Error when booting up
- Thread starter Calibretto
- Start date
I was about to suggest that here as well. Hopefully that will work around any bad sectors that may be starting to be seen on the drive.
If you still see the same problem after running the disk utility you would then have to start isolating startups and even downloading the hard drive diagnostics tool from the drive's manufacturer. If the case is a year or older sometimes a weak battery will cause booting problems due the cmos information getting flaky.
If you still see the same problem after running the disk utility you would then have to start isolating startups and even downloading the hard drive diagnostics tool from the drive's manufacturer. If the case is a year or older sometimes a weak battery will cause booting problems due the cmos information getting flaky.
JlCollins005
New Member
did try pluggin into a dif sata connection on the mobo
Calibretto
VIP Member
I've ran CHKDSK numerous times. I might get a diagnostic tool next from Maxtor.
How old is the build there? Or how is the drive I should ask like one taken from an older build or bought new for the current?
Hopefully you aren't seeing what happened on two different builds recently both running XP and seeing the heads going on two separate drives. Both were seeing startup problems where a repair install on each was pointless since the drives could be read from but not written to. The diagnostics tool from Maxtor will test that with the read/write tests that will perform.
Hopefully you aren't seeing what happened on two different builds recently both running XP and seeing the heads going on two separate drives. Both were seeing startup problems where a repair install on each was pointless since the drives could be read from but not written to. The diagnostics tool from Maxtor will test that with the read/write tests that will perform.
Calibretto
VIP Member
Yeah, this will finally tell me what's wrong. I'm going to do it with the DOS version of SeaTools so if there is a bad sector or something, it will attempt to fix it.
The /f switch only works while booted in Windows. That will set the test for the next startup when used at the Run prompt. The entry at the accessories>command prompt will see the same thing there.
The /r is used at the recovery console since the /f switch won't work. Either way the manufacturer's tools are a bit more thorough with the diagnostics as a rule. If the drive is going on you you'll want to know now in order to still be able to retrieve all your files off of it once you have a replacement in rather then waiting for it to fail completely.
I bailed one friend out where he had some 1,000 family photos on a drive where the larger storage drive then saw Windows put on that fast until I could slave the first for recovery. If he had kept running it he would have lost everything. The drive tests will show if it is the drive without delay while you still have time there.
The /r is used at the recovery console since the /f switch won't work. Either way the manufacturer's tools are a bit more thorough with the diagnostics as a rule. If the drive is going on you you'll want to know now in order to still be able to retrieve all your files off of it once you have a replacement in rather then waiting for it to fail completely.
I bailed one friend out where he had some 1,000 family photos on a drive where the larger storage drive then saw Windows put on that fast until I could slave the first for recovery. If he had kept running it he would have lost everything. The drive tests will show if it is the drive without delay while you still have time there.
Calibretto
VIP Member
Ok well I ran the diagnostic test and it said it "passed" so it says nothing is wrong with my HDD I guess.
That should be a big relief over seeing a drive on the way out. The next step would be to immediately go into the msconfig utility to disable everything in the startup group or simply boot in safe mode to see how long it takes for the next restart.
If you are able to disable everything you will first need to restart anyways to see that put into effect. Once back at the desktop simply see if another restart comes up. With all main startups disabled any further problems would point more at another hardware since you are removing the software portion.
In safe mode only the bare essentials are seen there. You won't be able to run much since everything that will work would have to be manually started. But that would also be one way to help see if this is hardware or software related. Disabling all startups in the msconfig would lessen the possible conflict between two software items there.
If you are able to disable everything you will first need to restart anyways to see that put into effect. Once back at the desktop simply see if another restart comes up. With all main startups disabled any further problems would point more at another hardware since you are removing the software portion.
In safe mode only the bare essentials are seen there. You won't be able to run much since everything that will work would have to be manually started. But that would also be one way to help see if this is hardware or software related. Disabling all startups in the msconfig would lessen the possible conflict between two software items there.
Calibretto
VIP Member
Ok thanks PC eye! You've been a great help! I'll start messing with msconfig!
Anything you disable in the startup group can always be re-enabled later once the problem has been identified and corrected. Once you have some experience with the system troubleshooter there you will also be able to go into the services tab. But that's where caution is the key word.
To see only 3rd party and no MS essentials listed in the services you first put a check in the box named "hide all microsoft services". That will prevent accidentally disabling anything essential for Windows to run there. Programs like antivirus, tv tuner cards, firewalls are the usual besides seeing items for video and sound cards placed there.
That would be the last place however before looking at hardwares if you are not seeing a problem with more then one thing at once. Double jeopardy comes to mind in that sense where multiple problems could be what you are seeing there making it harder to pinpoint with the things tried so far.
To see only 3rd party and no MS essentials listed in the services you first put a check in the box named "hide all microsoft services". That will prevent accidentally disabling anything essential for Windows to run there. Programs like antivirus, tv tuner cards, firewalls are the usual besides seeing items for video and sound cards placed there.
That would be the last place however before looking at hardwares if you are not seeing a problem with more then one thing at once. Double jeopardy comes to mind in that sense where multiple problems could be what you are seeing there making it harder to pinpoint with the things tried so far.
Calibretto
VIP Member
I did some research on this issue. Other people have been having this problem and they said that even reinstalling Windows and zeroing out the HDD does not solve the issue. Should I contact Maxtor and see if they can do anything for me?
You can look over the troubleshootng section on their support site to see if that helps any. One question to ask here is how do you have the boot order set in the bios? I used to run into the disk read errors or boot device not found type crap while seeing the floppy or optical drive set as first in the boot order. No More!
Once I began setting the hard drive as the first and only device and using the optional boot device menu by pressing the assigned F8 for selecting the floppy or optical from the list that forced the system to load the OS on the hard drive set as the default. Even when going to reinstall Windows like when replacing a drive or a custom install for a dual boot like I have presently the hard drive is the only device set in the boot order. Since you are not finding any hardware or software problems give that a try.
Once I began setting the hard drive as the first and only device and using the optional boot device menu by pressing the assigned F8 for selecting the floppy or optical from the list that forced the system to load the OS on the hard drive set as the default. Even when going to reinstall Windows like when replacing a drive or a custom install for a dual boot like I have presently the hard drive is the only device set in the boot order. Since you are not finding any hardware or software problems give that a try.
Calibretto
VIP Member
I could try that and see if it works. I know I read something about it and some people said it didn't work but I'll give it a try anyways.
Besides that look for the latest bios update. I've run into that one once or twice with older builds where it seemed like the bios simply wouldn't fully detect the drive at times.
Eventually I kept one item set to hard drive in the boot order with the remaining disabled to force the system to look at the drive set as default once getting into boards seeing the optional boot device menu you could simply call up at post. That makes things easier if you need to reinstall Windows at some point and don't have to make repeat trips into the bios as soon as all of the setup files have been copied from the installation disk to the drive. When the system restarts for the first time the hard drive is already set as the default in the boot order.
Eventually I kept one item set to hard drive in the boot order with the remaining disabled to force the system to look at the drive set as default once getting into boards seeing the optional boot device menu you could simply call up at post. That makes things easier if you need to reinstall Windows at some point and don't have to make repeat trips into the bios as soon as all of the setup files have been copied from the installation disk to the drive. When the system restarts for the first time the hard drive is already set as the default in the boot order.