[Susan Q]

Hi G2G,
Previous experience has taught me that this is the place to
come for help.

Running Win XP, Avast, and Comodo Firewall.
Nothing new has happened (updates, etc.) that I know of
but for the last 10 days or so my computer just freezes on
the boot. I get the window that you pick what operating system
or can go to safe mode (other choices too) but although
I've tried them all, I still freeze on the boot and have to
manually shut it down and try again. It has
eventually started each time after 5 or 6 tries.

Now .....I just don't shut it down.

I'd surely appreciate some help.

Thanks so much
Susan

[Advertisements]

A failing HDD will give symptoms like this. What brand name is the hard drive in your PC?

(Looking in Device Manager is easiest.)

[DaffyKantReed]

A failing HDD will give symptoms like this. What brand name is the hard drive in your PC?

(Looking in Device Manager is easiest.)

[Susan Q]

Thanks for such a speedy reply

Intel ®
Pentium ® 4 CPU 2.80 GHz
2.79 GHz, 512 MB of Ram

is that what you wanted to know?
If not ......exactly what should I look
for in Device Manager ?

Again, thanks

[MikeGreen]

Hi Susan,
I think Daffy meant something like (Western Digital) or so ..
I was going to suggest something else .. what about reinstalling windows? I believe this would solve the problem.

[Susan Q]

Hi Mike, thanks for the input.
Um ..I don't where to look for the brand
of the HDD. I know Daffy said to look in DM but
I'm not certain exactly where in DM to look.

I got this computer from Dell a long time ago.
Using the Operating System for Windows XP disk
I tried to reinstall. It said that it could
not install since my current version is a newer
version than that which is on the disk and I would
lose the current version if I did that. Is this
because of all of the updates and upgrades or patches or
whatever you call them ? (sorry, not a computer geek)
I sure hope that's not where we are going with this because
I've had problems each and every time I've had to update
Windows. It's always a colossal pain. Things have been running
very smoothly since I visited G2G the last time months ago.

OH .....and I tried to boot
from the disk too, however, I guess I don't know the right
commands. It asked me to choose which OS and offered only one
choice. I tried answering :1 and I tried answering :y
neither worked.
Not sure what I should do now.

Thank you both so much for your help.

[Broni]

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287 (or http://www.bleepingc...opic28744.html)
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, unfortunately, you're out of luck, because Toshiba doesn't provide any diagnostic tool.

[Tpneer2]

just noticed the post and thought of another issue not brought up here in this case it could be a bad or faulty IDE cable so try to change it out or make sure its plugged in at both ends tightly. if its a laptop there are times when either the HDD is failing or the processor is overheated,make sure the air vent on either the side or back is uncovered.

[123Runner]

Are you able to get into windows at all?
Can you get in to safe mode?

For the type of hard drive you have.
Go to start...
Go to run....
Type in devmgmt.msc and hit ok.
Once in device manager expand out the "disk drives".
You will see the drive type. ex: Maxtor, WDC, Toshiba, etc

With that info you can get the appropriate diagnostics referenced by Broni.

[Susan Q]

Wow, thank you all so much for your help.

Mike, Thanks for clearing that up for me
because I really wasn't sure what I was looking for.

Ok Daffy....so far this is what I've figured out (thank you 123Runner):
Disk Drives
Lexar USB Storage-CFC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-MMC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-MSC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-SMC USB Device
ST2380011A

Broni, I went to the link you provided
but I don't know exactly what to click
on to run a HDD diagnostic. It looks to me
like a page full of computer related news articles.
There is a link up top that would take me to pctools.com,
but I'm not sure that's what you wanted me to do.

TPneer2, I'll check on that IDE cable. Thanks for that tip
and I'll do it later today. Oh and this is not a laptop.

123Runner, When I do get my computer to boot, yes....
I get into everything. When I was trying to boot, no ....
I couldn't get into safe mode. I couldn't get into anything.
Thing is......it doesn't want to boot at all, not in any mode.
Today I think it was a miracle I got it running at all. At least
five tries of manually shutting it down because it froze. Anyway,
somehow I wound up with the system restore option and I rolled it
back to Feb 1st. Two days ago I had to do a system restore and
just set it back about 3 weeks but that's what it seems to take
to get it to boot. Now I think I'm just not going to shut it down
unless and until I figure this out.



I won't do a thing (except check the IDE cable) until
I hear more from you.

Again, thank you ....thank you all
Susan

[Broni]

Broni, I went to the link you provided
but I don't know exactly what to click
on to run a HDD diagnostic.

You'll have to find out, who is your hard drive manufacturer.

[Susan Q]

Broni,
Is this what you want to know?

Disk Drives
Lexar USB Storage-CFC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-MMC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-MSC USB Device
Lexar USB Storage-SMC USB Device
ST2380011A

So now that I know it's lexar ......???

[Broni]

It looks like you have Seagate drive - ST2380011A

Download this (http://www.tacktech....tid=287#seagate):
SeaTools for DOS v2.17 (Graphical) (10.22.2009)
- Download SeaTools for DOS (ISO CD-ROM Image)

Use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), to make the CD bootable.
Boot from the CD and follow on-screen instructions.

[123Runner]

The lexar drives are your card reader.

The hard drive (I believe) is a seagate based on "ST2380011A".
But a google search does not bring it up. Seagate drives usually start with "ST".

Use the tool located Here
Use the graphical English version.

[Susan Q]

Hi 123RoadRunner, Hi Broni,

OK ..... I downloaded SeaToolsDOS217EURO
I double clicked and it said "what you are looking for
is on a CD" As I was responding to your posts .... my computer, without warning ...rebooted. It did reboot without
incident.

Here's the thing: When you instruct me ....please give
such detailed instructions as you would to someone seeing
a computer for the first time. I can follow instructions to the letter, but you should not assume I can figure anything out.....basically .... I'm to chicken to guess.

I have no floppy disk in my computer. I have 2 kinds of blank CDs ... I have CD-R which says Data Music Photos .....and I have
DVD-R Recordable. I'm not even sure which one of these I should use, and if I do use one ....what am I using it for?

See? When it comes to computers, ... I got nuthin'

So, I don't know what happened with that SeaTools and I don't know what to do about it. And as far as ISO .....you lost me.

Need someone to plaster your walls and make them beautiful?... I'm your girl .....
computers ......not so much.....

thanking you for your patients with me

will wait for your response.
Oh .....and Happy Easter !

[123Runner]

A little more descriptive is not a problem. Broni will probably type faster.

You should have a file that you saved called SeaToolsDos217Euro.ISO
An iso file is a file that gets burned to a CD and makes the cd bootable.

If you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get burncdcc from my signature below ..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 ....
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start

We need to 1st make sure that the CD drive is the 1st boot device.
You will need to enter your bios to check that, but 1st lets just try and boot the computer. Who knows, the CD might be defaulted to boot 1st.
Place the CD that you made in the CD drive and reboot the computer.
The computer will boot from the CD (watch the screen for a "hit any key to boot from cd message). If you get that message then hit enter. The diagnostic program will run (if the CD drive is set to boot 1st).
Choose the advanced tests and let it run.

If the computer is not set to boot from CD, then it will boot from the hard drive.
If this happens let us know and we will describe to you how to change it.