disk read error at start up

Question

I did error checking for the C drive and I restarted the computer and I ended up with a black screen with www.Dell.com in blue at the top and below it two messages. The first says Loading PBR for descriptor 2...done. The second one says A disk read error occurred Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart. I did the CAD to restart and it sent me back to the same page. What happened?

osprey4 · Answer

Run the 90-90 diagnostics. Reboot your computer. At the Dell blue logo screen, press the Ctrl + Alt + D keys at the same time. The computer beeps once to acknowledge that the hard drive diagnostics have been initiated. Follow the on-screen instructions.

cgfk · Answer

what is a 90-90 diagnostic?

cgfk · Answer

Sorry, I am really new at this kind of stuff and I don't know what all this is.

shesagordie · Answer

cgfk wrote: 'what is a 90-90 diagnostic?' Dell diagnostics should be on the hard drive and a CD send as part of the computer package.  Procedures for their use should be in the owner's manual. It would help to post the computer model and version of windows. Bev.

cgfk · Answer

I have a demension 4700 with windows xp media

shesagordie · Answer

cgfk   To run Dell diagnostics. Reboot the computer, when the Dell logo appears, press F12, a boot list appears, highlight the 'Boot to Utility' Partition and press 'Enter', choose the 'Extended' test.   Bev.

Storage, Drives & Media

disk read error at start up

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