HD disk problems

[cracker]

Hi guys a bit of a problem.
My sons PC will not Boot up.

It gets to the writting stages and then there is a notice saying Immienant disk failure Replace disk.

It does give the option F1 to continue, but when you do this it goes to the XP splash screen and no further.
Do i need a new hard disk.

 

[krazylegz]

try a reformat first first then failing that i'd say a new HDD

 

[Magik]

i'd try a manufacturer disk diagnostics first. What make drive is it? whichever it is go to the manufacturers website on a different PC obviously, download their diagnostics then boot from floppy onto it and away it will go either running a basic test or an advanced test one or the other will definitively tell you whether the drive is fit for the bin or can be repaired.

If it does fix the drive, you still might not be able to boot as the problem on the drive could be in a part of the drive that is needed to boot, so if thats the case then run a disk check by loading the xp cd and selecting repair then chkdsk /r.

If it tells you a screwed drive then you still maybe able to retrieve data from it by plugging it inot another pc, but the fewer times you turn it on and off the better if it is about to fail.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[F.E.A.R]

grab yourself a copy of hirens boot cd mate, it has a few nice utils for diagnosis and repair of hdd`s
its invaluable when your puter goes tits up, everyone should have a copy

 

[davidk2001]

I use a cd called 'Techies Tools' - it's fantastic for just that kind of problem, but they all boil down to the manufacturers hard drive toolds first, it's just handy because they are all there to choose from from a drop down menu. I have fixed 3 hard drives this week that all stated that they were faulty. Using manufacturers tools. Even if you have to low level format, that can often fix the drive back to the new factory shipped state.

 

[deedie]

my old computer was giving this error for 3 yrs and its still going strong.

 

[IA_uk]

Hi
I would suggest you back up your data first. It is likely that the hdd has developed a fault possibly the media has bad sectors etc. Yes formating may fix it and especially low level format but please do check the instruction supplied with the program you use to low level format as this can also ruin it too.
The drive could still fail in the near future too so the fix may not be permanent.
Has the hdd or the pc been badly handled moved dropped etc or has been over heated store close to a radiator etc this may have been the cause for the failure. if the drive is quite old it may be worth buying a replacement to avoid the hassle.