a rather serious (and urgent) problem...

ixfd64 · 2008-11-14, 07:09

Earlier today, I noticed that my monitor had no video input. I checked the connection and saw that nothing was wrong with it. I figured that something must have gone wrong with the computer, so I manually forced it to restart.

After that, it automatically ran chkdsk.exe and told me that everything was fixed. However, the computer stopped booting and told me that a system file was missing. I restarted the computer again and it told me that the "PBR [partition boot record] of descriptor 2" failed. I restarted a few more times and was able to log in, but I would get the dreaded "blue screen of death" within a short time.

I tried using the normal safe mode and the same thing happens. I then used the safe mode with the command prompt and everything seems to work, but when I shut down the computer, it displays a "blue screen of death" instead of actually shutting down.

I'm really hoping that it wasn't a hard drive crash, but my instincts are telling me otherwise. The computer is fairly new (we purchased it in 2004), so it seems odd that the hard drive would fail so early. Today's hard drives are supposed to be very durable; I've heard they are supposed to have MTBFs of around 500,000 hours - that's over half a century! Also, my computer is a desktop, and I'm pretty sure desktop computers are less prone to hard drive failures.

I'm going to take the computer home and run the Windows boot disk on it and see what happens. Is there anything else I should do in this case?

There were no "clicks of death" or any other sounds that could indicate a hard drive failure, but then again, not all HD crashes make sounds. I guess I'll find out when I get access to the Windows XP CD tomorrow.

Any help would be very much appreciated. By the way, I'm posting from my university's computing center and it isn't open 24/7, so I won't be able to check this topic so often.

tha · 2008-11-14, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixfd64

Earlier today, I noticed that my monitor had no video input.
Any help would be very much appreciated. By the way, I'm posting from my university's computing center and it isn't open 24/7, so I won't be able to check this topic so often.

Hard to say, there are so many different things that could be wrong. By any chance were you running AVG anti virus? That program deleted a critical windows file a couple of days ago. see http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/110273

Flatlander · 2008-11-14, 20:59

Maybe you could try booting with a linux live cd and trying to back up your data in case the HD is on the way out?
I've had 3 hard drives fail on me in the last five years, the warning signs were drive thrashing/stuttering on booting and then crashing or freezing soon after.

Actually, I've just remembered that one of the 'failures' was due to low voltages from a warn PSU. iirc The drive was fine.

ixfd64 · 2008-11-15, 03:34

I just got word that it was a HD crash. Are there any useful methods for recovering data?

henryzz · 2008-11-15, 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixfd64

I just got word that it was a HD crash. Are there any useful methods for recovering data?

put the drive in another pc would work also u could follow the above suggestion and use a linux livecd

Flatlander · 2008-11-15, 14:37

It's a bit late here but I recommend Carbonite. It's $50 U.S. per year and runs in the background constantly backing up any files you have flagged. (Requires an always-on internet connection.) It also keeps previous versions of backed up files.
There is no limit to the amount you can backup, but anything you delete from your hard drive is removed from the backup a month later.
Microsoft SyncToy is also good for mirroring stuff onto another drive, even over a local network.

I hope you're able to recover everything.

xilman · 2008-11-15, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixfd64

I just got word that it was a HD crash. Are there any useful methods for recovering data?

Many, depending on whether you have good backups, how bad your disk is damaged and how much you are prepared to pay to get your data back.

If you have another disk with plenty of space on it, it's often a good idea to plug that in and then boot from a live Linux CD. It will give you an environment where you can try to mount your old partitions read-only and copy over all the data to the new disk. If you can't mount the old partitions, you can at least try to dd(1) the raw data in a partition on the old disk to a file on the new one. Repeat for each partition and you've then got a backup of your data as far as possible. If you don't know what all this means, find a local geek to hold your hand while you do it.

if you're lucky, the MS recovery console may be enough to rebuild your boot partition. If you're not, you're going to have to re-install on a new disk. Use FAT partitions! This is very important!! In that case, first install the borked disk in your machine and see whether the new install can see it. if so, copy off what you can. If not, install the backup disk in your machine and reboot from a LiveCD. Use what you have available from the first round of Linux hacking and copy your files on to the new disk as best as you can. Again, you'll probably find a local geek extremely useful.

Good luck!

Paul

(I'm in a similar position now. The disk is fine, the data is fine but the /boot partition was hosed by a power-outage a couple of days ago. After trying everything I could think of, I'm now in the office having just downloaded and burnt fresh installation DVDs. As soon as I get home recovery will begin.)

henryzz · 2008-11-15, 18:23

i forgot about it being the mbr that is the problem
if u have a boot floppy with fdisk on then you can do fdisk /mbr and it will sort out ur MBR for windows
a google search will explain this method further

xilman · 2008-11-15, 23:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

(I'm in a similar position now. The disk is fine, the data is fine but the /boot partition was hosed by a power-outage a couple of days ago. After trying everything I could think of, I'm now in the office having just downloaded and burnt fresh installation DVDs. As soon as I get home recovery will begin.)

Recovery is proceeding, but it will be at least a day before I have something I regard as usable and I'll probably still be finding things missing or wrong for weeks.

I'm reduced to using an elderly Mac for internet access....

ixfd64 · 2008-11-16, 05:18

Hey, I've got some good news. My father borrowed an IDE hard drive adapter from his office and it seems that at least most of my files (including my current LL test) could be recovered. On top of that, I now have a brand new 450 GB hard drive!

It looks like I'll have to reinstall my software and the Windows updates, but I guess that's ultimately better than losing my valuable files!

hhh · 2008-11-16, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by ixfd64

Hey, I've got some good news. My father borrowed an IDE hard drive adapter from his office and it seems that at least most of my files (including my current LL test) could be recovered. On top of that, I now have a brand new 450 GB hard drive!

It looks like I'll have to reinstall my software and the Windows updates, but I guess that's ultimately better than losing my valuable files!

Ahem. You just had one HD-crash. Let me suggest you return straight to the shop and get another one. Or a smaller one, if you are on a budget.

Preferrably external, it will help making backups, which are, by the way, one of the most underrated concepts of Information Technology.

My 2 cents. H.

2008-11-14, 07:09	#1
ixfd64 Bemusing Prompter "Danny" Dec 2002 California 2·5·239 Posts	a rather serious (and urgent) problem... Earlier today, I noticed that my monitor had no video input. I checked the connection and saw that nothing was wrong with it. I figured that something must have gone wrong with the computer, so I manually forced it to restart. After that, it automatically ran chkdsk.exe and told me that everything was fixed. However, the computer stopped booting and told me that a system file was missing. I restarted the computer again and it told me that the "PBR [partition boot record] of descriptor 2" failed. I restarted a few more times and was able to log in, but I would get the dreaded "blue screen of death" within a short time. I tried using the normal safe mode and the same thing happens. I then used the safe mode with the command prompt and everything seems to work, but when I shut down the computer, it displays a "blue screen of death" instead of actually shutting down. I'm really hoping that it wasn't a hard drive crash, but my instincts are telling me otherwise. The computer is fairly new (we purchased it in 2004), so it seems odd that the hard drive would fail so early. Today's hard drives are supposed to be very durable; I've heard they are supposed to have MTBFs of around 500,000 hours - that's over half a century! Also, my computer is a desktop, and I'm pretty sure desktop computers are less prone to hard drive failures. I'm going to take the computer home and run the Windows boot disk on it and see what happens. Is there anything else I should do in this case? There were no "clicks of death" or any other sounds that could indicate a hard drive failure, but then again, not all HD crashes make sounds. I guess I'll find out when I get access to the Windows XP CD tomorrow. Any help would be very much appreciated. By the way, I'm posting from my university's computing center and it isn't open 24/7, so I won't be able to check this topic so often.

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2008-11-14, 20:59	#3
Flatlander I quite division it "Chris" Feb 2005 England 31×67 Posts	Maybe you could try booting with a linux live cd and trying to back up your data in case the HD is on the way out? I've had 3 hard drives fail on me in the last five years, the warning signs were drive thrashing/stuttering on booting and then crashing or freezing soon after. Actually, I've just remembered that one of the 'failures' was due to low voltages from a warn PSU. iirc The drive was fine.

2008-11-15, 03:34	#4
ixfd64 Bemusing Prompter "Danny" Dec 2002 California 2×5×239 Posts	I just got word that it was a HD crash. Are there any useful methods for recovering data?

2008-11-15, 14:37	#6
Flatlander I quite division it "Chris" Feb 2005 England 4035₈ Posts	It's a bit late here but I recommend Carbonite. It's $50 U.S. per year and runs in the background constantly backing up any files you have flagged. (Requires an always-on internet connection.) It also keeps previous versions of backed up files. There is no limit to the amount you can backup, but anything you delete from your hard drive is removed from the backup a month later. Microsoft SyncToy is also good for mirroring stuff onto another drive, even over a local network. I hope you're able to recover everything.

2008-11-15, 18:23	#8
henryzz Just call me Henry "David" Sep 2007 Cambridge (GMT/BST) 2³×3×5×7² Posts	i forgot about it being the mbr that is the problem if u have a boot floppy with fdisk on then you can do fdisk /mbr and it will sort out ur MBR for windows a google search will explain this method further

2008-11-16, 05:18	#10
ixfd64 Bemusing Prompter "Danny" Dec 2002 California 2×5×239 Posts	Hey, I've got some good news. My father borrowed an IDE hard drive adapter from his office and it seems that at least most of my files (including my current LL test) could be recovered. On top of that, I now have a brand new 450 GB hard drive! It looks like I'll have to reinstall my software and the Windows updates, but I guess that's ultimately better than losing my valuable files!