[Oniketsoku]

So I'm getting a weird error when I try to start up my computer.

Randomly started randomly happening last night. Shut my computer down like normal, came home a few hours later, and it takes 10 seconds to flash up the BIOS logo, another 10 seconds to flash past it, it fiddles around for a few seconds, and then it gives a few messages, the concluding one being 3rd slave hard disk error and it won't boot from the hard disk. Nothing seems abnormal aside from temperatures going up recently.

Most interesting part is that it has a 10% chance or so of actually working when I start it up. Like, for instance, right now, when I went to go start it up so I could copy the error message precisely when it failed.

My rig is less than a year old, and runs on Vista 64. Any clues, G2G?

Edited by Oniketsoku, 18 May 2010 - 05:23 PM.

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From your description (3rd slave hard disk) I assume you have more then one Hard Drive.

The problem is probably with one of your slave hard drive and not with your boot drive. When you start if that drive is having problems being detected by the BIOS (reason for long post) and when it fails then you cannot boot but when it works good enough you can boot.

Try to unplug the slave Hard Drive that is faulty and boot to see if you encounter the same problem.

[Alzeimer]

From your description (3rd slave hard disk) I assume you have more then one Hard Drive.

The problem is probably with one of your slave hard drive and not with your boot drive. When you start if that drive is having problems being detected by the BIOS (reason for long post) and when it fails then you cannot boot but when it works good enough you can boot.

Try to unplug the slave Hard Drive that is faulty and boot to see if you encounter the same problem.

[Oniketsoku]

I apologize I forgot to mention that I only have one HDD

Also it's failed to boot up once since last night

Edited by Oniketsoku, 19 May 2010 - 02:52 PM.

[Broni]

My rig is less than a year old

Unfortunately, it doesn't mean anything. One of my brand new HD failed after 6 weeks.

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.

[Alzeimer]

You should check the integrety of your Hard Drive maybe it is on its last legs try the program Hitachi Drive Fitness Test (DFT32) checker its an ISO image you burn and then boot from.

http://www.hitachigs...rt/download.htm

[Oniketsoku]

Thanks for the information but how I do use these tools if I can't get into windows?

[Broni]

If you read my reply carefully, you'll see, that your computer doesn't have to be bootable in order to run the scans.

it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.

[Oniketsoku]

Thanks for correcting my incompetence I'll try running the diagnostic

[Broni]

Not a problem
Post back, if you have any other question regarding those tests.

[Alzeimer]

You have to change the boot order in your BIOS to have your CD/DVD-rom as your first boot device (before your hard drive).

You put the Bootable cd you made of the diagnostic tools in your CD/DVD drive save your new BIOS setting restart your computer and you will boot of the CD and not from your hard drive where windows is install.

[Oniketsoku]

Any idea if WDC WD1600AAJS-00B4A0 ATA Device (149 GB, IDE)is EIDE? Probably the same thing or close to IDE but I dunno these things. 'Cause on that link, it says:

"This zip file contains a bootable CD image of the Data Lifeguard v11.2 installation CD which contains both DOS and Windows versions and was written specifically for the installation of Western Digital EIDE hard drives."

[Broni]

For the test purposes, IDE and EIDE are technically same type.

[Oniketsoku]

I got into my machine after a dozen tries, am I able to run the diagnostic from the desktop rather than from startup, while I'm in here?

[Broni]

At my link, there should be a different program, which is designed to run from within Windows, however with failing drive, it's always a better idea to run bootable CD test, because running the test from within Windows may be not fully reliable, or it may stall.

[Oniketsoku]

The downloads at this link http://support.wdc.c...s...amp;x=0&y=0

Are a match with WD1600AAJS-00B4A0 ATA Device (149 GB, IDE), correct?