Many problems, need help...

[Jasperman]

This may be long as I'm starting from the begining....

PC starting acting weird things wouldn't work, eventually I couldn't even get it to turn. It was sent back to Novatech. They fixed it (replaced something inside that was faulty, can't remember what...sorry) Anyway, it would work again (ie. turns on) but the program (basically anything) problems and such were still ramapant (so obviously a different issue). Anywya, I'd transfered all my data to a seperated USB Harddrive from before, and could't get XP to prperly repair, so used the "Recovery CD". Everything seemed good, but then stuff just randomly stops working. Windows explorer, internet explorer, control panel, even the help and support section of windows. Basically anything you can click on. Windows update DOES NOT WORK so I can't get the latest updates (infact, I was able to update once and it left by PC in an endless reboot loop...recover disc again). I've ran many different viruscan checks, fusing many differnet programs. But usually the problems persist until it all screws up completely and I have to recover again. Then things work fine for a while and then starts screwing up again... It's been sent back again since (was told online by Novatech technician who was helping to unplug something and that, and well.. couldn't turn it on after) it was fixed, but we left a note with the computer asking if they could sort the problem we had out (ie. get the PC running EXACTLY like it was when they first sent it us) but well...it was ignored. Yes, I know the the recovery disc is supposed to make the PC EXACTLY like it was when first set (factory condition). But it doesn't! Obviously there's wrong but I've no idea how to fix it and I'm sick of recovering the PC only for it to work for an hour. Anyhelp would be appreciated, or even for someone to state plain and clearly about what to do to properly recover incase I'm doing somehting wrong (though how can you faff up putting a disc in and letting to the work for you...? <_<

PC Specs

Windows XP Home Edition 2002
Service Pack 2
Pentiun(R) D CPU 3.4Ghz
1GB RAM

[Jonny2Bad]

Might be worth trying a new hard drive or clean formatting the old one!! Recovery disks dont tend to long format when they are run!!

[Jasperman]

Clean formatting? What exactly is it and what exactly does it do?

As for the new harddrive well...I mean no offense to Novatech, but they ain't getting anymore of my money. Twice it was sent back for repair, and both times, although they obviously fixed things, they never actually fixed what we asked them to fix. Now the guarantee's out of date. Now I'm left spending all my computer time trying to get things to work. If it's not fixed soon I'm just not going to bother with it anymore. Sure PC's are usefull...WHEN THEY WORK.

Thank you for your time, dude. Peace.

[mattlock]

Format it, rebuild it (Re-install from scratch, get yourself a good AV (NOD32), run windows update, get the latest drivers, You'ff feel better :D

[Jasperman]

Look dude, if you're talking about inserting the restoration disk/rebooting and letting it do its thing, then I've done it...an uncountable numder of times. Things work for a while... (though sometimes things go awry from the off...) ...then .dll errors of all kinds gradually start building up until nothing works (explorer, internet exlorer, help and support, control panel...). Don't even get me started on windows updates. The times it actually allows me to update usually makes things worse (as it's just done now, I can't even restorwe to safe point now, nor even remove the updates). Safe mode is of absolutely no help. (This is being typed from my bro's laptop, by the way). I've ran many spyware, virus-cans, even microsofts malicious thingy remover (which I can't DL on my PC now for some reason...) and they SHOW NO SPYWARE/VIRUSES. I've even ran a couple of regcure type programs (which it won't allow me to do now) when getting many .dll errors, but although registry stuff does show up, it never shows and .dll corruptions/problems, even though I'm clearly getting them.

If NOD32 isn't free then I can't afford it. (And it probably wouldn't let me install it now anyway...)

My PC is just over 1-year old now (so it's out of Novatech's guarantee, not that they fixed it when it was, when we sent it to them TWO SEPERATE TIMES).

Although I've clearly learned more about how my PC's innards work (thanks to the endless faffings of it going nutz) I'm still pretty PC Idiot and as such...

I need serious help. And EXACT instructions.

[X40Nick]

A new HD is not going the break the bank, Don't blame Novatech. They did not make the HD. Maxtor or who else did.

Just buy it and move on, and if you won't buy it from Novatech. Buy it from high-priced PCworld.

[Jasperman]

Don't blame Novatech..? Yeah, I mean it's not likle it was them that sold it me or anything is it...? But seriously, why would that even help?

[X40Nick]

They just put the PC together, other people made the parts.

Who made your hardrive anyway? I had a Hitachi fail within 2 weeks on a Dell computer, and after 8 months on a desktop.

Really, they suck.

[Jasperman]

But does my problem sound like harddrive failure? I don't want to spend more money I don't have, for something that might not even be the problem.


Just answer me one question:

Inserting the Novatech recovery disc/rebooting and let the disc do its work SHOULD SOLVE ALL THE PC'S PROBLEMS, RIGHT?

If it doesn't (or atleast appears to be okay for awhile) does this mean I have another problem?

[Jasperman]

It's fixed. Took my old IDE 80GB harddrive from my old PC and switched it with the Western Digital Sata II 250GB, and used recovery disk. Everything works fine. 5-year old hardrive (which had CONSTANT USE every day) works better that a-year-old one.

Anything I need to watch out for with the IDE drive...? Thank you for your help, dude.

[Calz]

okay, have you left your old/1 year old one in the machine? if not put it back in. if you have left it in. make sure it boots from your working HDD, and when windows opens, you should be able to see you 250GB HDD in My Computer, format it as FAT32 (right click>format) this cleans the HDD completely. (i think) lol.

When this is done you might want to either do one of 2 things.

1)use this as basically a media HDD, for your music, vids etc, or install games onto

2)you might be able to do a successful install of windows, but obviously with your past traumers of reformatting, this is the last thing you(and i in this case) would want to think about doing :)




the difference you will find with SATA and IDE is the speed. but tbh if you arent using it for games everyday then you wont see a huge speed increase


(btw, try finding what the HDD warranty is from the manafacturer, it might be 2/3years :) for eg, if it is this one http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/spec ... ?WD-2500KS (http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?WD-2500KS) )

[Jasperman]

Good idea about the using it for extra space. However I want it in no way EVER connecting to my "working" PC in any way now. I do play the occasional game, but the millisecond slowdown probably won't matter. Thanks for the help though (have 80GB and 250GB USB hardrives anyway). The old PC I got the harddrive from was put together by QTech, and it still has alot of usuable parts to canabalize. Why'd stop using it you say...? Let's just say there was an incident when putting a quieter fan in...my clutziness+murphy's law equals bye-bye usable computer.

[Calz]

tbh mate, if you have it as a secondary drive, its not going to crash your main drive lol. just dont install windows on it :|

[freaky]

jasperman, dont use the 250gb hdd as extra storage space, if it is faulty you stand to lose anything stored on it.

fit it and format it as above, then download the program here
http://support.wdc.com/download/?cxml=n&pid=999&swid=3
and run the diagnostic tool. if there is a problem with the drive(and i suspect there is) it will tell you.

if there is a problem, bin it. if it checks out ok the by all means use it. but dont use it with out checking it. if its faulty it will fail again.


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