds me, for Jedi, when in the recovery console and you enter the chkdsk command, it sometimes will ask you for the path to the autochk command. It’s normally c:\winnt\system32 but will be whatever drive and system folder for windows you have.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Safe mode (and all the other options on the screen) doesn’t work. It goes to a black screen with a white progress bar on the bottom (which it normally does), then to the Windows Professional 2000 start-up screen and there is a blue progress bar on the bottom (also normal), but either exactly halfway or a bit over halfway, the progress bar stops for a few seconds and then the blue screen comes up.