Vista hell on Toshiba laptop, ideas?

[mslink]

I received a Toshiba laptop from a client the other day, running Windows Vista Home. He said he dropped it (I don't know how hard), would no longer boot & tried to do a system repair but didn't have a disk so they brought it to me.

I got the machine, put in the Vista CD, did a start up repair and fixed the problem with the MBR. Once into Windows it seemed to be working alright and had all the data. There was an error that started coming up about the buffer cache service being stopped & also the index service. It would just pop up after the machine being on for 10 minutes, click ok error goes a way. I tried to do a system repair with the CD or restore to earlier point. I also noticed it running really really slow. I talked to the client and told him to fix it properly it would require a backup & format / reinstall of the OS, I also got him to upgrade to Windows 7.

When backing up the system, it would always shut off after 30 or 40 minutes of being on but it wasn't completely off, I'd have to power it down then power back up...this was last night. It was a pain trying to back everything up this way. Which I haven't completed. This morning, I started another backup hoping for a better turn out, I left for a few hours on a call, when I got back, same thing off. Got it back up, and now it won't boot. Safe Mode wouldn't boot and either returned this error or just shut down. When trying to do a normal boot this error always came up.

"STOP: c000021a {fetal system error}
The Session Manager Core Session failure system process terminated unexpectedly
The system has been shut down."

I've tried doing chkdsk, sfc /scannow and it says the drive is locked. Maybe there's another way to make this happen in Vista that I don't know, or without it booting.

Now, I'm unable to finish getting the data. The most important is his Outlook data, the serial number for Office suite, and really that's the most important. I don't want to have to tell him I can't get either. If I can just get that, I can use Kill Disk, then just put Windows 7 on and restore his programs and data.

If this were XP I'd be able to use UBCD4Win and work it all out. Is there a tool anyone suggests, method or process that works with Vista to get this done? Told him I'd have it done today/tomorrow but I had no idea it was going to just get bad before I got the data off. The customer has a big business and I'd like to get him as a client / in good with him and build a lasting relationship. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

 

[NYJimbo]

He said he dropped it (I don't know how hard), would no longer boot & ....

HINT

There was an error that started coming up about the buffer cache service being stopped & also the index service. It would just pop up after the machine being on for 10 minutes, click ok error goes a way. I tried to do a system repair with the CD or restore to earlier point. I also noticed it running really really slow.

BIG HINT

Got it back up, and now it won't boot. Safe Mode wouldn't boot and either returned this error or just shut down. When trying to do a normal boot this error always came up.

"STOP: c000021a {fetal system error}
The Session Manager Core Session failure system process terminated unexpectedly
The system has been shut down."

I've tried doing chkdsk, sfc /scannow and it says the drive is locked.

HUGE HINT

Now, I'm unable to finish getting the data.

ALL DONE. GAME OVER. THE FAT LADY HAS SUNG.

Didnt the fact you had a bad MBR after a drop worry you?. As each thing above happened didnt you think things were getting progressively worse?.

If this were XP I'd be able to use UBCD4Win and work it all out.

WRONG.

After the first re-occurance of issues you should have cloned that drive or at least done an image. Try to do one now with a true clone program like Acronis Migrate Easy. I think you are in for a long night.

 

[wimwauters]

After the first re-occurance of issues you should have cloned that drive or at least done an image. Try to do one now with a true clone program like Acronis Migrate Easy. I think you are in for a long night.

Spot on. Never trust a dropped system. It's not just the hard disk that will fail prematurely

 

[NYJimbo]

In the future, you might want to do some in depth diagnostics on the drive (after imaging of course) before offering to reload or upgrade the OS. Also, the hard drive could be the tip of a very nasty iceberg on a dropped computer.

He's looking at three possible scenarios:

1) damaged and dying hard drive

2) damaged computer that is masquerading as a dying hard drive

3) a little bit of both

What he should have done is remove the drive and cloned it or at least backup as much as possible. After that he could do whatever he is capable of testing the machine itself to see if thats the problem.

Right now he has probably got a dead drive and maybe a dead or dying machine. Heck, it could just be one of the cpu fan isnt spinning or something is overheating because a chassis fan stopped working.

But he had lots of alarms to get that data backed up or cloned and he kept on running all kinds of tests and reloads for what appears to be two days.

Well, lesson learned (I hope).

 

[mslink]

Now I can see I made a mistake. Lesson learned. I'm going to try and get a enclosure for the drive and see if I can get the data that way. So are you guys hinting at the fact or saying that the hard drive is completely bad and needs to be replaced and that a wipe with Kill Disk and reinstall won't work either?

I know I screwed up. Any advice how on to move forward is greatly appreciated.

 

[NYJimbo]

So are you guys hinting at the fact or saying that the hard drive is completely bad and needs to be replaced and that a wipe with Kill Disk and reinstall won't work either?

Didnt you say the information on this disk was important?. I think we are hinting you need to clone that drive, even if you have to use a cloning program that will try to copy sector by sector if possible.

But that aside, think about this, if the drive is "completely bad and needs to be replaced " why would you want to wipe it and reinstall ?. Even if it did work, you dont know why it got progressively worse and yet you are putting in a fresh O/S and giving it back to the client. A very bad idea if you ask me.

You have to isolate the cause of this failure, either the machine is bad or the HD is bad, could be both, but it has to be determined.

 

[mslink]

Ok. After I get the drive cloned of course, and maybe get him a new drive for the install. How would you test the motherboard? I don't want to get a new drive and found out the thing is screwed more. He said it just fell out of his lap when he was sitting down, there's no dents or damage on the outside of the case so it wasn't too hard. I've dropped my mac book on tile from 5' up and that sucker still runs great.

 

[NYJimbo]

How would you test the motherboard? I don't want to get a new drive and found out the thing is screwed more.

This really goes to System Diagnostics 101, you test the whole system and I'm not going to tell a tech how to do that.

As to getting a new drive and then finding out its not the problem, put the drive back in your stock and use it for the next computer that comes in with drive issues. I'm surprised you dont have any common spares already.

He said it just fell out of his lap when he was sitting down, there's no dents or damage on the outside of the case so it wasn't too hard.

Yes, it was.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Now I can see I made a mistake. Lesson learned. I'm going to try and get a enclosure for the drive and see if I can get the data that way. So are you guys hinting at the fact or saying that the hard drive is completely bad and needs to be replaced and that a wipe with Kill Disk and reinstall won't work either?

With what you have described so far it looks like a bd drive among other issues. Once you remove the drive from the machine and then boot the machine to a live CD it should clue you in some other issues if the machine still shuts down with the drive out of it. I really don't want to add insult to injury but it should be instinct to get the drive out of the machine and clone the drive, especially if the data is important and especially after a drop. Time is of these essence with a failing drive and the more torking and screwing around you do (i.e. Fix MBR, repair install, 3-4 tries at backing up with drive still in the machine) with it is taking time of that drive. Sometimes you only get one shot and it is not clear if you blew your one shot or not. Some drives will run even damaged for an unforseen amount of time and others will decline very fast. If all you can think of is it must be OS/software issues after a drop you really need to refer this client to someone who knows what they are doing.

EDIT: A little late posting this. Didn't see updated posts since. Consider yourself lucky you got an image of the drive. Now charge the guy for a backup and send him and his machine to someone who can diagnose it now.

 

[NYJimbo]

EDIT: A little late posting this. Didn't see updated posts since. Consider yourself lucky you got an image of the drive.

I dont think he did get an image, did I miss something.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

I dont think he did get an image, did I miss something.

I misinterpreted his last post. I think you are right.

My timing is off today. Busy in the shop. I'll start a post and get called away from it, do some work, come back and try to pick up where I've left off. Multitasking with ADD sort of thing.

 

[mslink]

Using Acronis Migrate Easy, I got to 72% of copying the drive until I got an unable to read disk 3 sector 162465948, there's about 10 sectors in total it couldn't get. I selected ignore and now I'm at 74%, not sure if it's froze or what yet. I'll wait longer. Using PC-Check on the laptop, with no hard drive in it, most of it has passed but I still have a few tests to do. Hoping this image hasn't frozen and that there's either not important data on the sectors it can't read or I'll be able to get them. Crossing my fingers.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Get a fan blowing on the drive while its out of the machine. Try to keep it as cool as possible. Even if it seems stuck at the same point for a while, it might have hit some of the bad blocks/sectors. I ran a clone a week ago on a bad drive (on an Apple drive not using Acronis) it ran for about a week. Finally it was stuck at around 94% for nearly 3 days and I decided to pull the plug hoping I got mostly a good image. Turns out it took some work putting the pieces back together on the new drive and a little data was lost due to corruption, but overall the customer and I were happy with the results.

 

[NYJimbo]

Using Acronis Migrate Easy, I got to 72% of copying the drive until I got an unable to read disk 3 sector 162465948, there's about 10 sectors in total it couldn't get. I selected ignore and now I'm at 74%, not sure if it's froze or what yet. I'll wait longer. Using PC-Check on the laptop, with no hard drive in it, most of it has passed but I still have a few tests to do. Hoping this image hasn't frozen and that there's either not important data on the sectors it can't read or I'll be able to get them. Crossing my fingers.

See if the drive feels REALLY hot. Sometimes a bang will screw up the motor and the bearings will create a unusually higher amount of heat and bring the temp up on the controller board to a point where it will seize or perform unexpectedly.

74% is nice. I dont want you to kill and restart it, but if this fails you might try again. But the fact you got this far shows that the drive is at least working. 74% in might be the damaged zone or it could be heat.

Even if you cannot finish this drive, keep that software. I used it just a couple days ago cloning a dying drive off a Inspiron 6000 when it started slowing down doing MBAM scans and reported a "failed delayed write". Turns out the Toshiba drive in the customers computer was also generating too much heat from the spindle (probably failing bearings).

 

[NYJimbo]

Get a fan blowing on the drive while its out of the machine.

+1. I almost beat you but a customer just brought in a dead HP 6700 and I had to go make some money.

 

[mslink]

75%...

Any suggestions for recovering his Office Serial numbers? I know they are stored in the registry somewhere but I can no longer access that. Any other methods or location to find it?

 

[NYJimbo]

unless you plan to use it for frying a hamburger

Mmmmmm.... hamburger...

 

[mslink]

Got a decent image. Hopefully he has his office serial somewhere. Got a new hard drive. Ran PC Check diagnostics on everything and it all passed, even the stress test.


Originally before I took the drive out the computer was very hot, when I took it out and plugged it in, it was still very hot. The fan idea helped tons.

Does anyone know where to download any of the office software, 2007? I'm obviously NOT looking to license it illegally. I just need the software. I'd rather not (& probably wouldn't even) download a torrent. I had a CD I managed to copy from a client but when my truck got broken into all my CD's got stolen.

What do you guys normally do when you have to do a reinstall of everything, if it was planned or unplanned from the beginning, and the client doesn't have serial numbers for things besides the OS?

Thanks for the help. Lesson learned. Always learning & growing professionally.

 

[red12049]

Got a decent image. Hopefully he has his office serial somewhere. Got a new hard drive. Ran PC Check diagnostics on everything and it all passed, even the stress test.


Originally before I took the drive out the computer was very hot, when I took it out and plugged it in, it was still very hot. The fan idea helped tons.

Does anyone know where to download any of the office software, 2007? I'm obviously NOT looking to license it illegally. I just need the software. I'd rather not (& probably wouldn't even) download a torrent. I had a CD I managed to copy from a client but when my truck got broken into all my CD's got stolen.

What do you guys normally do when you have to do a reinstall of everything, if it was planned or unplanned from the beginning, and the client doesn't have serial numbers for things besides the OS?

Thanks for the help. Lesson learned. Always learning & growing professionally.

Restore the image to a spare hard drive. Install the drive in a spare computer & boot to the UBCD4WIN. UBCD4WIN has a few keyfinders on it. Hopefully you'll get both the Office key, and the version. Once you have that, you can download most of the common versions as 60 day trials from Microsoft. As long as the version is the same, the key will work, and you can activate it for him.

TBH, as a tech you should know this stuff, or at least know how to get the answers on your own.

Rick

 

[mslink]

Ran UBCD4win on it. Both the key finder programs had an error saying the machine isn't newer then win 2000 & is not supported. I tried the remote registry editor & it couldn't find Anthony & came back with an error. Any ideas?