computer locks up, bios won't detect hard drive and won't start, rinse and repeat

[deathx88]

it started when my computer kept running chkdsk almost every time i booted my computer, this was going on for a few days.

one day it froze up and i restarted it, it ran chkdsk but it froze up on my at 80 percent during the stage 3 of the process.

when i restarted my pc i was getting a "bootmgr missing press crtl, alt, delete to restart" message.
so i tried using the vista recovery console to try and rebuild the bcd and to try and fix the bootsect. it wouldn't work when it said that a bcd didn't even exist.

i later realized when i went to setup that my master hard drive wasn't detecting in the bios. i also ran a diagnostics check and it didn't show up.

i thought my drive was dead, but pressing F5 to restore the system defaults brought my drive back in the bios. then i just simply boot my main drive back at the top of the list in the boot sequence and my computer seemed to start up again.

it ran chkdsk and of course it froze up again at 80 percent. i then went back to setup to see that it didn't show up in bios again, pressing F5 didn't seem to bring it back into the list either.

the next day i tried it again, i went into setup right away and wouldn't you know my hard drive showed back up again. i exited it but this time i skipped chkdsk and i actually got to my desktop.

everything seemed fine, but after about an hour it completely froze again. i checked my bios and the drive was gone again.


so there seems to be a pattern here. my computer freezes after about an hour, then it won't detect in the bios and i'll get a bootmgr missing message. my hard drive seems to come back into the bios list after several hours of not turning it on. i don't think it's a hard drive problem since everything seems to be fine with it when i get it running, and my computer is only 6 months old, so i don't know.

my pc
HP Pavilion a6607c
windows vista home sp1
amd 64 duel core 2.2ghz
3 gigs ram
seagate 320 gig (master) (the one that's disappearing)
maxtor 250 gig (slave)
western digital 160 gig (slave)

i also tried to unplug those hard drive and it didn't seem to help.


sorry for such a long post, i appreciate anyone who will help me.
thanks.

 

[iptech]

Your hard disk is knackered, time for a replacement and a reinstall.

BTW this is not a forum for end users, but at least you've gone to the effort of describing what steps you've taken to identify the problem, so I'm sure your post will be useful to some here.

 

[deathx88]

Your hard disk is knackered, time for a replacement and a reinstall.

BTW this is not a forum for end users, but at least you've gone to the effort of describing what steps you've taken to identify the problem, so I'm sure your post will be useful to some here.

thanks for the reply
but you're definitely sure that the hard drive is the problem? i just want to be extra sure so i don't waste money on a new drive.
but i don't get how a drive that's only 6 months old can die like this.

my main problem though, how can i get all my data off?

data recovery will cost at least $200 for something like this.

hopefully if my computer starts again i can try and use an external to get my data off, but an hour isn't enough.

are there any good ways to go about doing this?

 

[Psychoticus]

thanks for the reply
but you're definitely sure that the hard drive is the problem?

Yes it definatly is, you could try to update the bios software if you like but i doubt that will help.

my main problem though, how can i get all my data off?

There are lots of programs out there such as Norton Ghost or if you're after a free version try Clonezilla, providing your hdd isn't 1TB an hour should be ok(Unless it has REALLY bad problems)

data recovery will cost at least $200 for something like this.

Sometimes you do actually have to pay for professional services, would you try and fix the power lines outaside your house?

hopefully if my computer starts again i can try and use an external to get my data off, but an hour isn't enough.

are there any good ways to go about doing this?

Like i said before try using the programs or if the data is that important take it to a professional and let them take care of it.

 

[deathx88]

clonezilla sounds like the way to go, the drive is a 320 gig so i'm hoping it should copy really quickly.
my data is kinda important, are the any risks for using this program?


and this may be a stupid question, but what would be the best way to do this.

i have an external drive i can use and another computer.
i'm guessing i could set my busted drive to a slave and put it in the external enclosure.
if i get a new drive i could set that as a slave as well and put it in the other computer, right?

if i put the new drive in the other computer do i have to format and partition it first, then clone it?
and my busted drive has two partitions on it, if i clone it will it add both of them? i'm a little confused on this.

 

[ATTech]

my data is kinda important, are the any risks for using this program?

Yup. If you do it incorrectly, then you can wipe the very drive you are trying to save. You could also say that if there is a physical issue with the disk, the more you run it, the more chance you have of losing your data, but there isn't really an alternative to not running it.

i have an external drive i can use and another computer.
i'm guessing i could set my busted drive to a slave and put it in the external enclosure.
if i get a new drive i could set that as a slave as well and put it in the other computer, right?

Just hook up the old drive and the new drive to a computer. Internally would be ideal, but it really doesn't matter.

if i put the new drive in the other computer do i have to format and partition it first, then clone it?
and my busted drive has two partitions on it, if i clone it will it add both of them? i'm a little confused on this.

There is two options to cloning: You can clone a partition, or you can clone the drive. The former does what it says, it clones a partition to another partition. In that case, yes, you would need to partition and format the drive. The latter option is typically better; The new drive will be an exact clone of the old drive.

 

[deathx88]

i was on their website and stuff looking at how to use the program, it kinda makes me a little nervous using this since i'm not sure which of the stuff i'm supposed to click on.

do you think any of you guys could write down a step by step procedure for cloning my busted drive to the new one.
i tried searching for tutorials but they're either for linux or for different options.

i also took a look at norton ghost and that program seems really easy to use from the pictures i saw, i'm not sure though.

 

[MrUnknown]

my main problem though, how can i get all my data off?

data recovery will cost at least $200 for something like this.

If your data was important enough to not lose, then you should have had backups. Every single hard drive produced will fail at some point. When is up to them. Recovering from a failure is always harder and more expensive than preventing it in the first place.

There are tons of tutorials on how to use disk cloning software. If you want a GUI, buy Acronis or I think Easeus has a free disk imaging program you boot to.

As mentioned, this forum is not for end-user support. There are plenty of other forums out there that will probably be willing to walk you through every step of disk cloning unless someone else on the forum is willing to do it.

edit: stop turning your computer on unless you are cloning it. you will kill the drive faster.

 

[deathx88]

If your data was important enough to not lose, then you should have had backups. Every single hard drive produced will fail at some point. When is up to them. Recovering from a failure is always harder and more expensive than preventing it in the first place.

There are tons of tutorials on how to use disk cloning software. If you want a GUI, buy Acronis or I think Easeus has a free disk imaging program you boot to.

As mentioned, this forum is not for end-user support. There are plenty of other forums out there that will probably be willing to walk you through every step of disk cloning unless someone else on the forum is willing to do it.

edit: stop turning your computer on unless you are cloning it. you will kill the drive faster.

well as i said, my computer and hard drive are only 6 months old. compared to my other two drive which are a couple years old this drive WAS my backup drive. i would have never guessed it would die so soon.

i haven't turned my pc on since the last time it froze on me, i figured it was killing it more.

but i suppose you guys have been helpful enough for my problem, i'll try and maybe find a youbtube tutorial or something.

 

[TimJacobs]

My best advice.... Take it to a professional, that knows what they are doing...

As far as hard drive Failure.... It can happen at any time, I have had them fail after a week and I have had them fail right out of the box, I have also had them last 8 years... Hard drives have Moving parts (except Solid State) and ANYTHING with moving parts will fail If this was the back up then the other hard drive with the Original Data Should have the Original Data Right???

If the back up is what failed and the Original is still Good, Then Back up the original drive, not the back up...

If there is data on the back up that isn't on the Original than it's not a backup...


Always have more than one backup.... Always


P.S. Is your data so important that you can't lose it??? If it is than Don't try this yourself... Don't try to Fly a plane if your not a pilot.... Don't try to recover data on a Bad drive if your not a Tech.... We have Professional for that.


If you can lose your data then try it, if you can't DON'T

Once again..... Get a Professional to do it...... Is your data worth $2 or $200 or even $2000 it might even be priceless....

 

[iptech]

but i suppose you guys have been helpful enough for my problem, i'll try and maybe find a youbtube tutorial or something.

Great idea, here's one that should help you.

 

[Psychoticus]

i was on their website and stuff looking at how to use the program, it kinda makes me a little nervous using this since i'm not sure which of the stuff i'm supposed to click on.

do you think any of you guys could write down a step by step procedure for cloning my busted drive to the new one.
i tried searching for tutorials but they're either for linux or for different options.

i also took a look at norton ghost and that program seems really easy to use from the pictures i saw, i'm not sure though.

You do realise that clonezilla is a LiveCD which means you will be using a base of linux but running it off the CD. Below is a link to a good tutorial, scroll down a few lines and you'll see it.

CloneZilla Tutorial

 

[ATTech]

i was on their website and stuff looking at how to use the program, it kinda makes me a little nervous using this since i'm not sure which of the stuff i'm supposed to click on.

do you think any of you guys could write down a step by step procedure for cloning my busted drive to the new one.
i tried searching for tutorials but they're either for linux or for different options.

i also took a look at norton ghost and that program seems really easy to use from the pictures i saw, i'm not sure though.

They already have that on the Clonezilla site.

http://clonezilla.org/clonezilla-live/doc/

The third set, Disk to disk clone is the set you want to follow.

 

[deathx88]

They already have that on the Clonezilla site.

http://clonezilla.org/clonezilla-live/doc/

The third set, Disk to disk clone is the set you want to follow.

that's exactly what i was looking for, but i think i'm just going to send the drive into somewhere, i don't want to risk anything.

it shouldn't be too expensive, so hopefully everything should go well.

Great idea, here's one that should help you.

HAA!

 

[iptech]

that's exactly what i was looking for, but i think i'm just going to send the drive into somewhere, i don't want to risk anything.

it shouldn't be too expensive, so hopefully everything should go well.

You reckon? Last time I sent a disk off for recovery it was twice the cost of a new laptop just to recover less than 20Gig of data.

It's always best to image a drive whilst it spins up and recover the data from the image. Never work any more than you absolutely have to on a failing hard drive. Learn to recognise the symptoms of a failing drive from this experience!

 

[deathx88]

some guy messaged me on another site, said he would do it for $164
but i think i can get it down cheaper from this other person that helped me before.

i'll try to be more aware of the symptoms of a dying drive. next time a chkdsk starts everytime i boot up i'll be sure to get my stuff to safety right away.

 

[iptech]

some guy messaged me on another site, said he would do it for $164

Good luck with that & make sure you leave the engine running when you eventually return the remnants of this job to your customer, I think you'll need a quick getaway on this one.