Blue Screen - Hard Disk Problem?

Question

Not sure which forum to put this on but a couple of weeks ago I put some VPN software and Symantec Firewall on my PC.  Shortly afterwards I started getting 'freezes' of all sessions on my PC and eventually blue screening.  I assumed it was one of the software packages I had put on.  I removed the Symantec, ran antivirus updates and defragged the hard disk and eventually it seemed to be okay.  I put on a different version of Symantec Firewall - and again all seemed to be okay.  However, it's started acting up again (as of yesterday) when it got to an all time low where, on booting up, the machine failed to recognise the hard disk.  Now I am wondering if it is actually a problem with the hard disk and maybe a problem caused by heat.... in that the problem seems to happen after maybe an hour of usage - because today when I switched on the hard disk is recognised - and I am busy backing up my hard disk!  I looked at the Dell site for help but the Hardware Diagnostic file  CD122100.exe download link results in no page being found.... so I can't do that.  Anyway, I've removed the Firewall again and am seeing how I get on but in the meantime I thought I'd see if this was a recognisable problem from the more experienced out there.  If it does sound like the hard disk is on the way out then will the hard disk bay kit for the 8200 work in an Inspiron 8000 (as there is one for sale on the UK Dell web site)?  I could use the new HD as my primary HD and have the dodgy one in the bay.  So many questions!  Thanks.

mark_p · Answer

Update : I found that the screws holding the HD in the caddy were loose so tightened them up. Been running for about 2 hours and then hey presto "KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR *STOP 0x00000077 (0x0C00000E, 0x00000000,0x0154A000) Beginning Dump Of Physical Memory" blue screen. It hasn't yet refused to recognise the HD though... so am continuing backups!

Any ideas whether this indicates failing hard disk or software problem?

mark_p · Answer

Yet another update! Managed to get the DELL Diagnostic disks and ran them resulting in :

Test Errors
IDE Disk 0 - Confidence Test : Fail
Result Code: 0F00-1344
Msg: Block 58077447: Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

IDE Disk 0 - Read Test : Fail
Result Code: 0F00-0244
Msg: Block 58077447: Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

IDE Disk 0 - Verify Test : Fail
Result Code: 0F00-1A44
Msg: Block 58077447: Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

So I guess 1 bad block out of 58605119 could be causing my problems. Is there anything that can be done or is it new hard disk time? Any help welcome as it's going to be a difficult process getting the software from my employers to load back onto the machine.

DELL-Corey · Answer

mark_p, Thank you for using Dell's Community Forum. Unfortunately, it does seem that you will need a new hard drive because yours needs to be replaced.

naqoyqatsi · Answer

it's definitely replacement hard drive time. you can try a last option of reseating the memory and see if it can allow you to still access windows for the last time to recover your files. but if that doesnt work, call dell tech support and give them the exact code so that they can send you a replacement drive.

mark_p · Answer

(I meant partition off the last 1GB of the hard disk - which contains [I presume due to it being block 58077447 out of 58605119] the bad block as say drive Z: ).

mark_p · Answer

Thanks for the advice.  I was naively thinking that I could use something like Partition Magic to partition of say the last 1GG of the hard disk from the other 29GB where the bad block is, say as drive Z: and hope that the OS would never reference that area of the hard drive.  The machine is up and running a large proportion of time... and when it does blue screen it seems it's a matter of rebooting (presumably the PAG file is then in a different area of the HD).  Is it a matter of when one block goes then I will start to lose loads more?

mark_p · Answer

Aaargh. I have looked on the DELL UK website for a hard disk in the SPARE PARTS section and have seen that there is an "Additional 40GB 9.5mm IDE Hard Drive Media Bay Module (Kit)" listed under 'Inspiron 8200'. I have an Inspiron 8000 for which there are no spare parts listed on the site. To be sure this would work in my machine I rang the Dell number on the spare parts screen and after pressing what seemed like more than half a dozen different options I seemed to be redirected to India (I suspect) and spoke to a man who I guess wouldn't know what an Inspiron even looked like as he had to go off and ask if the media bay kit for the 8200 would fit in an 8000. He came back and told me I should get a USB drive if I wanted a second drive as the 8500 media kit may not fit in the 8000. But I asked about the 8200 media kit!!! I realised that I was not going to get very far with this enquiry.

So I thought I'd come back to the experts - will the 8200 Additional 40GB 9.5mm IDE Hard Drive Media Bay Module (Kit) fit in an Inspiron 8000?

My idea is that I'd put the failing hard drive in the Media Bay (hoping that it is supplied with a jumper so I can change it to be a slave drive) and put the new 40GB hard drive in the old primary hard disk caddy...... so that I can transfer data off the old disk easily.

For some reason it seems almost as cheap to buy the whole 40GB media bay kit than a hard disk on it's own - £95 + delivery + tax (I guess about $150).

Storage, Drives & Media

Blue Screen - Hard Disk Problem?

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