Roshan,

Still getting the \Device\dev\iaStor0 timeouts.  Dell Disk diagnostics and Windows chkdsk both run without a single error. Especially chkdsk as this took about 6 hours to complete.

Would appreciate any assistance with re-installing Windows and  ancillary programs. Have never had to perform this before. Have been regulaly taking full Windows backups,creating recovery disks and Windows repair disks along with creating restore points everytime a change has been made.

Hard drive is dying and should be replaced.  Chkdsk will not repair physically dying drive.

Event ID 9: Iastor error / timeout

The device, \Device\Ide\iaStor0, did not respond within the timeout period.

You could try running the Microsoft Fix

Error message occurs after you change the SATA mode of the boot ...

After you use the BIOS setup of a Windows 7-based computer or a Windows Vista-based computer to change the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) mode of the boot drive to use either the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) specification or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) features, you receive the following error message when the computer is restarted: 

and then changing the bios setting from IRRT to ATA

Roshan,

The Dell DataSafe Local Backup has an option to "Restore your entire system to a previous date or to the factory state". Is this the option you wish me to try first?

The data link you supplied takes me to a web page on various methods to use to restore or re-install Microsoft Windows. Unfortuneately, Option 3 titled PC Restore, returns an "Article Not Found". Is there another URL reference to explain the PC Restore option?

I'm not ready to admit that the HDD is dying just yet. because both the Dell Disk Diagnostic and the Windows chkdsk (ran for over 6 hours error free and no timeouts) run error free. The only time I get there very annoying very intermittent 90 second timeouts is scrolling through a web page or when Microsoft word updates the temporary file when typing. The symptoms seem to indicate that either the disk buffer is not big enough to accept disk write data while the disk is spooling up, or the disk is spooling up to slow for the timeout settings and the buffer attempts to write to the disk before it is ready. The problem probably has been occurring since new.

Does this article help?

forum.crucial.com/.../38766

Hi  robj7010,

You may try to restore system to factory settings, by selecting that option in Dell Data Safe Local Backup. Option 3, PC restore also helps to restore system to factory settings but that is only available on older system models. Since your system has Dell DataSafe Local Backup, you can ignore option 3.

Note: All data from the system HDD will be deleted by restoring system to factory settings. Before going through with restoring system to factory settings, make sure all your important data/files are backed up on an external HDD.

Paul,

Thank you for the information on the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry settings for the LinkPower Management of the  disk controller. I have been looking at this iaStor timeout problem on various forums, but the link you supplied is pretty clear on what steps are required to implement this change. I will modify the registry and let you know how it goes. I also read somewhere about turning off a disk power management service, but so far I haven't been able to find the URL link again.

robj7010

Paul,

Since changing the registry settings for "LPM", "LPMDSTATE" and "DIPM" to "0" under  the  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servies\iaStor\Parameters for Ports 0 to 5, I have not had a single  \Device\Ide\iaStor0 timeout on my Dell Windows 7 Inspiron 17R laptop. It has been just over four days since disabling the LPM function. Prior to configuring the registry values the iaStor timeouts had been occurring at roughly one per hour. Changing the registry settings to zero turned off the Link Power Module function. The Link Power Module function does not appear to be supported on my Dell Inspiron 7010 laptop and now has been revealed to have been the root cause of my intermittent problem.

Thank you for taking an interest in my problem and supplying a fairly simple solution.

robj7010

Hi Rob,

You're welcome mate, all credit to the author of that article. Glad it's helped you too. If you have anymore issues then post back here.

I don't know what hardware you're running in the laptop but there may be a firmware update that would address the LPM issue?