HD Problem...PC can't start

[stoico1]

I have a HD SATA-2 80 GB NTFS in a PC Intel 965 Pentium 4 Core II DUO 1.8 Ghz. Windows XP SP1
With NOD32 Antivirus.

This morning my PC can't start and read the HD...a blue screen tell me about an error in ntoskrnl.exe ...

I can't start in safe mode...so I tried the repair option...with the windows install cd...without success...

So,I installed the HD in another PC like sleeve ...same thing...now another error: UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
and tried like the HD in master...nothing

I tried of reinstall windows...but nothing

I would delete the partition ...but I wanna save some files that I had in the HD....any ideas ,please?

[garry]

Hi stoico1

I had a look out there and there are numerous issues mentioned and all sorts of options mentioned to fix

ranging from RAM module not being in properly or no good, bad keyboard, to BIOS settings no longer set to boot from that hard drive anymore to crimped/bad cables. (ie anything you can think of)

But the fact you get the Unbootable error in another drive (did you use the same cables?) I'd be looking at an actual hard drive problem and would be trying to run a chkdsk command.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185

[Krispy Kritter]

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000646.htm

This file can also become corrupted from a virus.

To verify HDD integrity, download the drive tools from the manufacturers website. Each manufacturer has a tool for testing their brand of drives. If there is a physical problem with the drive, the program will give you an error code.

You could try installing the HDD into another computer as a SLAVE drive. Assuming the drive is still operational, this could give you a chance to copy off your important files.

This is the reason for having backups of your important data, but everyone seems to have to learn the hard way.

[jman98]

I have had a somewhat similar problem happen to me a couple of times in the past. The Windows install CD has NEVER not even once been helpful in resolving this problem. The only thing that worked for me was really ugly. I happened to have a old copy of the drive I made with Norton Ghost that got corrupted and wouldn't boot. I put it on my PC as a 2nd (but not boot) drive. I had no problems to access the contents of the drive, but I couldn't boot from it. I booted from the Windows CD in rescue mode and then did a
cd D:/
or something similar to get to the 2nd drive. From that drive I was then able to do
chkntfs C:
and it made everything happy. Repair mode has NEVER worked for me. I think it's a joke. I work in IT for a living so I'm not some stupid newbie but I have never been able to make it work. Starting in repair mode and doing the chkntfs in it totally failed. It was only when I went to the other disk and ran the command from it that it worked.

There are some Linux rescue CDs you can burn like this one:
http://trinityhome.org/Home/blog.php?front_id=15
and you can attempt to run chkdsk or chkntfs from the Linux distribution that runs in memory (your hard disk is safe) when you boot the CD. I haven't had that fix this kind of problem for me, but in theory it might work.

[stoico1]

thanks for reply!!!...yesterday I was trying and trying of repair XP all the whole day...I installed the HD in another PC as a slave...but nothing
and the whole system can't start

So I tried of re-install my HD in my PC again...and install windows in another carpet...
well,thankfully I got install XP ...with errors...and was very slow...but at least enough for make a backup.

Well...so,later of save my files,I delete the NTFS partition with the Windows XP installer
...and I made a new NTFS partition,,,so XP copied the windows files in the installation and later made a reboot...but I can't started Windows again...

I made ,in another PC , rescue disks with Partition Magic 8...with that floppy disks
I checked the HD and appear some errors but the tool can't fixed that....

well,so and tried of make a new NTFS primary partition again...with Partition Magic...
I tried of install XP in that new partition that I made ....

But the XP install program tell me the partition are "unrecognizable or damaged" and
XP formated the HD in NTFS again...with again the same bad results...

Since the HD is Seagate I will try of download the Seatools for check the HD with their own tool...I'm starting to think the HD was damaged for some reason...but I dunno why ...
the HD was buyed months ago so I hope the guarantee would be avaliable...

[RabidDog]

DO a lowlevel format then do a chkdsk on the disc, sounds like you have some bad sectors near the start of the drive. If there are LOTS (600+) of bad sectors then send the disC back. Make sure "SMART" staus is enabled, if its available.

[Krispy Kritter]

Most of the time, when a HDD starts getting errors, it is time to replace it. A low level format may work, but it isn't really fixing the problem. Even if a format appears to work, I wouldn't trust the drive for anything important.

Best bet is to get a new drive.

[stoico1]

Hey folks,thanks for reply

Seatools found like 84 errors in the HD (in the long test).
We sent the HD to the dealer and appear they sent the HD to Seagate.
I wonder if all this would have been a manufacture error...anyway... :-9

[Bjs]

I tried of reinstall windows...but nothing

Either the platters are at fault or the control board is malfunctioning

Simple answer : ITS STUFFED

Rma it or get a replacement asap .