Most likely the MFT got fried somehow. Can happen either if the drive controller sends data into nowhere, or if the data doesn't get written back properly onto the hard drive.
Piece of advice - once you're through with the Windows install and everything's configured and working as intended, backup the Windows directory onto something (preferrably another spare hard drive with NTFS, and preserving permissions during copy - Total Commander (http://www.ghisler.com) - can copy NTFS files with permissions. Also the user profile. Note that to copy "locked" files like the user profile log and registry hives, a boot to another install of Windows or something that can read NTFS, is required. A Linux live CD could do the trick (something like http://www.knoppix.de).
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 06:34 pm (UTC)More worryingly, I can recall from memory which machines are hard-drive reinstalls and which need cd's. o.O
Scares me, it does.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 09:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-26 11:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-27 12:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-27 05:34 am (UTC)What was it, specifically?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-27 09:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-27 10:01 am (UTC)Piece of advice - once you're through with the Windows install and everything's configured and working as intended, backup the Windows directory onto something (preferrably another spare hard drive with NTFS, and preserving permissions during copy - Total Commander (http://www.ghisler.com) - can copy NTFS files with permissions. Also the user profile. Note that to copy "locked" files like the user profile log and registry hives, a boot to another install of Windows or something that can read NTFS, is required. A Linux live CD could do the trick (something like http://www.knoppix.de).