Hello Matthias,
As far as I can read in your reply, I think that your harddisk isn't crashed but rather your motherboard does. I suppose the computer has PS2 connections for keyboard and mouse (mini DIN connectors, no USB keyb and mouse).
First, I have these two questions :
- can you boot your computer with an old DOS diskette ?
- is your harddisk IDE or SATA ?
1.
Motherboard and power supply It can be that one (or more) databus(es) on the motherboard has failed which interfaces all the hardware connections. Do the following test to know if the motherboard is OK.
- Disconnect the harddisk
first (both connectors power and data).
- Disconnect all internal hardware like CD-drive(s) and/or DVD-drive(s).
- Disconnect all USB hardware.
- Disconnect printer(s) if parallel centronics (LPT-port).
The only connection will be keyboard, mouse, vga and diskdrive. This way, you don't overload the power supply. (I've ever had a computer that ran very good in DOS but failed in Windows because the power supply was no longer strong enough because of the graphical load.)
Now, startup the PC with the DOS diskette. If the PC has a good first boot without keyboard failures, your motherboard seems OK (I don't mean it IS OK) and the issue can be the power supply because of possible overload or XP. Keyboard settings aren't important, it's only for test to see if it fails from the first boot or not. It will be in QWERTY (US) mode.
Second test, try to change the power supply. Reboot again in DOS and do the same test. If the keyboard is OK from the first boot, reconnect your harddisk and try to boot from XP. If XP runs fine, reconnect all other hardware, startup the PC and look if everything runs fine. Connect and disconnect (except USB) ALWAYS with power off !
If you aren't in possibility to do these tests, disregard everything and try to do the harddisk test, see 2.
2.
HarddiskCan you connect the harddisk
as slave in an other computer ? If yes, do it and boot the PC. If your harddisk didn't crash, you'll see immediately in Windows your harddisk as D: drive (or other letter but not as C: drive). For all security you can now copy all your files on a CD-ROM, DVD
AND memory stick. With that you'll have more than one copy. As hamradio amateur, I have five copies of my logbook, 2 times on (a different) harddisk, one on my Linux computer, one on CD-RW and one on memory stick. If Windows doesn't see your harddisk than he crashed. DON'T TRY IT YOURSELF FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR ! In that case, you may always send me your harddisk or we try to meet each other somewhere. I have some nice tools (hardware and software) for possible recovering of your files. Don't ask me for the price. As a good friend like you, I can't ask a lot of money. By the way I shouldn't tell it here but in a personal mail,
. So, these are my first thoughts without having the computer itself.
I hope this information is usefull and that you are no longer helpless. I wish you a lot of succes with the recovering.
My best regards,
Peter
PS : if you want more information, PM or e-mail me if you still have my address.