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Hard Drive Problem


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#1
cbwgators

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Windows won't start. Error message that there is a problem with the hard drive. <windows root>\system 32\hal.dll. I have a TON of pictures. I just got an external drive TODAY, my computer started doing this last night.

I have a Gateway PC, I think it's a 500x, about 7 years old with Windows XP.

Can I still get to my pictures? I really don't want to wipe the hard drive?


We had to replace the hard drive about 3 years ago when it went bad.
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#2
Spyderturbo007

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Could you post the exact error message? There are a few that deal with the hal.dll file. Provided the disk isn't physically damaged, there are plenty of options to recover the pictures or even repair the problem.
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#3
rshaffer61

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You will need to use a Linux Live cd to get to your files and back them up to your other drive. Make sure the external drive is plugged into the system before starting Puppy Linux. After files are backed up then we can continue on trying to find the problem with your system.
Get Puppy Linux from my signature below...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd
..
if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get Burncdcc from my signature...it is a small FAST no frills iso burning program...

NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its memtest86.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start

make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....

put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all your data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...

==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..


after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to

your computer...

click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will

mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...about half the width of the screen...then drag the window to the right edge of the screen...

now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to
the narrowest you can..about half the width of the screen...drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...

your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmouting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash

drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...

now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in

again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..

Thanks to happyrock
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#4
cbwgators

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where can I get a Linux live CD?
FWIW, I already tried a Ubuntu CD, and could not get the PC to boot to the CD drive. I haven't figured out how to do that and the various keys I have tried (F8, f12, F11, esc, del, F4), just get me to the same message "A problem with the hard drive has been detected. Consult the Troubleshooting section of your user's manual. Press the Enter key to continue."

When I press the enter key I get "Press <F4> to Run SETUP".

When I press F4, it just sits there.
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#5
rshaffer61

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You need to get into the bios\Cmos or setup area. In there you change the boot sequence to boot to the cdrom first and then to the hard drive. My last post I included instructions for getting puppy linux live cd and how to burn it to a cd. It has to be burned exactly how the instructions say or it won't work.
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#6
cbwgators

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I got burnCDCC, downloaded it. When I downloaded puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso, it went to "Sonic RecordNow!".
When I tried to browse to the iso file, I got blank for choices. I THINK I have burned the puppy file from the sonic recordnow program I have, but I'm not sure.
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#7
cbwgators

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You need to get into the bios\Cmos or setup area. In there you change the boot sequence to boot to the cdrom first and then to the hard drive. My last post I included instructions for getting puppy linux live cd and how to burn it to a cd. It has to be burned exactly how the instructions say or it won't work.


I don't know how to get into the BIOS on my PC. It's a Gateway 500x.
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#8
rshaffer61

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It sounds like the Sonic Recordnow isburning the file as a data file and not as a image file
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#9
cbwgators

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It sounds like the Sonic Recordnow isburning the file as a data file and not as a image file


Yes it is! How do I fix that, or disable Sonic so burnCD can do it?
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#10
rshaffer61

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If you can disable it then do so. It is not going to allow you to burn the cd right as long as it is running.
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#11
cbwgators

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If you can disable it then do so. It is not going to allow you to burn the cd right as long as it is running.


Can you tell me how to do that without losing the Sonic program?
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#12
cbwgators

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I'm confused -- what's the difference between puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso and memtest86.iso ?? Which one do I burn on a CD?
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#13
Troy

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Hi, memtest is a memory diagnostic - this is not the one you want to download.

If you follow the instructions carefully, you do not open the .iso file - you have to specifically open BurnCDCC and then select the .iso file to burn (in your case, Puppy Linux).

This way you are using the BurnCDCC program correctly and completely bypassing Sonic altogether, not disabling it or removing it.
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#14
rshaffer61

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I'm not sure where memtest has come into this at all.
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#15
Troy

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Just sit down with a cup of tea mate, you'll be right in a minute.

:)
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