Question:
hard drive problems - won't boot; trying to use fixmbr but haven't been successful?
Diana B
14 years ago
My Computer
Inspiron 530, Vista 32, Core 2 Duo (E7400); 6gb RAM
HD - Seagate 500gb SATA

After leaving it off over the weekend, I started it up but couldn't boot. I'd get past the Dell Logo screen, and the screen would just be blank.

I'm thinking that the drive is all bad or just the MBR - it does show up in BIOS settings.

Using the OS CD, I went into recovery console and command prompt. I tried running bootrec, but I kept getting an error message "incorrect parameter". I'd type "bootrec.exe /fixmbr", "bootrec /fixmbr" and different permutations, from drives c, x or d, but keep getting the same messages.

I gave up and tried to reinstall the OS, figuring that if it showed up in BIOS settings, it's probably a good drive (if that's wrong, please let me know). unfortunately on the installation, the PC didn't see a HD to install it to - does that mean the drive is definitely dead?

This was actually a replacement for a unit that died in the summer of 2009. About last may or so, I started getting pre-boot sequence warning messages that the drive "had exceeded a parameter". I backed up what I could figuring I could afford to let it run its course. The "trouble" was that HD ran just fine - the warning message was the ONLY sign of a problem, which made me doubt that the fault was in the HD.

So my questions:
1) Is the HD the cause of this?
2) can the HD be saved, whether or not w/a reformat?
3) are there any other details I'm leaving out?
Six answers:
14 years ago
as far as i know, from what you said, your HDD is toast. i did the same thing with my Toshiba Satellite M35X's hard drive. it gave me that SMART warning that the drive failure is iminent. sure enough after a month, it wouldnt boot any longer. formatted the drive and tried to reinstall XP and at first it would give me an estimated time of.... 54 hours, yes tragic. after that it wouldnt even recognize the drive.



so if you have already backed up your files, i dont see what the big fuss is about. all the stuff i have is downloadable. and norton makes an online backup once a week. all my personal stuff i keep on 3 flashdrives totaling 13gb. that reminds me i need to buy a new one soon.
8 years ago
be advantageous to the touch teh outdoors of the chassis first to discharge any static electrical energy you have got on your physique, then proceed. A tiny spark from static electricty could reason havoc on your laptop. Remover the force from the chassis and then re-seat the force and attempt to boot returned. If that fails, purchase yet another no longer consumer-friendly force and deploy an working equipment. deploy the problemed force as a "slave force." There are specific little jumpers on the force which will tell it to act as a slave so as that the device boots from the hot force. as quickly as the device boots up, Open My laptop and see if the unique force is obtainable. if so, reproduction your old documents to the hot force right this moment - could be your final probability! If that fails, purchase a no longer consumer-friendly force enclosure for the old force. this could alow you to connect it exterior employing firewire to USB. Hook it as much as a various laptop to verify if the documents s obtainable. yet another advice is to apply a product called Disk Command which, if the no longer consumer-friendly force is obtainable, will assist you connect an extrnal force on your laptop and run fix approaches or reproduction of the documents to an exterior force. solid success!
Z
14 years ago
It is most likely a bios problem but first make sure the hard drive cables are well secured as they do have a tenancy to wiggle loose, detach and reattach.



I have seen this with Dell bios refusing to recognize drive. I have fixed this number of times by upgrading bios. This can be tricky to do cause most dell bios are executed within windows.



If you do have another drive just to test with, attach and see if bios see it.
albin
8 years ago
be sure to touch teh exterior of the chassis first to discharge any static electrical energy you may desire to have on your physique, then proceed. A tiny spark from static electricty could reason havoc on your pc. Remover the force from the chassis and then re-seat the force and attempt besides returned. If that fails, purchase yet another problematical force and deploy an working device. deploy the problemed force as a "slave force." There are particular little jumpers on the force which will tell it to act as a slave so as that the gadget boots from the recent force. as quickly as the gadget boots up, Open My pc and notice if the unique force is attainable. if so, replica your previous records to the recent force quickly - could be your final hazard! If that fails, purchase a problematical force enclosure for the previous force. this could alow you to connect it exterior utilising firewire to USB. Hook it as much as a distinctive pc to work out if the help s attainable. yet another advice is to apply a product called Disk Command which, if the problematical force is presented, will provide help to to connect an extrnal force on your laptop and run restoration approaches or replica of the help to an exterior force. sturdy luck!
Cool Dude
14 years ago
this is happening may be because of virus in the computer or else ur system file, DLL file is missing.



either u try to solve the problem by virus scanning mostly by quick heal anti virus or format ur pc and reload the OS



can you please answer my question that i asked about windows explorer



u can mail me on cool84dude19@yahoo.in
?
14 years ago
don't use software that is probably a big trojan.


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