Is this a hard drive issue?

Hello all,

This system was brought in - user said it was performing disk checking every time they started it up. It would never finish... (Windows XP Home).

First thing I did - UBCD and ran the WD diagnostics. Passed simple test, then passed complete test. Rebooted. After BIOS screen, proceeds to try to boot. Screen goes black. System hangs. No keyboard, etc....

Restarted. Windows boot menu will come up, but no options work. All do the same thing above.

Popped in a Windows XP CD and ran chdsk. Found errors and repaired them. Rebooted, same thing.

So I decided to perform a repair install of Windows. It went great until it rebooted and tried to boot from the HD. Hung with black screen again.

Booted again off the Windows XP CD, ran chkdsk again, again said it found and repaired errors. Reboot, no change.

What is this? Especially if it passed its manufacturers diagnostics?

Slave the drive in a clean machine and check for virus/spyware.

Run chkntfs /c and maybe need to fixboot/fixmbr

Tried those commands out. Fixmbr or fixboot said that I had a non-standard partition....blah blah. It reported to fix it. However, no change.

Guess I'll slave it and perform some scans.

Is there any type of Spyware/Virus that would give me these symptoms?

Thanks everyone,

Jakkwb

I can't think of a specific example, but the problem could certainly be caused by malware. I've also had some drives lately that passed diagnostics initially, but eventually failed. For starters, I'd be sure I was using the latest release of DLG. I might be wrong, but it seems that I encounter more glitches with diagnostic software, data recovery, etc. dealing with SATA drives.

Anyway, I'd do the scan regardless, but I think a drive problems is still the leading candidate as the cause.

Refer to the post by Knoj;

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-72388.php

Worth a try.

I have modified it for a C: drive as boot at another site and to provide a user interface that actually shows you something;

1. click start and then run
2. type cmd /k and press enter
3. Next type fsutil dirty query C: and press enter
4. If the return message indicates that the volume is dirty go to step 5
5. Next type chkdsk C: /f /x and press enter
6. After that finishes repeat step 3.
7. If it is no longer dirty then type exit and press enter then reboot and you should notice no more chkdsk.

Edit: use Recovery Console

I'm not really concerned (right now) about it running chkdsk every bootup in the past. It is not doing it now, so....

What I am baffled by is:

Is a WD drive. It passed ALL diagnostics in WD testers - both v4.x and v5.x.

It goes past the Dell BIOS screen, screen goes black, immediately locks up. Same thing in all forms of SAFE mode.

I tried to run a Windows repair - copies all files over, reboots, blank screen and lock-up.

I slaved it and scanned - nothing of any consequence on it. Still doing the same thing.

Hey - I guess I'll run a memory scan on it. Don't know what else to do.

It passes memory test.
Also, This HD is IDE.

Personally, I'd try a memory swap (nearly said RAM instead of memory, but that's usually a baaad idea around here) because the memory tests are not so reliable. For one thing they really can't differentiate between memory controller errors and defective modules.

I'd double check the PSU to be sure it's in spec, check CPU temperature, and then swap memory. If it all looks good, there isn't much left but mainboard and processor.

umm is this a desktop? Change the ide cable.

OK, I tried the memory swap and a IDE cable change. Same thing.

One question - I do not know which version of XP Home this PC shipped with. I am just using a Dell XPHSP2 CD (it is a Dell Dimension 4600). If it originally had SP1 or SP1A would it do this?

Thanks again, good night all.

jakkwb

What did fsutil say? Is the dirty bit set?

1. click start and then run
2. type cmd /k and press enter
3. Next type fsutil dirty query C: and press enter
4. If the return message indicates that the volume is dirty go to step 5
5. Next type chkdsk C: /f /x and press enter
6. After that finishes repeat step 3.
7. If it is no longer dirty then type exit and press enter then reboot and you should notice no more chkdsk.

Edit: use Recovery Console

I can't get these commands to run from Recovery Console.

I can't run them from within Windows - it will not start up - all I get is a black screen that is locked up.

fsutil doesn't run in recovery console... use safe mode!

Yes - I apologize for that info, I hadn't tried it just assumed that the stunted DOS of Windows would extend to Recovery Console.

Sadly, Recovery Console has even dumber DOS.

Again - sorry.


:(

No prob CCT.

I took the HD and ghosted it onto another drive. Put it in this Dell and tried to boot. Same thing. I think the Primary IDE controller on this is bad. The CD-ROM on the secondary I can boot off of with the Windows CD. I'll try both HDs on it later today.

This system also supports SATA drives - I may try it also.

Results later....

Thanks posters for all the help all the time. You guys are great!

Jakkwb

update on this:

Got new WD IDE drive. Ghosted the owners drive over to it. The PC is not detecting it as bootable (Dell gives "strike F1 to retry, F2 to enter setup", even though Windows is on it.

This system successfully boots off a Windows XP cd, which is on the secondary IDE channel. The HD dpes the same thing when I put it on there.

Also passes Dell IDE diagnostics. And both drives are picked up in the BIOS.

Fixboot or Fixmbr (can't remember which one) always says "there appears to be a non-standard...." I can't remember the exact wording. But when press Y to write a new boot sector, it reports to work. It will give the same message if I try the command again.

Is there something else I can try?

Install windows from scratch on the new drive and see if it works properly then... but I thought you had concluded that the primary ide controller is faulty?