Windows Detected a Hard Disk Problem 1

[HamalSharatan]

Hi, I recently got a HDD problem. I am on Windows Vista. Some days ago the electricity was cut off for a second and since then I noticed the startup of my PC has been rather slow sometime.

This is the message I get

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r318/HamalSharatan/vistafail.jpg

My PC came with a recovery drive, (E but it's only a partition of the C: drive. In the message it says both disks are failing. My E: drive is not accessable and for some reason it cannot be formatted. I am able to access my files on the C: drive.

What are the recommended steps for this dreadful situation? I am gonna backup al the stuff in my C: drive. Should I merge E: into C: with a partition software? Do I need to get a new HDD? And if so, how do I put Windows on it? Are there HDD's with Windows already setup, just plug n play?

 

[vacunita]

The first step after backing up the important stuff, would be to determine what the problem is.

So Download Seagate's diagnostic tools from here:

http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=720bd20cacdec010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Get Seatools for DOS and create the Bootable CD.
To boot your PC to.

http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/crm/selfservice/search.jsp?DocId=201271

Run the tests and report back.

If the drive fails the tests, you'll need to buy a new Hard Drive. And no hard drives don't come pre-installed with Windows. That's something you'll have to do yourself. Or if the PC is still under warranty have the manufacturer do it.








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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[HamalSharatan]

Thank you. It may take some time until I reply back, but I will do what you mention.

 

[edfair]

You might as well start checking to see if the system manufacturer has an OS CD for sale. If your recovery partition is giving problems it will be worthless for reloading and you will need to back up a step.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[HamalSharatan]

Well, unfortunately, my HDD died before I could do the DOS test, and before I could back up all my data. How unfortunate. Windows won't start, it just says "Error loading OS".

Are there stores that will perform a last resurrection and back up your data? Or can you do it yourself? I have been reading here, and it says SpinRite could do just that. Guess I should buy a hard drive dock (HDD is probably Sata), and hook it up to another PC.

 

[HamalSharatan]

By here I mean

http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_reuse_or_erase_a_dead_hard_drive.html

 

[kjv1611]

I've heard of SpinRight working for some, but I've not had any success. Though I've only tried it a few times.

Even if the hard drive can't boot, you may still be able to grab the data, and stick it on another drive. I'd try to backup whatever you can before doing anything. SpinRight will tell you that when you first start the program as well. Every bit of activity on a failing drive could be the last bit.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[vacunita]

Take the HD and plug it in another computer as a slave drive, it may let you get the data off of it that way.

Then run the Seagate Diagnostic tools on it, to make sure it isnl;t sometihng more devastating.

SpinRite may fix some errors, but if the hard drive has physical damage on some of its sectors, there's nothing that's going to fix it.

I'd also start pricing a new HD at this point.


----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[HamalSharatan]

Well, I bought a new HDD and I can at least use my PC again. As for my dead hard drive, it makes a clicking sound, it just won't boot into Windows.
According to some recovery centers, if it is clicking then it may well be possible to recover data, but they connect the drives internally and I can't do that to check my HDD. Aren't there some usb-to-sata adapter of some kind so I can check my HDD?
Thanks all for your help.

 

[vacunita]

If its clicking, its unlikely a SATA to USB connector is going to help you. They usually don't work with damaged drives.

I'd say if the data is very important, send it to a recovery specialist before doing anything else to it.




----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.