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Unmountable_Boot_Volume


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#1
lmart

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Hello and Thank you in Advance for any help.

After turning on my computer this morning (Dell E1505, Windows XP), my computer lead me to a blue screen that stated "Unmountable_Boot_Volume" and the message "***STOP:0X000000ED" (0x8629AE30, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000).

I cannot boot in Safe Mode either.

I subsequently ran the PSA+ Pre-Boot System Assesment and it returned the following result:

Hard Drive: DST Short Test Fail
Error Code: 0146

I have read online that the Windows Boot CD could help solve this problem, but I no longer possess this disc.


Thank you again in advance for any help.

Edited by lmart, 19 April 2011 - 03:43 AM.

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#2
phillipcorcoran

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Hard Drive: DST Short Test Fail

This usually means that the hard drive has failed (which all hard drives do eventually) and will have to be replaced.
A Windows boot CD, nor any other boot CD, will be of any use in solving this problem. You need a new hard drive.

If you want further confirmation you can test any make of hard drive with Seagate SeaTools for DOS from here:
http://www.seagate.c...000dd04090aRCRD

The download is an ISO CD-image file from which a bootable CD can be created using IMGBurn from here: http://filehippo.com/download_imgburn/
(unless you already have burning software that can write ISO files to CD).

Boot your Dell computer from that CD & the testing software user-interface will open. Run the "long" test for an accurate result.
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#3
lmart

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Thank you very much for your response.

I ran the above mentioned test and after the initial Long Test the report stated 9 Errors and stated that "an important diagnostic Test had failed".

The error codes 38523671 until -78 and 119312825 were reported.

Subsequently I repaired the errors and was told that "DST completed without Error", "Short DST Passed" and "Long Test Passed after Repair".



Once I rebooted, I was able to boot to Windows succesfully. Could there be a reason for such an abrupt Harddrive Error like the one that occured? Also, while Windows has booted correctly, the task bar looks like the one from Windows98.

Thank you very much for your help.
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#4
happyrock

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Could there be a reason for such an abrupt Harddrive Error like the one that occured?

there are several possibilities...system crashed...improper shutdown...bad read or write

its important that you backup any data you can't live without because the drive may be on its last legs...
burn to dvd's or a external usb drive and MAKE SURE a different computer can read the data
once you have that done..
run chkds /r
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#5
lmart

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Hello and thank you for your reply.

Today while working on my computer, it suddenly went to a blue screen again but with a different message:

KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR

STOP: 0x00000077

Memory Dump Complete: win32k.sys - Address BF8C8A56, base at BF800000, Date stamp 4d679bd


After rebooting, Widows reloaded properly. Nonetheless, I am quite worried about my laptop. Is this a confirmation that my laptop's hard drive is on its last legs? Is there something that can be done to improve the hard drive's health?

Also, I tried to run chkds /r like requested, but my computer will not allow me to. It states "Windows cannot find 'chkds'"

Thank you again in advance.

Edited by lmart, 22 April 2011 - 06:30 AM.

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#6
happyrock

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its important that you back up your data now as the drive may die at any time without warning...
hard drive are mechanical devices and will all die eventually...
and according to murphy's law at the worst possible time...
there is no way to stop it
what I do for failing HD is to clone it to a new larger drive using HDClone Free Edition from here...
it will take anywhere from 5 to 7 hours to complete but when your done you unplug the old drive and plug the new drive into that slot and reboot...now everything you had on the old drive is on the new drive including any partitions you had setup with additional free space
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#7
lmart

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what I do for failing HD is to clone it to a new larger drive using HDClone Free Edition from here...
it will take anywhere from 5 to 7 hours to complete but when your done you unplug the old drive and plug the new drive into that slot and reboot...now everything you had on the old drive is on the new drive including any partitions you had setup with additional free space



Thanks for your response.

Worst possible time for a HD crash indeed!

Is it recommendable or even possible to insert a new HD into a laptop?

Thank you for the HDClone tip. I will surely use it. So if I save a copy of my HD onto an external harddrive, will the information that is currently on my External Harddrive be overwritten?

Edited by lmart, 22 April 2011 - 08:49 AM.

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#8
happyrock

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Is it recommendable or even possible to insert a new HD into a laptop?

YEP AND YEP

you will have to use a external usb connector to get it cloned but its pretty easy on most laptops to swap drives...
the tool I use for this is the Thermaltake BlacX here...
you just put the new drive in the box...connect the usb cable to the laptop...boot fron the HDClone cd and you select the full copy and if it asks if you do you want to adjust the free space manually say no...let HDClone do it automatically...
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#9
lmart

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Is it recommendable or even possible to insert a new HD into a laptop?

YEP AND YEP

you will have to use a external usb connector to get it cloned but its pretty easy on most laptops to swap drives...
the tool I use for this is the Thermaltake BlacX here...
you just put the new drive in the box...connect the usb cable to the laptop...boot fron the HDClone cd and you select the full copy and if it asks if you do you want to adjust the free space manually say no...let HDClone do it automatically...


Great. This seems like a much more cost effective fix then buying a new laptop!


Do most HDs fit into most laptops (A Seagate HD into a Dell for example)?
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#10
happyrock

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yep...just make sure its a laptop HD
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#11
lmart

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Great.

A few more questions:

1. Could an external Hard Drive be used to make a copy of my current HD instead of using a docking system like the Thermaltake BlacX? Since I do not live in the US I don't think that I can get that docking system shipped to me here in Switerland.

2. If it is not possible to use my external HD, could something like this be used:
(sorry for the discription being in German, but maybe you recognize the model)

Delock Gehäuse ( 6,4 cm (2,5 Zoll), SATA HDD Power Over eSATA)

German Amazon discription

Maybe something like thiswould be better?



Thanks for all your quick replies.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Gehause.jpg

Edited by lmart, 22 April 2011 - 09:37 AM.

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#12
happyrock

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I don't read German so I'm not sure...
as for external usb Enclosures I don't recommend them because they have been flaky in the past and you would also add the step of having to disassemble the enclosure to get the drive out to install it in your system only to discover it dose not have the power and data connectors your laptop has or is a different size...

if you are unable to find something similar to the blacx in your country/locale it may be best for you to take the laptop to a local shop and have them clone the drive for you
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#13
lmart

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Ahh I found an English version of the above mentioned docking station:

Freecom Dock


also found this one.

Would one of these work?

Edited by lmart, 22 April 2011 - 10:01 AM.

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#14
happyrock

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it looks like they would...make sure they are for both 2.5 and 3.5 hard drives...that way you can use this tool down the road sometime
check your bios to get the make and model of the drive thats in the laptop now...post the number back here then look it up for the dimensions drive type like sata1 or sata2
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#15
lmart

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I could not find the info on BIOS but this is what I found written on the HD itself:

Momentus 5400.2
100GB
HDD S/N = 3PLONDE3
Serial Attached ATA (SATA)
5400 RPM
Firmware 8103

Found this with the HD specs.

Also, these are the two products I'm thinking of buying. Would they be compatible?

Dock and Hard Drive

Edited by lmart, 22 April 2011 - 11:08 AM.

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