Blue Screen Error

[psychofox]

Morning all, another day, another pc issue.

The missus was using the PC yesterday when it started to hang, she pressed the reset button, nothing happened, so pressed the on/off button. The PC rebooted, when into the PC blue screen hard disk check (as normal when not turned off properly), then loaded as normal.
Since then, every time the PC is turned on it goes into the 'blue screen disk check' before it boots. After booting the PC is fine, except it seems to take longer looking for larger files (i.e. video).
I have gone to the disk check/error check manually (r.click the hard drive, choose properties, etc). When the PC reboots for this, it blue screens as normal but the check takes literally seconds, I get the message 'Drive is Clean". I have never known this to be so quick.
Is this normal? How can I stop it from disk checking every time I turn it on?
The OS is XP sp3, and passes POST. I cannot hear any proplems with the hard drive, so I dont think its going to fail anytime soon.

Any ideas?

 

[Shadeyman]

Morning all, another day, another pc issue.

The missus was using the PC yesterday when it started to hang, she pressed the reset button, nothing happened, so pressed the on/off button. The PC rebooted, when into the PC blue screen hard disk check (as normal when not turned off properly), then loaded as normal.
Since then, every time the PC is turned on it goes into the 'blue screen disk check' before it boots. After booting the PC is fine, except it seems to take longer looking for larger files (i.e. video).
I have gone to the disk check/error check manually (r.click the hard drive, choose properties, etc). When the PC reboots for this, it blue screens as normal but the check takes literally seconds, I get the message 'Drive is Clean". I have never known this to be so quick.
Is this normal? How can I stop it from disk checking every time I turn it on?
The OS is XP sp3, and passes POST. I cannot hear any proplems with the hard drive, so I dont think its going to fail anytime soon.

Any ideas?

Sounds like your harddrive is about to fail. Back up all your important data while you have chance and start looking for a replacement.

 

[jenks69]

How old is the PC?

Defo backup all your data - might just need everything including windows to be re-installed.

 

[psychofox]

Sounds like your harddrive is about to fail. Back up all your important data while you have chance and start looking for a replacement.

Damn it.

 

[psychofox]

How old is the PC?

Defo backup all your data - might just need everything including windows to be re-installed.

It was rebuilt last year after I blew it up (there is a thread on it here somewhere), its not a particulary quick machine, AMD 3600+ I think.

 

[pasotibbs]

Morning all, another day, another pc issue.

The missus was using the PC yesterday when it started to hang, she pressed the reset button, nothing happened, so pressed the on/off button. The PC rebooted, when into the PC blue screen hard disk check (as normal when not turned off properly), then loaded as normal.
Since then, every time the PC is turned on it goes into the 'blue screen disk check' before it boots. After booting the PC is fine, except it seems to take longer looking for larger files (i.e. video).
I have gone to the disk check/error check manually (r.click the hard drive, choose properties, etc). When the PC reboots for this, it blue screens as normal but the check takes literally seconds, I get the message 'Drive is Clean". I have never known this to be so quick.
Is this normal? How can I stop it from disk checking every time I turn it on?
The OS is XP sp3, and passes POST. I cannot hear any proplems with the hard drive, so I dont think its going to fail anytime soon.

Any ideas?

As others have said backup your data now!!
Buy a new H/D and either copy the old drive to the new with something like Clonzilla http://clonezilla.org/ (this may fail if the drive is damaged)or start from scratch on the new drive.

 

[psychofox]

As others have said backup your data now!!
Buy a new H/D and either copy the old drive to the new with something like Clonzilla http://clonezilla.org/ (this may fail if the drive is damaged)or start from scratch on the new drive.

I guess im going to have to do this.
The hard drive is less then a year old, do you think I could claim it under warrenty from where the PC was put together (local PC shop)?

 

[psychofox]

Silly question, what is the best way to back up data?
Drag and drop "My Documents" onto a new drive or use software?

 

[SweetSugarHigh]

Get a program called "spacemonger" It will give you a nice visual representation of your drive making it wasier to make sure you get all your stuff.

You can chuck in a new drive (unplug old on) install windows/drivers/programs etc. Then turn off, reconenct old hdd so now both are connected, boot up using the new install and then simply copy paste from old to new anything important.

 

[psychofox]

Anyone know how long a HDD's warrenty is?

 

[pasotibbs]

Anyone know how long a HDD's warrenty is?

Can be up to 3 yrs but normally 1 .You can go to the makers web site and input the Serial No. ,while there you can also get diagnostic software.(but do this from another PC and don't run it until your data is safe !!)

It may be the drive is ok, but delaying at this stage could be fatal if the drive is failing every boot could be it's last !!!

If you have a second PC then slaving the drive and saving what you can is the best bet, you can then test the old drive at your leisure.

If we get a failing H/D that has important data on it we try to take an image ASAP that way if the drive fails we can restore the image to another drive and then recover the data or repair the Windows installation.

 

[psychofox]

Can be up to 3 yrs but normally 1 .You can go to the makers web site and input the Serial No. ,while there you can also get diagnostic software.(but do this from another PC and don't run it until your data is safe !!)

It may be the drive is ok, but delaying at this stage could be fatal if the drive is failing every boot could be it's last !!!

If you have a second PC then slaving the drive and saving what you can is the best bet, you can then test the old drive at your leisure.

If we get a failing H/D that has important data on it we try to take an image ASAP that way if the drive fails we can restore the image to another drive and then recover the data or repair the Windows installation.

Will back up tonight.
Should I bring it back to where the PC was made (local PC shop) or go direct to the HDD maker?

 

[Shadeyman]

Anyone know how long a HDD's warrenty is?

Warranty will vary from 1 to 5 years. Seagate offer a 5 year warranty on their OEM drives.
Unfortunately yours seems to probabely damaged(not covered by warranty) and is in the process of failing(Back up your data A.S.A.P.).
Damage can be caused buy a lot of things, Virus's, Impact, Over Heating, Not shutting the PC down correctly, even the heavy use from file sharing can cause damage.

1. Back up uour data NOW.
2. Try fixing the hard drive. Hard Drive Mechanic is good and can fix most failures.
http://www.highergroundsoftware.com
3. Be prepared to purchase a new drive.

 

[psychofox]

Warranty will vary from 1 to 5 years. Seagate offer a 5 year warranty on their OEM drives.
Unfortunately yours seems to probabely damaged(not covered by warranty) and is in the process of failing(Back up your data A.S.A.P.).
Damage can be caused buy a lot of things, Virus's, Impact, Over Heating, Not shutting the PC down correctly, even the heavy use from file sharing can cause damage.

1. Back up uour data NOW.
2. Try fixing the hard drive. Hard Drive Mechanic is good and can fix most failures.
http://www.highergroundsoftware.com
3. Be prepared to purchase a new drive.

Right, I have copied the important stuff (my docs, my music, my pics). Are there any system settngs that I should copy too? I am going to make another back up tonight (just in case). I used my brother's external drive which was set to FAT 32 (he has aready some stuff on it) which only recognises windows back up files less then 4gig (not sure why), so I copied and pasted.
I have called the shop where I got the drive from. They recon is should still be in warranty and from my discription they recon its a hard drive failure. They said they will send it back and sort it out for me but could take up to 3 weeks. I dont have another drive to use and getting another one will have to wait until payday.
Hopefully this will sort it.

 

[smokeyjoe03]

As with any product brought the customer should deal with the supplier NOT the manufacturer....this should only be done as a last resort.

If the shop you had it made is local, take the whole machine in and explain that the HDD is failing and that THEY should replace it. Its then THEIR responsability to contact the manufacturer about getting it replaced,

Is there not a Warranty or Guarentee on the receipt from the shop you had the computer from?

 

[Shadeyman]

Right, I have copied the important stuff (my docs, my music, my pics). Are there any system settngs that I should copy too? I am going to make another back up tonight (just in case). I used my brother's external drive which was set to FAT 32 (he has aready some stuff on it) which only recognises windows back up files less then 4gig (not sure why), so I copied and pasted.
I have called the shop where I got the drive from. They recon is should still be in warranty and from my discription they recon its a hard drive failure. They said they will send it back and sort it out for me but could take up to 3 weeks. I dont have another drive to use and getting another one will have to wait until payday.
Hopefully this will sort it.

Fat32 file system only recognises files smaller than 4GB, thats just the way it was designed.

It may be in warranty if its not been damaged by something you did, impact damage etc.
The shop probabely won't replace it as they don't know if its your fault the drive is failing or a manufacturer error. They'll send if off to be assessed by the manufacturer. If it turns out its a manufacturer error you'll get a new drive. If it turns out it was damaged by something you did you'll have to pay for the repair or buy a new drive.

 

[psychofox]

As with any product brought the customer should deal with the supplier NOT the manufacturer....this should only be done as a last resort.

If the shop you had it made is local, take the whole machine in and explain that the HDD is failing and that THEY should replace it. Its then THEIR responsability to contact the manufacturer about getting it replaced,

Is there not a Warranty or Guarentee on the receipt from the shop you had the computer from?

Im handing it in on Friday to them. No reciept, I get my PC stuff from there all the time (family friend owns/runs it) so im guessing he will just swap the drive for me.

 

[colin79666]

Right, I have copied the important stuff (my docs, my music, my pics). Are there any system settngs that I should copy too? I am going to make another back up tonight (just in case). I used my brother's external drive which was set to FAT 32 (he has aready some stuff on it) which only recognises windows back up files less then 4gig (not sure why), so I copied and pasted.
I have called the shop where I got the drive from. They recon is should still be in warranty and from my discription they recon its a hard drive failure. They said they will send it back and sort it out for me but could take up to 3 weeks. I dont have another drive to use and getting another one will have to wait until payday.
Hopefully this will sort it.

4GB is the file size limit for fat32
If you take an image of your drive with something like Clonezilla (as has been mention above) then you can just put your image on your new hard drive and be going again. No having to reinstall windows, programs etc

Personally I wouldn't want to return a hard drive that was failing (unless it was encrypted). Reason being you don't know who will have access to your data.