Windows won't load, Recovery CD does nothing...help

[MJDore]

My desktop entered Standby as usual yesterday with a few windows open (IE, My Computer). Later, when I went to bring it back up again it shut down on its own. Now, when I turn the power back on, XP will not load. I get the normal chipset screen with the option to enter BIOS but then nothing but a black screen.

I've tried two things:

1) I attempted to hit F8 and boot in safe mode. It gave me the option to do so but after I hit enter to use safe mode the CPU just froze and nothing happened.
2) I changed the boot priority in BIOS to use the Recovery CD that came with my PC and it reads it. I do as it says and hit a key to start the CD but it just hangs with the following message, "Obtaining system configurations" or something to that effect. I actually let this run for upwards of an hour but it did nothing. The CD stopped spinning and the HD was idle...

I'm stumped and desperate for help....if this is a HD failure, is there a way to recover the data that someone has tried before????

[bazooka]

It sounds like an overheating issue.

[MJDore]

I wen into BIOS and performed a PC Health Check and it didn't indicate an overheating issue. Possible that info is not accurate?

[bazooka]

I am not in front of your computer so all I can do is guess.

It could also be a faulty power supply.

[MJDore]

Anyone else have any thoughts before I drop a bunch of money on a new PC and data recovery?

[fmctm1sw]

It's difficult indeed to troubleshoot without seeing it. I'd have a computer tech look at it before I just ditched it (and I'll give you my address if you plan on ditching it).... Keep working at it. Can you get back into safe mode again?

[rkr1958]

It sounds like it might be your harddrive. You could go to the manufactor's website for your harddrive and download their disk checking utility. See if they have one that will allow you to put on and boot from a floppy disc.

If you harddrive is bad then you still might be able to recover some or possibly all of your data. I'm getting ahead of myself but this is what I would do AFTER I CONFIRMED that my harddrive was bad.

Get a Replacement harddrive. Disconnect my current drive and hook up my new drive. Load my O/S. Power down. Hook up my bad drive as a slave to my old drive. Power up and pull off as much data, if any, from the bad drive.

Also, if you confirm your drive is bad ... a trick that I've never tried but read about here is to place your drive in a plastic bag and put it in the frig or freezer for a little while. Maybe someone else here who's tried this can vouch for this ... I can't ... but I'd only try this after all else has failed.

[Cobra]

You can check if everything else is working by downloading a version of LinuxLive - that OS boots from a CD and will allow you to see that your motherboard, RAM, CPU etc. are all working fine. Then your hard drive is a prime suspect.

If it is the hard drive, try the diagnostic utility that is often available on the manufacturer's website. That might repair it.

Failing that, connect another PC up and use Linux to copy your data over or burn a CD with your vitals on it.

Best of luck to you - hope it works out well.

Cobra

[MJDore]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'll keep working at it and report back. The drive is a Western Digital 120 GB. Don't know if they have a history of this kind of behavior or not. The computer is barely 2 years old and I've really enjoyed it until now.

[MJDore]

So....I'm starting to think it's not my HDD. I did two more things:

1. I downloaded the diagnostic from Western Digital and I can't get it to work. I can't get the computer to load anything so the disc is useless. Before, when I tried the Windows XP recovery disc it read it and just froze while the disc stopped spinning. Same thing with this one.
2. I tried LinuxLive. Put it on a floppy. It gave me an invalid disk error. I'm guessing I have to make it a bootable disc somehow but I have no clue how to.

My question is....if the only problem was my HDD, wouldn't I be able to run a bootable CD like Win XP??? I have bigger probs, don't I?

[bazooka]

My question is....if the only problem was my HDD, wouldn't I be able to run a bootable CD like Win XP???

Yes, you just would not be able to save anything.

I have bigger probs, don't I?

It is conceivable.

[rkr1958]

O.K. ... Here's what you can do to rule-in or rule-out your harddrive. Disconnet the power and IDE cables to your harddrive and then try to boot for either a floppy or CD. It that works it either your harddrive, IDE cable, or IDE controller. It that doesn't work then it's something else.

I know it's not much but this will give you one more piece of information that may help you solve your problem.

Good Luck.

[zzyzzx]

Besides all the previously mentioned HD tests, have you tried removing all non-essential stuff from the computer? I mean all tha ddd on cards except the video card, and even that you might want to try swapping in something basic just for testing purposes.

[MJDore]

O.K. ... Here's what you can do to rule-in or rule-out your harddrive. Disconnet the power and IDE cables to your harddrive and then try to boot for either a floppy or CD. It that works it either your harddrive, IDE cable, or IDE controller. It that doesn't work then it's something else.

I know it's not much but this will give you one more piece of information that may help you solve your problem.

Good Luck.

Good call, rkr1958. I did just as you said and still nothing. I attempted to boot from the Recovery CD and it just got stuck again on "Setup is inspecting your hardware configuration." The CD stops spinning and the CPU just sits idle.

So, I guess the good news is my data is recoverable? If I buy a new barebones PC could I add this drive as a slave and get my data off?

Thanks to everyone for the continued help. I've been around this site for two years now (obviously, under better circumstances) and you guys have always come through for me. 'Preciate ya.

[monzie]

Sounds suspiciously like your psu (power supply) has gone bad (at least on one chanel).....and no longer has the ooomph to spin up your HD to a working speed but has enough power to boot the BIOS and open/close CD/DVD drawers etc...can you swap the psu from another case to test (about a 10minute job)?

[rkr1958]

MJDore,

I second what monzie said about the power supply. From your computer details you have a fairly new, high-end system. Before I'd scrap it I'd try a new PSU. If it we me, I'd go to Best Buy or some retail store that allows returns within 14-days and get a good power supply, at least 400-watts.

This Assumes that your PC uses a standard ATX power supply ... if your computer uses a properitery PSU then things are a bit more tricky. You could still buy the PSU, hook it up and try it out but you wouldn't be able to fit it into your case properly. If that's the case there are some options open to you. I had the same problem with a Gateway computer I bought in 2000. It was an ATX case that used a properitery 200-watts PSU. I had to customize my case to accept a standard ATX one ...

Anyway ... I'm getting way ahead of myself. What size and type and PSU do you have?

Also, I see that you live in Nashville. Great City ... My wife and I have been there many times ... We live in Madison, AL just outside of Huntsville, AL.

Good Luck.

[MJDore]

I went back and looked at my original paperwork from the PC purchase. My power supply is a 400W Allied ATX. Pretty easy to replace? I'm no expert but I have installed video cards, drives, etc. so I know what's what inside the box, anyway.

If that's what it ends up being, I'll be thrilled.

Madison, AL, eh? I know EXACTLY where that is. My wife and I bought our boat from a guy in Madison two years ago! Small world.

[zzyzzx]

Before you rush out ad buy another power supply, read this artice about how poor some of them really are and why a brand name is sometime important:
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html

[MJDore]

Before you rush out ad buy another power supply, read this artice about how poor some of them really are and why a brand name is sometime important:
http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html

Great link...thanks for that. Looks like the Antec performed well in tests and that's what Best Buy carries. I'm headed out to pick one up this afternoon.

Thanks again.

[MJDore]

No dice, guys. I purchased a new PSU and I still have the same issue. Guess I'll move on.

This sucks....

[rkr1958]

Sorry to hear that ... I assume that you can take it back. Another thing that occured to me was that you might have a bad stick of RAM. How many sticks do you have installed? If you have two or more then you could remove all but one and try. If that didn't work, swap it out with another one you removed and try.

If you only have one stick of RAM, then when you take your PSU back to the store to get a refund you could get another stick of RAM to try. Again, make sure you can return it if that's not the problem.

I wish we could pinpoint your exact problem ... but look at this way, if you took your PC to a repair shop these are the type of things that they'd try ... but at a much greater cost ... stay with it and I'm sure you'll be able to solve it.

Sorry I can't be more of a help.

[Skith]

As rkr1958 said, it could possibly be a bad stick of RAM.

Also, if you do get a bare bones pc, you can hook up the drive as a slave and copy your data files (be sure to set the jumper on the drive).

[gmatov]

You obviously have another computer. Get ahold of a Win98 Boot Disk, to get to an a:\ prompt. If the diagnostic file you DL'd from WD is executeable programs, you will be able to execute them from the a:\ prompt.

Takes only seconds if the drive is really bad. For Max I think it instantly comes up with "Error Code, E03 Contact Maxtor."

You could also try pulling the IDE cable from the drive and from the MB connector, to break any possible oxide film.

Cheers,

George