Posted on 07/29/2012 1:25:08 PM PDT by trussell
It finished, the message I posted above was the only one until just now, I got “Booting Dell Diagnostic Utility Partition. Press any key to continue”
Another diagnostics shows error code 0F00:1332
MSG: Disk - Block 384: Interrupt request (IRQ) did not set in time
This was during a SATA Disk S/N = WD - WXH1A10J6134 - Confidence Test
Performing the drive’s internal self - test. Performing a read test at the beginning of the media ?? (can’t see the rest of the comment. It’s behind a scroll bar that won’t scroll)
Damaged software can be repaired but if the drive electronics fail to respond I will repeat my previous suggestion — before doing anything else get the data off the hard drive!!
I don’t know how, and I don’t have the money to pay anyone to do it. I’m lost :(
Many of the suggestions here might help but responders often advise the use of tools that they know how to use. None of us knows your level of expertise and I am reluctant to suggest a self-help solution without more info.
You don’t understand.
If you can get into safe mode, windows is not down, you’ve just lost a necessary driver, usually the video, and that’s no problem.
Using a boot disk doesn’t necessarily give you access to any part of the hard drive; it depends on what is damaged.
I repeat, win 98se is the last version that actually gives access to the commanf line from a normal boot.
You don’t understand.
If you can get into safe mode, windows is not down, you’ve just lost a necessary driver, usually the video, and that’s no problem.
Using a boot disk doesn’t necessarily give you access to any part of the hard drive; it depends on what is damaged.
I repeat, win 98se is the last version that actually gives access to the commanf line from a normal boot.
From your recent posts, it appears that the rotating speed of your hard drive is not constant, which is what is causing the errors.
That means that you will probably have to send it to a recovery facility to salvage your data. The shaft bearings might be failing.
On a Dell, the bios screen is reached by pressing F2 at the beginning of the boot sequence (when the “press F2 to go to setup” shows at the top of the screen)
>> “but if the drive electronics fail to respond I will repeat my previous suggestion — before doing anything else get the data off the hard drive” <<
This is a case where if A is true, B is impossible.
Neither you nor I can see what's happening.
Ouch. It’s the HD, the HD controller or cable. Probably the HD.
Well, consider what you really want.
The more you try to run the computer the more likely you are to destroy data on the hard drive.
Now, you may be able to get the computer to work for a few minutes by super-cooling it.
Have access to a meat locker or other very cold area?
The old trick was to put the hard drive in a baggie and put it in the frrezer overnight.
Supposedly that would help about a quarter of the time. It worked for me once years ago- long before laptops- the drive was only 250 MBs and the size of a large bible!
That would give you a chance to grab info off the hard drive, If you have access to a camera you could tape what’s on the screen while you’re running through the info you need and maybe get quite a bit.
It will not repair your hard drive. but it’s a trick that sometimes works just to get brief access to what’s on it.
For a laptop, I’d try putting it in front of an AC and running it there. If that didn’t help I’d try putting the laptop in a baggie after cooling it in front of the AC and stick it in the freezer overnight.
Consider moisture will condense on and in the laptop when you take it out of the freezer.
I think, in toto, your best bet would be to get a new used computer and usb enclosure and then do the freeze trick with the enclosure to get the old info.
I’m not a tech, see if others have better suggestion.
Yes, these computer panic threads can be frustrating for their lack of info.
we are trying the frozen HD overnight...we tried it for a few hours today, but same results.
How could it pull up the windows is loading files and the microsoft corporation screen if the HD was bad? Is that possible?
A tech could explain it much better, but the HD is tested by writing to it and when that isn;t what’s read back-or parity bits don’t add up- then the program shuts down.
Your HD works some- like the ‘utility partition’ with these tests on it.
According to the test something is wrong though.
First off, I’d put the whole laptop in the freezer.
If you don’t have a baggie that big, go to an air-conditioned room and put it in a plastic grocery bag,push out all the air, and tape it shut airtight.
The problem could be with the controller on the motherboard and the extra heat-sinking may help.
Also you’ll be starting up more quickly.
Also holding the laptop upside down or sideways may help.
Obviously this is just ‘why not try this it may work’ stuff.
If you just need to ger some info off the computer real quick then before you give up do take your laptop to a mom amd pop computer repair shop and beg for mercy. You never know- there are still very generous people in this world.
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?&docid=DSN_155502&isLegacy=true
Are you able to ‘Exit to MS-DOS’ ? CHKDSK may be able to help you but it’s very chancy.
Yup, and I have while following their step-by-step instructions. But I found the problem - a particularly nasty virus my commercial anti-virus software couldn't touch - and ripped it out by its roots. Worked...
Yes. HDs generally do not "fail" all at once. Performance starts to degrade and intermittent errors pop. Sometimes the drive can recover, sometimes it can't. The data you want may be accessible but the operating system to run the machine cannot be properly loaded.
that is a very good suggestion (among other options also mentioned)
sometimes re-seating your memory solves problems but if you have more than one, take them out one at a time to see if one of them is bad (it would do this behavior)
on a PC (desktop) pull out and re-seat all the boards that you can - it is surprising how often this works
clean off the contacts gently
bm
I’ve got bad news and I’ve got good news. The bad news is, it’s the HD that went. A very nice man at a computer services business said he could put it in an external case for $25 if it was ok...he told me to bring it in and he would check it and then let me decide if I could come up with the money to do it. He checked it and the motor wasn’t turning...so it’s bad. The data could be recovered, but it would have to be sent out and the cost was excessive...about $600
He told me the HD was notorious for going bad and sometimes the company way replace it even out of warranty. He had never heard of them doing a data recovery. I called the company, poured my heart out to them...and they are going to recover the data for me! That is...as long as it’s still recoverable.
I have to say, People sure can surprise you with their heart. I am pleased!!! I prayed the drive would be good...instead of answering that prayer, God chose to show me the kindness of strangers!
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