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View Full Version : I has a problem... a problem I has it.



Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 03:46 PM
Not too long ago, I had to borrow a friend's laptop to use the internet, (my new vista 64bit system refused to connect to the net.) Now, he had a spare and so I have had it for a few months until I could afford a notebook for myself. This systm worked wel for me until last night...

After recieving his permission to format the laptop and re-install windows, (it had become unstable and riddled with viruses that I had no idea where were from and the antivirus - avg - could find them but was unable to do anything about it,) I followed the online instructions from the DELL website to perform a clean install and managed to achieve success. After using my Freecom xxs 250gb external hdd to back up the most important and uninfected files beforehand, I replaced them.
All was working well up until the external hdd suddenly dissapeared from My Computer.
I expected that the usb cable had become dislodged and removed and re-inserted it, only to discover that the laptop did not even recognize that it had been plugged in.
I attempted the same thing on my desktop and it too, did not see the external hdd no matter what port i plugged it into.
After this, the laptop began to crash repeatedly and eventually stopped loading the os, (Windows Xp home,) and so I attempted another format and clean installation.
But this time the OS would not install and it told me that it was unable to pre-format the C drive because it may be damaged.

Now, I had bought a Freecom XXS 250Gb external HDD from Novatech in the September of last year only to have it fall apart in late November. After sending it back for repair or replacement, a replacement was not sent to me until January of this year.
Now less than two months old, the brand new replacement XXS HDD has inexplicably died on me again and now the only activity it can manage is a repeated cicking sound when plugged in.
I do not consider this to be a very efficient piece of hardware and have decided that I wish it to be replaced with an external HDD which is more reliable. I am more than willing to part-exchange the item if it canot be repaired for a better one and make up the cost, (providing it isn't a much more expensive model,) as it is clear to me that this model is untrustworthy as a portable HDD and a backup device.

Although I do not hold Novatech responsible for the fault, it was Novatech who sold and replaced the hardware in the first place and so It is to Novatech I must turn for a soloution.

As far as I can surmise, It was the crashing of the external HDD in the first place which destroyed my friend's laptop, and I cannot afford to buy myself a notebook to perform the essential internet tasks that I require for my university work and, obviously, my personal use, and replace my friend's ruined laptop as well.
As my friend already owns a working desktop which has internet access, and does not often require the use of the laptop, I am forced to admit that buying myself a notebook takes the forecourt.

I apreciate that this is a complaint as well as a troubleshooting question, but I feel I must strees the urgency of the situation, and the terrible destruction of academic and personal information caused by this malfunction.

Any help would be maniacally appreciated....
(And might stop me having to rob a bank to pay for all this mess.)

Admiral Huddy
20-02-2009, 03:51 PM
Firslty, I would see if you can run a ScnDsk from the rwecovery console on the offending machine to check for damaged sectors which maybe preventing machine to boot or which maybe causing these problems.

Use CHKDSK /r to fix the boot files and scan the surface of the disk.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654

(I've never understood why why /f isn't available in RC??)

If you can't get to the recovery console, then grab a copy of PEbuilder. CHKDSK is included and has saved many occasions like this for me.

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 04:03 PM
Unfortunately, the laptop is incapable of doing anything except telling me that it is unable to perform a boot, (of any kind - I tried, oh so many times,) and that the disk may be damaged.
It will no longer run in any kind of operating system, and after the DELL splashscreen, the screen only reads "error, cannot load or locate operating system". It will not properly run the windows CD, (It gives me the oppertunity to attempt a system recovery, clean install, or a system restore but fails to perform any of them,) and pressing f11 or f12 at the DELL splashscreen yields no results either.

I am afraid that the laptop might be completeley incapable of doing anything.

And the External HDD cannot be recognized by any other machine and so the oppertunity to fix it does not arise.

Oh globbits, for I am undone!

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 04:07 PM
It might be posible to mind meld with it if only I could find such a system that is designed to have machines like my own pluged into it for repair.

I know not of any such device, but one may exist.

Admiral Huddy
20-02-2009, 04:07 PM
Grab that PEbuilder (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/) i mentioned.. You need another machine and an XP install disk though. It doesn't use the HD and boots direct from CD/DVD. It's just a cut back version of windows - just for this sort of thing.

Just change the boot sequence to pick up that first. You can do this by hitting F8 (i think) or changing the entry in the BIOS (hit Del or F2) during startup.

Once in, click on Go > then Storage > then CHKDSK.. Answer YES to all .

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 04:17 PM
I shall do what I can with this, see what it will do.

Thankyou, I'll keep posting to tell of my adventures.

NeilX90
20-02-2009, 04:43 PM
Red herring alert !

I cannot see how the failure of your external hard drive would have caused physical damage to your laptop. I think the two events are entirely unconnected and just unfortunate coincidence.

Obviously, try all the 'free' fix possibilities, but it really does sound like you have suffered dual hard disk failure here. The simple expediency of buying a replacement laptop HD (not expensive at all) will fix your friend's machine.

Hopefully the software-based hard-disk solution will work for you, but the worst case is around £30 to £40 for a replacement drive.

Good luck !

PMM
20-02-2009, 04:44 PM
rather than attempting a straight format of the drive on a fresh install...((Assuming your using a windows CD)).... delete the partitions and recreate them from scratch, then proceed to full format and install windows.

I suspect your trying to install to an already created and corrupt drive partition a simple install / quick format won't get rid of the offending nasty.

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 04:50 PM
The PEBuilder refuses to make an ISO of the OS disk, or burn it to CD/DVD I tells me there are errors!?

It just won't do it.

There's nothing wrong with the laptop I am using to burn it, I wonder what went wrong?
I could try using the OS files on this laptop, it's also XP?
I mean, since the broken one doesn't even know what it is anymore, I guess it might be worth a shot?

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 04:56 PM
Ah, you see I tried to delete the partitions as advised by the DELL "Format and re-install" instructions and that's about when it told me that the remaining space was unusable, (ie. the entire hard drive.)

It claimed that the unpartitioned space had been turned into a new partition and was ready for the installation, but it would not install the operatin system as it insisted on formatting the already empty new partition: "New partition drive [RAW]".
Naturally, it found that it was incapable of formating it and insisted that the operating system could not be installed as the disk was damaged.

Vic
20-02-2009, 05:32 PM
Unfortunately, the laptop is incapable of doing anything except telling me that it is unable to perform a boot, (of any kind - I tried, oh so many times,) and that the disk may be damaged.
It will no longer run in any kind of operating system

Go get yourself a LIveCD. I use Fedora, but there are a variety of them.

Set your machine to boot from CD (if it isn't already set that way), and boot up your LiveCD.

If it boots - your hardware is OK, and you just need to install an OS on your HDD (from your other drive, it looks like you've trashed the install on it).

If the external drive has a valid partition table, the LiveCD install may show you your external stuff. If it doesn't, that doesn't (yet) mean it's trashed, but more investigation is necessary.


I am afraid that the laptop might be completeley incapable of doing anything.

It probably isn't.


And the External HDD cannot be recognized by any other machine and so the oppertunity to fix it does not arise.

It may be salvageable - but you'll need some tools. Don't try to do anything with it until you've get them (I'd try photorec & testdisk, but you might want something a little cleaner if you suspect FS damage - INSERT or somesuch)


Oh globbits, for I am undone!

Nope. But you have work to do. And randomly deleting partitions on your disk isn't going to help. Plan your recovery, get the tools you need, and if you don't know what to do next, always take the more conservative option - there are some operations that can't feasibly be undone.

Vic.

Der Gothmann
20-02-2009, 06:01 PM
Okay...
A LiveCD, does this involve any expenditure? (Out of curiosity)

If it's something that is downloadable which is subsequently burned to disk, I am loath to mention that my girlfriend's laptop, (the one I am using at present,) Is currently refusing to burn disks, (this would probably explan the error message with BartPE I had earlier.)

Vic
20-02-2009, 06:13 PM
A LiveCD, does this involve any expenditure? (Out of curiosity)

About 10p for a blank...

Download page is here (http://fedoraproject.org/en/get-fedora)


If it's something that is downloadable which is subsequently burned to disk, I am loath to mention that my girlfriend's laptop, (the one I am using at present,) Is currently refusing to burn disks, (this would probably explan the error message with BartPE I had earlier.)

Find a friend. This sort of tool is particularly useful...

Vic.