Very Perplexing 0x0000007B error

[DonsTechnology]

Ok, so I've got a customer that her laptop will go 2 seconds into the windows xp boot then bluescreen. so it is recognized for that amount of time on her computer.

Now before i go any further, I have read any post here or at Microsoft that even mentions the error code, so I've done my research.

No here is the weird part:
I boot up via the windows CD to repair, No hard drive detected.
I attach to external HD case (windows and Linux computers) nothing detected.
I attach internally (windows and linux computers) nothing detected.

I do hear it spin when it gets power (quietly, but it does)

So how is this possible, would a bootsector virus cause the HD to not be read by anything else, or is the HD failing in a weird way. (because usually they don't fail at EXACTLY the same time each boot)

Please throw me a bone here if you've got any suggestions.

Its a Dell Inspiron E1505 w XP MCE
The HD is a Fujitsu MHV2040BH (SATA 40GB)

Thanks Guys!!!!

 

[MobileTechie]

The most obvious conclusion to a drive not being detected by a computer when attached directly to the IDE bus, is that it is broken. However the fact that it goes into the XP bootscreen suggests that the original computer is detecting it and getting some data.

When you attach it to another computer, are you certain you are checking the detection properly? Are you going into Drive Manager and checking or just relying on seeing a new drive pop up in My Computer?

Failure for boot disks to find the disk is not proof the disk is broken. I don't quite know how it works but it appears they need certain structure on the disk to see the disk at all and that these can be unreadable due to bad sectors.

Have you tried UBCD and the disk test tools on it (like Seatools for instance)? Can they see it and what problems do they report?

 

[DonsTechnology]

nope, i go into the disk management applicaton on both linux and windows, and refresh and reload all drives, still nothing.

heres anothe weird thing. when it gives me tne error code, it doesnt explain at all, like by saying stop error xxxx innaccessabl_ disk, etc; it just gives me the 0x0000007B nothin else.

 

[MobileTechie]

nope, i go into the disk management applicaton on both linux and windows, and refresh and reload all drives, still nothing.

heres anothe weird thing. when it gives me tne error code, it doesnt explain at all, like by saying stop error xxxx innaccessabl_ disk, etc; it just gives me the 0x0000007B nothin else.

That's not very unusual really.

And what about the other suggestions?

 

[xxsilk109xx]

sounds like a bad hard drive to me, I have seen drives boot into windows and then lock up, or work but just run so slow that its almost unresponsive. Chalk it up as a bad drive

if it has bad sectors, then it means its going to need to be replaced sooner or later. if disk diag. software gives you errors, then for sure its a drive issue.

 

[JAY]

I had the same error code and same symptons, ie no hard drive showing after i'd re-partioned my hard drive. I knew the drive was good. Xp seemed to be starting then would just blue screen with only a single line of information as described above.

I planned to repair using XP disk but it said no HD found!

My solution was fairly simple in the end restarted computer using last known good configuration and worked.

 

[DonsTechnology]

well I found out in the Dell diagnostic that it would fail on DST short test, which means something is wrong with the HD.

Anyway, I've tried everything, last known, safe mode, SM W/ command prompt, etc. And even tried connecting it to linux which has always in the past recognized a failing/failed drive, and would notify me of such.

Well, I got a new HD for it, and it works, so I guess it was the HD.

Any suggestion of how to get the customer's data (short of paying hundreds of dollars to drive savers)?

Thanks Guys!

 

[TmouR]

Try booting in a PE environment and run fix_hdc.cmd.
This batch will reset hard disk's controller driver.

fix_hdc.cmd:

 

[DCGPX]

Even though you've found your problem....

I have just done a HP DV6000 that did exactly this. I had to go into BIOS and disable SATA Native mode, would boot up fine after that except runs dog slow

XP doesn't like SATA drives on native unless your at SP2+ and have correct iastore.sys

I updated the SATA AHCI chipset drive from HP and could then turn on native mode again to get normal performance.

Obviously not your problem but something to bear in mind to try and get a system up.

Client denies all knowledge of 'tweaking' except I found several Softpaq from a day or so ago on C drive, I bet he tried updating and put wrong driver in

 

[DonsTechnology]

Even though you've found your problem....

I have just done a HP DV6000 that did exactly this. I had to go into BIOS and disable SATA Native mode, would boot up fine after that except runs dog slow

XP doesn't like SATA drives on native unless your at SP2+ and have correct iastore.sys

I updated the SATA AHCI chipset drive from HP and could then turn on native mode again to get normal performance.

Obviously not your problem but something to bear in mind to try and get a system up.

Client denies all knowledge of 'tweaking' except I found several Softpaq from a day or so ago on C drive, I bet he tried updating and put wrong driver in

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind in the future, except, this version of the Dell BIOS didn't have any options besides boot order, and other basic settings.

 

[echoztrip]

I see the "7B" bluescreen on mostly XP and 2003 machines. As mentioned above, changing the SATA mode to ATA in the BIOS usually will work. Even on basic systems there is normally an option in regards to the drive mode.

Otherwise you need to load the drivers for the hard drive controller on the system!