No hard drives detected after internet security 2010

Hi
After a Nortons 360 virus scan i have been unable to log into Windows like so many others. I was able to get an xp cd to try and Repair Windows but when i booted from the cd then click R for repair, it tells me it couldn't find any hard drives installed although i can still get a login screen. Can someone let me know if my hard drive is fried and lost forever or could it be that the xp cd is not the original one. I did not want to use the Recovery DVD that came with my Lifebook as there is only one option to execute and restore default settings which I think might format the system and lose all my data.

Thanking all in advance for any advice.

These are links to Anti-virus vendors that offer free LiveCD or Rescue CD files that are used to boot from for repair of unbootable and damaged systems, rescue data, scan the system for virus infections. Burn it as an image to a disk to get a bootable CD. All (except Avira) are in the ISO Image file format. Avira uses an EXE that has built-in CD burning capability.

• Avira AntiVir Rescue System - Tutorial for Avira Rescue CD.
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue Disk, you can get further assistance at the Avira Support Forum.
  
• Dr Web LiveCD. Be sure to print out and follow the instructions provided in the User Manual.
  
• F-Secure Rescue CD - Rescue CD 3.01 released.
  Video: How to Remove Malware with F-Secure Rescue CD
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue CD, you can get further assistance at the F-Secure Support Forum.
  
• BitDefender LiveCD - Index of /rescue_cd
  If you encounter problems running the Rescue CD, you can get further assistance at the BitDefender Support Forum.
  
• Kaspersky RescueDisk - Index of /devbuilds/RescueDisk/
  If you encounter problems running the RescueDisk, you can get further assistance at the Kaspersky Support Forum.
  

If you are not sure how to burn an image, please read How to write a CD/DVD image or ISO. If you need a FREE utility to burn the ISO image, download and use ImgBurn.

Let me know how it goes.

thank you so much for the links. I'll check them out and let the forum know how i go with it.

Ok.

well i tried avira and kapersky - now when i turn it on all i get is "operating system not found" .. does this mean the computer has been formatted and i've lost my data?

Seems like the infection totaled your Operating System.

What I highly recommend now is a reformat and a reinstallation of Windows XP.

Please let me know if you are prepared to do so.


So, with that said, do you have your Windows XP CD?

Guides for format and reinstall: http://www.GeekPolice.net/tutorials-guides-f13/how-to-reformat-and-reinstall-your-operating-system-t15119.htm#95115

http://www.helpmyos.com/tutorials-software-alternatives-to-proprietary-f19/how-to-reformat-and-reinstall-your-operating-system-the-easy-way-t1307.htm#3143

ok thanks i'll look at those links too... before i got your last message i tried to boot from a windows cd but still got the black screen saying no operating system found.

Oh... the BIOS might be corrupt. Anyway, tell me how far you can get.

Usually when a BIOS gets corrupted, it may mean that the hard disk drive is rejecting anything to write to it.

We might have to wipe the whole thing, but I am checking in to that.

See if you can boot to setup. Then, press R for the Recovery console. Tell me how far you get.