Hard Disk Problem

[Holaxi]

Hello

I'm facing a very strange problem in my pc, I switched off my pc 3 days before, on next log on I got a message on screen of File Missing from System32/Config/System, i renewed the window, used it for few time and switched off the pc, on next log on i faced same error,

again I inserted window's cd, followed the process untill Start of Setup on Blue Screen

ova there, in Partitions list it was like written below

C: Local Disk [Unknown]
D: Local Disk [NTFS]
E: Local Disk [NTFS]

This UNKNOWN made me suspicious, I changed the hard disk with another one, & installed new windows, it worked fine for next 1 day, but today again the same error as said above

unfortunately I've lost another drive as well which shows [Unknown] in its file system & hence it has stopped working

I really have very imp data in it so please give me some guide lines to fix this error without losing precious data

Thank you....


(I've installed Win XP SP 2 from the same cd I've been installing b4, and in these 3 days, today is 7th time I installed the windows ),

Awaiting answer.....

[Izualim]

DO NOT install or try to write anything in it, find another computer where you can plug the disk where's your important data but don't try to boot from it. then you should find a recovery software like R-Studio to see if you are able to retrieve your important data. Recover your data first then you can worry about the HDD.

[lcoughey]

If very important data, I recommend that you seek the assistance of a data recovery pro in your area. At the very least, you should not run any data recovery programs against the drive until the drive is fully cloned, in which case, you would run the recovery programs against the clone.

[dmarques]

I agree that the drive need to be imaged, so if you don't have the necessary tools or knowledge to do that, you should get a quote from a pro.

[Vulcan]

@Holaxi,

I agree with the other comments from members so far. As far as I can understand from your story, you now have more than one problem (which can't be fully diagnosed remotely, using the information given so far):

a) multiple drives (2 or 3?) which are unbootable (corrupted filesystem? something else?), and
b) something about your PC (virus? hardware fault? something else?) which seems to have caused a similar problem, on multiple drives.

Your choices at this point depend on several factors (e.g. your attitude to risk, skills & experience, access to different PC(s) which can be trusted to be problem-free, value of the data to you, budget, timescale required for recovering the data, etc. etc.). Be very careful what you decide to do, as any DIY recovery attempts carry risks and you might make the situation worse.

[Izualim]

If very important data, I recommend that you seek the assistance of a data recovery pro in your area. At the very least, you should not run any data recovery programs against the drive until the drive is fully cloned, in which case, you would run the recovery programs against the clone.

I correct my previous post, I'm agree you should clone the drive completely before trying any recovery software. Anyway if your data is very important for you, the best option is to take it to a data recovery pro.
If you want to DIY, then clone the disk first.

[Holaxi]

Bundle of Thanks to all for replies,

I had to reinstall windows to get here

& Luckily drive E:/ has come back to its original position after re installation of windows & I've made a backup of it

I've no tension about it now

now the real problem is, when I'll shut down my PC, on next log on, after Win XP Logo hard disk will give an off sound & pc restart, & this problem will take me to re installation of windows, I'm tired of it, now please give me the suggestion about Its repairing by a good software

I'm having 2 hard disks at the moment, when i faced this error, i replaced the hard disk with another (3rd) one & I was shocked to see that this new one showed the same error as the old one, now I'm thinking that the hard drive which is secondary (not having C:/ drive) is forcing others for the error! I hope I've cleared my statement by wrong grammar )

[Vulcan]

I hope I've cleared my statement by wrong grammar )

Unfortunately no, at least not for me - I cannot fully understand your comments (too vague / ambiguous / insufficient detail), so it is not sensible for me to give advice, in case I am misunderstanding what you mean. Perhaps someone else understands you better then me; perhaps not.

[Holaxi]

I hope I've cleared my statement by wrong grammar )

Unfortunately no, at least not for me - I cannot fully understand your comments (too vague / ambiguous / insufficient detail), so it is not sensible for me to give advice, in case I am misunderstanding what you mean. Perhaps someone else understands you better then me; perhaps not.

I mean, I've installed Win XP few hours before, from that time I've not shut it down, after shut down, on next log on, It will proceed until Win XP logo & will get restarted & I'll have to reinstall Windows to get rid of it, on Blue Page while windows Installation in Directory Choosing page, where it shows partitions details, it shows like C: Local Disk [Unknown] D: Local Disk [NTFS], on file system place it shows [Unknown] in Windows Drive, on every shut down I had to re install Windows, from last 4 days I'm having this damn problem

Further Detail: I'm having 2 Drives in ma pc 80 + 80. Consider 1 hard as A & other as B, & another External Drive for back up consider it as C, I had a problem in drive B, i replaced it with drive C, then I had the same problem in drive C as it was before in Drive B, which was really shocking, in this case Drive A is still on place & working well, but B & C drives both are encountering the same problem which shouldn't be happening

Now have I made myself clear???

[Keatah]

Seems to me the system gets half-way though the boot process.
Then the disk makes a single click sound (park heads).
Then the PC does a hard reset.
Then the system restarts and loads a screen saying to continue installing Windows.

Am I right?

[Keatah]

I suggest trying with one disk for testing purposes, and as simple a configuration as possible.

Can you get a fully operational system by using one disk?

[Holaxi]

I suggest trying with one disk for testing purposes, and as simple a configuration as possible.

Can you get a fully operational system by using one disk?

Well, I guess this can be a good way to try, and yes about your above post, it happens same as you said, but it doesn't revert me back to Windows Installation, it shows Win XP Logo & gives me no option other than Installation of Windows, after that it works fine, and on shut down, Booooooom, same process again

But I'm gonna try to do it on single disk because I'm suspicious about the other one that it's causing it trouble, till I figure that out, any software related solution for 'Faulty Hard Disk' ??

Thanks a lot!

[Vulcan]

any software related solution for 'Faulty Hard Disk' ??

Depending on exactly which hard disk you are referring to as being "faulty", everything depends on getting an accurate diagnosis first, and finding what the real problem(s) is/are. For some of your story, I doubt that the hard disk itself is actually faulty (multiple disks with same behaviour...), and in any case the description "faulty hard disk" is too vague to know whether any software solution is appropriate. Therefore perform a more accurate diagnosis first - then consider solutions. Not the other way around, otherwise you will waste your time.

[Keatah]

Agreed. There might be a bios or driver problem. Or something going on in the interface or cable/motherboard/powersupply.

I don't think this is HDD prob.

[sathyan]

Seems more like your PC hardware is causing the problem .

(I've installed Win XP SP 2 from the same cd I've been installing b4, and in these 3 days, today is 7th time I installed the windows ),



I'm having 2 hard disks at the moment, when i faced this error, i replaced the hard disk with another (3rd) one & I was shocked to see that this new one showed the same error as the old one, now I'm thinking that the hard drive which is secondary (not having C:/ drive) is forcing others for the error!

Three hard disks , same fault, unlikely.
My guess is your PC power supply or motherboard has problem.

After you have taken backup of all your data(check properly if you have all your data) , connect only one Hard disk(confirmed working,use MHDD to test) and delete all partitions and do a fresh install of XP. Then shutdown and reboot and check.If problem still exists , get your PC serviced.

[BlackST]

Check your POWER SUPPLY, please.

Then check cabling and configuration.

[Keatah]

Try one disk at a time.

[fzabkar]

But I'm gonna try to do it on single disk because I'm suspicious about the other one that it's causing it trouble, till I figure that out, any software related solution for 'Faulty Hard Disk' ??

I have an icon on my desktop named "Fix_All_My_HDD_Problems_With_A_Single_Click.pif". The image is a stick of dynamite and a detonator. :-)

But seriously, I would be looking for malware rather than a hardware fault. Then, after building a fresh sytem from a clean source, I would use a disc editor to examine the partition table and MBR code in sector 0, and I would also examine the boot sector at sector 63.

Roadkil's Sector Editor:
http://www.roadkil.net/program.php/P24/Sector%20Editor

HxD - Freeware Hex Editor and Disk Editor:
http://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd

DMDE (DM Disk Editor and Data Recovery):
http://softdm.com/download.html

[Holaxi]

Thanks all for help , my problem is still with me ) but as I had to buy the new pc (i3) I've bought it with SATA drive, I've all the data backed up, I'll fix the old pc after I get some time

now give me suggestion please that how much partitions are good on 1 TB hard drive?

Thanks a lot!

[BlackST]

Don't buy a 1 TB drive, get more than 1 drive, SMALLER . And take care of them.

P.S. please don't save money on the power supply department !