[Dimension 4700] Harddrive problem; making noise, getting multiple blue screens

Jessicat715

 

Hard drive making 'whirring and clunking noises', then sounds like a bad hard drive.

 

Try using Dell diagnostic's extended test, read, write, verify, on the hard drive, not the quickie express test.

How to use Dell's Diagnostic,

 

http://support.dell.com:80/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=A9E3A15597A04AFBB02EE16785D39C5C&c=us&l=en&s=dhs

 

After the Dell Diagnostics loads and the Main Menu screen appears, click the button for the option you want.

Diagnostics can also, be run from the Drivers and Utilities Resource CD.

 

What is the reading of the power button LED, solid green, blinking green, solid amber, blinking amber?

What is the Sequence of the diagnostic lights on the back panel?

 

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4600/en/4600i/sm/adtshoot.htm#1112886

 

Bev.

 

 

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Thanks for the quick reply! After stuggling to get to the back of the tower, I found that all 4 of the lights, A B C and D, (under the monitor input on my tower) are lit up and green, no flashing. I'm going to restart again and hope I can get that diagnostics test done without a crash.

Jessicat715

 

The hard drive has failed and needs to be replaced.

 

If your computer has a Dell warranty, you should contact Dell Technical Support for a replacement, give the Techie, the error message.

 

No warranty, you need to buy a 3.5", 7200rpm SATA hard drive, this can be purchased from a local or online computer store.

 

Bev.

 

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Sorry for double posting, couldn't find a way to edit my post, (if there is a way, I'm not sure how to do it), but I've got up to around 86% total completion on the diagnostic test and now the harddrive is starting to act up. I wrote up a bit of a log for all the errors encountered up till now:

 

Dell 4700 Diagnostics test
READ TEST
(errors occured at about 6%, but %age of test complete seemed inaccurate)

0F00:0244 [retried once, got this error again]
Msg:
Block 31857922
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

0F00:0244 [no retrys]
Msg:
Block 31860873
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

0F00:0244 [no retrys]
Msg:
Block 31871646
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

SEEK TEST
No errors, very loud though

VERIFY TEST
(at about 6%, but %age of test complete seemed inaccurate)

0F00:1A44 [retried once, got this error again]
Msg:
Block 31857922
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

0F00:1A44 [no retrys]
Msg:
Block 31860873
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

0F00:1A44 [no retrys]
Msg:
Block 31871646
-Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.

some noise at one point, later made some stalling noises 3+ times, was testing "0162265344" at 86% overall progress then,

0F00:1A28 [retried once]
Msg:
Block 0162265344
-Timeout waiting for drive not busy

shortly after retrying,

0F00:1A28
Msg:
IDE Device failed
-Timeout waiting for drive not busy

retry again

0F00:1A62
Msg:
-Device initialization failed. Timeout waiting for drive not busy.

 

^ it goes on about device failures at random intervals every time I retry and keep erroring out, now I'm just clicking "yes" to continue, getting a bit less errors now. It has problems with these blocks: 31857922, 31860873, and 31871646, I'm guessing this is not a good thing?

 

Not sure if this will help any, but I put my mic by my desktop computer and recorded what the harddrive sounds like when it starts acting up:

Either this: http://www.badongo.com/file/9048643 or this: http://www.badongo.com/file/9048641, usually looping a few times; it's a bit unsettling, I can't leave it on at night, lol. It also sometimes just has bouts of silence, I can only hear the fan o.O

 

It'd be great to know if I can remedy this on my own, and if not, if this sort of thing is covered by the Dell warranty o.o Thanks

Luckily I've got a bit over a month left on my warranty for this desktop XD

Thank you for all your help with this. (The rest of the diagnostic test finished too, no other issues except a lack of surrond sound and mic, nothing big I don't think, I only have a left, right and subwuffer anyways.)

 

Now I just need to find the right tech support contacts for Canadian users. There isn't a desktop/laptop live chat or e-mail contact for some reason, (and if there is I can't seem to find it ^^; ) 

Jessicat715

 

One month left, that's great. :)

 

Good luck, if you need more help, post back.

 

Bev.

 

 

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Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.