Hard drive issues?

Question

A few moths ago I had the original hard drive go out in my 8250. I replaced it and reinstalled everything. Now, maybe 5 months down the road, I turned my computer on one morning to get the message, 'error reading disk. Press ctr, alt, delete to restart'. I don't know what this means and i have tried a few hard drive tests only to pass all but one reporting 'bad sectors' or something to that effect i believe. The windows cd will not boot now for some odd reason, all it does is freezes at a black screen, and when i get into dos via the resource cd to run scandisk, it runs it so fast that I knwo for a fact it cant possibly be doing anything... Not to mention the computer doesn't even make a noise... Any ideas on what to try next or what the problem may be?

mombodog · Answer

Try using this method of running chkdsk from the XP CD.   http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=5097

ejn63 · Answer

The problem is a failing drive. Run the manufacturer's diagnostic on it and report the error - they will replace the drive under warranty.

blumscl · Answer

I cannot get them to replace it under warranty until I can resolve THEIR problem with the service tag.  I am so frustrated I could scream!! I am trying to use the link to fix DELL'S error with my service tag and it is not working.  The screen says you do not need to know the previous owner's name, which their wasn't a previous owner, I bought it out of the box, but the darn screen keeps coming back saying I didn't enter the first and last name of the previous owner.  I have put the service tag and express tag number in that is on the machine.  When I did call in, before being disconnected after about a half hour on hold, they told me I must not be correct with the numbers.  I am staring right at them!  Sorry to be so impatient, but I hate spending my only day off dealing with frustration!  I am a CPA and this time of year is not the best for a bad hard drive.  ;-)

blumscl · Answer

Sorry your post subject line was very much like mine! ;-)

kwalls007 · Answer

The xp cd wont boot... it freezes... And as for the diagnostics test, im running them again but they take a long time, so ill post what it tells me when it finishes... Also i just tried this drive in another computer as a secondary, and it worked fine... All my data was still there and it seemed just like any secondary drive should...

mombodog · Answer

Did you run a chkdsk while it was in the other system?

kwalls007 · Answer

Yea, and when i moved it back to the 8250 nothing had changed... Same error... The results of the sea-tools diagnostics are:

File Structure Test Result:
Partition 1(NTFS(200GB)Hard Drive) Result: Failed with critical errors

All other tests were passed

Message Edited by kwalls007 on 01-28-200709:59 PM

kwalls007 · Answer

Whats funny is the diagnostics says not to rely on that result, but to use the test that came with the operating system... (chkdsk or scandisk)

mombodog · Answer

Looks like another failed drive :smileysad:

mombodog · Answer

I would save my data and try a clean install of XPwith the long format. If install fails, then I would replace the drive.

Storage, Drives & Media

Hard drive issues?

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