it wont.<P>the repair disk wont even be able to find the windows install TO repair, because its an inaccessible device<P>because it _doesnt know_ how to talk to the motherboards hard drive controllers ...

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 ...