If the boot device [hard drive] is inaccessable, then obviously something in between the OS and the hard drive is inaccessable, which leaves the IDE controller.<P>This is why I recommended booting ...

I booted from the cd, and ran the repair console. Wrote a new boot record. Fixed the MBR, which it said was non-standard or some such.<BR><BR>The disk is perfectly readable in another machine, but it ...