Arrrrrgh - I hate computers!!!

[Cynic-al]

I have 2 PC's, one comes up with the phrase "please enter command line interpretor" when i try boot it, i think a virus has somehow split the harddrive as the name of my c drive has changed, however i cannot access the drive and even F-disk won't load as the local drives are not ready. Any ideas?

The second, when it booted if would get as far as the windows XP screen with the moving bar then flash up a blue screen and restart itself. Wiped it, reinstalled windows XP, all was ok until i put SP2 on, it then started coming up with an error "drive not ready". left the pc off for a while it started working for a short time, now when i boot it it just flashes a white dash at me.

Any ideas? I'm wondering if the second one is the hard drive overheating? My case is a bit crammed, may have to invest in a bigger case.

 

[Ian]

Did you format the Master Boot Record before you reinstalled XP?

C:\> fdisk /mbr

 

[Cynic-al]

no, will try tonight! thanks!

 

[cynic-al]

got one going, dead HDD, looks like the other has a dead HDD too

Ordering a SATA controller card and 10000rpm hard drive, anyone any opinions on them?

 

[Ian]

Never used a SATA controller card before.

I've used an IDE card before and they are slightly slower, but not any real noticable difference if you're just using it as storage. I wouldn't recommened to install an Operating System on.

Why not just get an IDE drive? or whatever your motherboard supports.

 

[Andy Vee]

If your going down the SATA route you'll need the driver disk for the controller to install XP and then when you start it hit "F6" when it asks for it . Not a good description but you'll see what i'm trying to say ! .

 

[Tom (imposter)]

10,000 RPM drive - Raptor?
Try and get the 74Gb version as it is quieter and also supports Native Command Queing.

Make sure you've got AMPLE ventilation. Perhaps the reason your previous drive fried and died.

As for SATA controller card, not sure what's available on the market at the moment, might be worth getting one that supports various RAID functions in case you want to go down that route.

 

[Andy]

Raptors are good

Def get the raptors, I've got a pair of 74Gb in a RAID 0 and they will read at 140Mb per second, so with my 64 Bit Athlon 3500, my little shuttle PC boots into windows in 12 seconds.... NICE!

Raptors are the 20v turbo's of the computer world!!!

Regards

Andy

P.S. I'll get a life one day but that's after I've cleaned the lube off the only hole I could find in my pc

 

[Ian]

Re: Raptors are good

Hehe 12 seconds.

I built a pc for a mate with 2 WD160's in a Raid 0 Arry. only 7,200rpm though.

Also had 1gb Corsair XMS2 memory and a P4 3.2Ghz overclocked to 3.84Ghz (With CPU-Z screenshot to prove - validated by Rob on here)

It was originally running at 4.16 or 4.2Ghz, can't quite remember, but it overheated after some "intesive" processing, so we downclocked it.

Totally standard cooling too!

XP booted in about 12 seconds also.

 

[Cynic-al]

Re: Raptors are good

i have ordered the 74GB drive.

Yeah, i know about the F6 thing, have to do that now as my HDD's are on my mobos raid channel.

Cooling, possible as it is tight, but it has been in there 2 years in a lot worse conditions than it is now.

Didn't bother with raid controller as i would upgrade the mobo before i went for raid so i could do it onboard.

Didn't go for IDE hdd as i don't like investing in older technology, ok the HDD was double the price than an equiv IDE drive, but wheres the fun in sticking with what you know?

The OS will be on the new drive, my work will remain on my existing drives, where it's safe, i hope. lol