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I think my PC died... This should be a challenge


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#1
noobsaibot21

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Hi geeks,

I'm having a massive issue with my PC at the moment. Basically, i'm getting the dreaded blue screen of death whenever i try to load up Windows XP - the unmountable boot volume. I cant even start it up in safe mode.
I recently got a replacement DVD drive for my computer too but, when i installed that, my computer slowed to a crawl and it wouldn't read cd's properly. Basically, i simply disconnected it and everything was rosy again.

Last night, my brother was using the PC and it suddenly flashed a BSod and restarted. He didn't catch what the message was. My PC hasn't restarted Windows since.

I then decided to reconnect the DVD Drive and try to boot Windows XP from that but i got the following stop code:

*** STOP: 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xF89BD814, 0xF89BD510, 0xF813B1FC)
*** ntfs.sys - address F813B1FC base at F812E000, DATESTAMP 41107eea

I also get this stop code when i try to get to the recovery console after running the CD and even when i try to install a fresh copy of XP. Strangely enough, according to the MS website, this code should only be on Windows NT which is the bit thats really confusing me.

So in short,

Without the Drive, it's Unmountable boot volume and with the drive, it's the stop code above.
Anyone have any suggestions that i may have overlooked? I have absolutely no problem with a reformat as my PC has been a bit ropey as of late anyway so i was thinking of a complete factory reset anyway. But i cant get that far yet :whistling:

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Noobsaibot21
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#2
anzenketh

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Lets go Ahead and run a Harddrive check on your system. Go ahead and download HD Tun from the link in my signature and install Go to error scan and click start tests. And come back with the results.
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#3
noobsaibot21

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Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I cant do that however because i cant get into Windows at all. Can i do something similar from a command prompt? Assuming i can even get that.

Failing that, any other ideas?

Many thanks,
Noobsaibot21
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#4
The Skeptic

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Use another computer to download SeaTools for DOS from this site. Burn a ISO image to a cd, insert into the drive of the failed computer and bootup. If necessary check in the BIOS that the drive is first in boot priority. Run a full scan of the HD. Please report the results.
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#5
noobsaibot21

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Hello again,

I downloaded the file, sent it to the cd and burned a CD but when i try to use it to start up, it asks me to insert proper boot media. Did i burn it incorrectly? The file was literally just an ISO Image so i simply sent it to the D: drive and wrote the file from there. Should i have used something like NERO to do it? Or is there more for me to put on the disc as it is only an ISO file?

On another note, i have successfully installed XP on my OLD hard drive (a nice, 10 year old 8Gb Dell one). I was going to try and have my bad HD as a slave for the old one and repair/format it in Windows but, whenever the failed HD is connected, Windows will simply not load. This happens even if i disable the failed HD as a boot up device.

Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Noobsaibot21
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#6
anzenketh

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WHen you burn a iso image you have to use a ISO Burner option in burning programs if you do not have a ISO burning program you can use deepburner.
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#7
The Skeptic

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The fact that the other computer fails when you attache the failed disk as a slave doe's not necessarilly mean that the disk is defective so don't give up yet.

The downloaded file must be burned as an iso file, meaning that you have to choose this option in the burning program. If you have Nero choose "Burn Image to Disk". In the window that opens select the required file. Expand "types of files" and choose Image files". Continue the process. You must use a fresh CD.
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#8
noobsaibot21

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Hello again,

Well, i've got the boot cd burned properly but, upon starting the computer, it gives me a command line. Here is exactly what is on the screen:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preparing to start your computer.
This may take a few minutes. Please wait...

MSCDEX Version 2.25
Copyright © IBM Corp. 1986-1994. All rights reserved.
Drive C: = Driver MSCD001 unit 0



The IBM Personal System/2 Mouse Program
©Copyright International Business Machines Corp 1987
©Copyright Microsoft Corp 1983-1997
Mouse driver installed successfully
A:\>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I must point out that i do not have a floppy A drive so i changed it to a "C:\" but after that i'm stumped. I have disabled the floppy on my setup screen and it is not booting from anywhere else. I tried the usuals like 'help, win, run and even exit' but no luck. I couldn't find any further info on their site - apparently i should be getting a list of drives straight away. Any further suggestions? Also, will i be able to save the report onto a USB Pen?

Many thanks,
Noobsaibot21

Edited by noobsaibot21, 21 May 2007 - 06:16 PM.

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#9
The Skeptic

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Let me ask this for clarification:

1: You downloaded Seatoold and successfully created an iso cd.

2: Which computer did you try to reboot with the cd: The failed or the good one?


What I aim for is to test the HD of the failed computer. The problem can be in some other place but we must test the disk first. For this I would like to take advantage of the availability of the good computer. This can help us a lot in pinpointing the problem.

Please do the following: In the good computer disconnect the original hard disk. Connect the failed disk in it's place. Jumper the failed disk either as master or cable select and connect it to the end connector of the flat cable. Connect the power plug to the disk. I want to be left with a good computer which has only one disk connected to it, the failed one.

Now reboot with the cd in place.

If this doesn't work please give us the make and model of the failed disk.
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#10
noobsaibot21

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Hello again,

Do you mean you want me to test the boot CD on the computer i created the boot CD on? If so, i cant attach the failed harddrive as i created the CD on my brothers laptop. Here are my system specs:

Processor: Pentium 4 2.66 GHz,
Motherboard: MSI 915GM4-FI,
RAM: 512Mb,
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint P80 80GBIDE ATA/133 2MB 7200RPM
No Graphics card (Video Card on motherboard)
No Floppy Drive

If it is paramount, i can ask a friend to let me try it on his computer. He's pretty defensive of his 'beloved' PC but, if there aren't any other options, i will try my darndest to persuade him.

Please let me know if the above knowledge is useful to you.
Regards,
Noobsaibot21
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#11
anzenketh

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We want to burn the CD on a computer that is working. Burn the ISO image using a ISO burning method.

Then test on the computer that is having issues.
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#12
noobsaibot21

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Hi,

I did create the boot cd on a working computer - my brothers laptop. I used NTI CD & DVD maker 7. In that, it gave me the option of creating a bootable CD. I also just tried to burn the ISO with the Deep Burner suggested earlier but that has not worked at all. Incidentally, i also found a similar DOS program called "Ultimate Boot CD"

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

I can burn that properly aswell (using NTI and NOT deep Burn) but i get the same request from the PC as i outlined in my post (4 posts up from this one). Is there any commands i might be able to put in to get it going?

Thanks in advance,
Noobsaibot21
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#13
The Skeptic

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Please download from Samsung's internet site. Open this page and download hutil_bootcd.iso (for cd rom drive).

Previously I asked you to attach the HD to the good computer but if it's a laptop it won't help us. Therefore make sure the failed HD is properly connected to the failed computer. Bootup the failed computer with the new boot cd that you created from Samsung.

If you get funny messages like you got before then try to boot the laptop with the Samsung boot cd. If you get such messages on the laptop then something is wrong with the way you create the booptable cd.
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#14
noobsaibot21

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Hello again,

I created a CD from the samsung site but got the same message. When i put it into my brothers laptop, i got the same message again so it must be the boot CD - Could it possibly be looking for a floppy because of the file itself? Perhaps the files on the CD are trying to work in tandem with the FDD? (which doesn't exist)

I am currently downloading the free trial of Nero 7.9.6 - will that let me burn it properly?
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#15
noobsaibot21

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Hello again,

Ignore that last post by myself - i got the disc running. I changed the A:\ to C:\ and, when i typed in DIR, it gave me the .exe name so i typed that in and got a scan result. Here is the log:


[SELF DIAGNOSTIC (Hutil v2.03)]
Model Name : SAMSUNG SP0802N
Rom Revision : TK100-30
Serial Number : S00JJ50Y481420
Drive Size : 76351MB (LBA : 156368016)
Start Time : Thu May 24 01:45:42 2007


-------------------------------------------------
Test Loop Number : 1/1
-------------------------------------------------
>> READ DMA : Testing...
Error : Undefined error
>> CHECK M.C. : Testing... Pass !
>> CHECK S.M.A.R.T. : Testing... Pass !
>> SPIN DOWN / UP : Testing... Pass !
>> SIMPLE READ / WRITE : Testing... Pass !
>> SIMPLE SURFACE SCAN : Testing... Pass !
>> WRITE VERIFY : Testing... Pass !
>> AVERAGE SEEK TIME : Testing... Pass !
>> MAXIMUM SEEK TIME : Testing... Pass !
>> RANDOM SURFACE SCAN : Testing... Pass !
>> READ SURFACE SCAN : Testing... Pass !

Scan Elapsed Time : 00:29:03
Error Occured Test Loop Number 1
End Time : Thu May 24 02:16:51 2007
Test was completed.
=================================================

[LOW LEVEL FORMAT (Hutil v2.03)]
Model Name : SAMSUNG SP0802N
Rom Revision : TK100-30
Serial Number : S00JJ50Y481420
Drive Size : 76351MB (LBA : 156368016)
Start Time : Thu May 24 02:17:41 2007


-------------------------------------------------
Test Loop Number : 1/1
-------------------------------------------------
>> LOW LEVEL FORMAT : Testing... Skip !

End Time : Thu May 24 02:17:48 2007
Test was completed.
=================================================


So, does this help? It also gave me the option to erase the HDD but if it is possible, i would like to be able to use it to back stuff up before i do that.
Please keep me posted.
Thanks in advance,
Noobsaibot21
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