HD Failure


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  #11  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

Jeannine

XP is far less tolerant of hardware faults than ever Win 9x/ME ever was..
the fact that the drive makes it through chkdsk is not indicative of the
drive being perfectly healthy..

On the basis that it is definitely not full or even close, there could well
be a problem with the drive.. try this little utility.. download and run
it.. http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php.. it is useful on two counts.. it
gives an indication of case, cpu and hard drive temperatures.. it also has a
facility to check the S.M.A.R.T status of your drive..

So, run the program and then click on SMART.. select the drive and then look
at the lower left scale.. is it full of dots, or do they only make it part
way across?.. the more the better..

Do you have other problems too, like freezing or programs crashing out?..
does 'Help and Support' work ok?

You might also want to try running SFC.. to do this, place your XP CD in the
CD drive (press shift after closing the drawer, and hold it until the CD
light quits flashing)

Now go to START - RUN and type <sfc /scannow> without the parentheses.. this
will check and replace system files if they are missing or corrupted..

Return here and update us on your progress..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote in message
news:epwrHFX6FHA.3876@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>I installed over a perfectly good working ME. (because there was certain
>software I wanted to install that required XP).
>



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  #12  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Anna
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure


"Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote in message
news:OMRmDwX6FHA.808@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Anna, how shall I respond to your questions? Can I just answer them or do
> I need to restate the entire problem and your question. Can't you and
> others see the question posed and the responses given along the way?
> Jeannine


Jeannine:
I don't want to make this a major issue for you in any way that would thwart
your response. If you simply respond to my posting by right-clicking on the
"Reply to Group" menu item, my post will be displayed and you can respond as
you see fit. Since I incorporated your original query in my response to you,
all the pertinent information will be reflected in whatever message you
send.
Anna


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  #13  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

I was always taught to read from the left working across the top of the
page, gradually working down.. is this something else that teachers do not
have time to teach?..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"PA20Pilot" <PA20Pilot@faa.gov> wrote in message
news:uHHl8dY6FHA.3804@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Hi Jeannine,
>
> Sorry I don't have an answer for you about your original posting, but I
> can help with what Anna is suggesting.
>
> A lot of people read just the last few posting in these threads to see if
> a problem has been resolved. If there isn't a hint about the initial
> problem there's not much chance of someone jumping in late with a
> suggestion.
>
> Notice I'm not one of those that doesn't quote the original message
> either, but like you, I'm writing to a single person and not expecting
> others to know what's going on.
>
> ---==X={}=X==---
>
>
> Jim Self
> AVIATION ANIMATION, the internet's largest depository.
> http://avanimation.avsupport.com
>
> Your only internet source for spiral staircase plans.
> http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm
>
> Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
> Technical Counselor
>
>



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  #14  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
ANONYMOUS
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure


Jeanine,

Don't be deterred by what you have read so far. It is part and parcel
of a learning process and keeep pressing your point until you get a
reply you are happy with.

To defrag your HD try this:

1) Start, Run
2) Type cmd in the run box
3) you get a non-white screen (some say black screen)
4) type defrag c: -f
5) wait until it is finished

I don't think your HD is faulty. It is just cluttered with lots of
temporary and unnecessary files. We'll come to it later on.

Hope this helps for the time being.

Best regards,

Jeannine wrote:
>
> After upgrading from ME to XP Pro, I can no longer run a defrag. When I
> complained to Microsoft, a tech said my hard drive was likely failing.
> (Funny that I ran a defrag right before I installed XP and it worked fine.)
> Anyway . . . . If I run chkdsk, and it detects nothing, can I be reasonably
> confident my hard drive isn't failing? Thanks, Jeannine

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  #15  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Al Dykes
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

In article <uh7L#zW6FHA.3588@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl>,
Jeannine <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote:
>I have a 40G HD. In Properties it says I'm using about 18G. That's more
>than 50% free. Does that make sense?
>
>



Look in event viewer/system and see if there are any red flag error
messages.

Try the eval version of Raxco perfect disk
http://www.raxco.com/

It will probably work and if it doesn't it'll
have a better error message and documentation.

You might have to do a reboot defrag which I *think* the eval version
can do.

--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.
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  #16  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Jeannine Gaskell
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

Please forgive my ignorance, but I simply don't know how to respond. I had
always thought that any thread I started or I was in displayed the entire
thread and therefore it was unnecessary to restate everything. Do I
understand, that some people only see part of a thread? I don't get it.
So, since I don't know what you mean, I will just have to go on from here
and I apologize to everyone for not knowing how to deal with newsgroups.
Jeannine

"Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
news:egFn1vY6FHA.2036@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>
> "Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote in message
> news:OMRmDwX6FHA.808@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> Anna, how shall I respond to your questions? Can I just answer them or
>> do I need to restate the entire problem and your question. Can't you and
>> others see the question posed and the responses given along the way?
>> Jeannine

>
> Jeannine:
> I don't want to make this a major issue for you in any way that would
> thwart your response. If you simply respond to my posting by
> right-clicking on the "Reply to Group" menu item, my post will be
> displayed and you can respond as you see fit. Since I incorporated your
> original query in my response to you, all the pertinent information will
> be reflected in whatever message you send.
> Anna
>



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  #17  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Steph
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure


"Jeannine Gaskell" <mjgaskell@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:%23jI3V%23Z6FHA.2664@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Please forgive my ignorance, but I simply don't know how to respond. I
> had always thought that any thread I started or I was in displayed the
> entire thread and therefore it was unnecessary to restate everything. Do
> I understand, that some people only see part of a thread? I don't get it.
> So, since I don't know what you mean, I will just have to go on from here
> and I apologize to everyone for not knowing how to deal with newsgroups.
> Jeannine
>


Jeannine, just forget the anal retentives.
Carry on asking and responding in whichever way works best for you.


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  #18  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Ron Martell
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

"Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote:

>After upgrading from ME to XP Pro, I can no longer run a defrag. When I
>complained to Microsoft, a tech said my hard drive was likely failing.
>(Funny that I ran a defrag right before I installed XP and it worked fine.)
>Anyway . . . . If I run chkdsk, and it detects nothing, can I be reasonably
>confident my hard drive isn't failing? Thanks, Jeannine
>


Hi Jeannine.

You say you no longer run a defrag. But I can't find anywhere where
you have described exactly what happens when you attempt to do so.

If you can do this, including the content of any error messages that
come up when you try to run defrag, then that may help to identify the
underlying cause of your problems.

One further point. If the machine just appears to be doing nothing,
but the Windows XP defrag window is open on your screen, it may just
be that things are extremely slow for some reason, and that defrag is
actually working. If this is what is actually happening then leaving
defrag running overnight may produce some results.

Note that if you have less than 256 mb of RAM in your computer then
many things in Windows XP may be very slow, including defrag.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
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  #19  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure

Anna

You have already done enough.. the OP was responding to me, an action for
which your initial response was out of order.. now the OP does not know what
to do.. way to go..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
news:egFn1vY6FHA.2036@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>
> "Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote in message
> news:OMRmDwX6FHA.808@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> Anna, how shall I respond to your questions? Can I just answer them or
>> do I need to restate the entire problem and your question. Can't you and
>> others see the question posed and the responses given along the way?
>> Jeannine

>
> Jeannine:
> I don't want to make this a major issue for you in any way that would
> thwart your response. If you simply respond to my posting by
> right-clicking on the "Reply to Group" menu item, my post will be
> displayed and you can respond as you see fit. Since I incorporated your
> original query in my response to you, all the pertinent information will
> be reflected in whatever message you send.
> Anna
>



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  #20  
Old 01-05-2006, 02:13 AM
Anna
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: HD Failure


>> "Jeannine" <jeannine@wfleague.org> wrote in message
>> news:OMRmDwX6FHA.808@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>> Anna, how shall I respond to your questions? Can I just answer them or
>>> do I need to restate the entire problem and your question. Can't you
>>> and others see the question posed and the responses given along the way?
>>> Jeannine



> "Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
> news:egFn1vY6FHA.2036@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> Jeannine:
>> I don't want to make this a major issue for you in any way that would
>> thwart your response. If you simply respond to my posting by
>> right-clicking on the "Reply to Group" menu item, my post will be
>> displayed and you can respond as you see fit. Since I incorporated your
>> original query in my response to you, all the pertinent information will
>> be reflected in whatever message you send.
>> Anna



"Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" <mikehalll@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:eUPM26e6FHA.3880@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Anna
>
> You have already done enough.. the OP was responding to me, an action for
> which your initial response was out of order.. now the OP does not know
> what to do.. way to go..
>
> --
> Mike Hall
> MVP - Windows Shell/User



Mike:
I do regret if somehow I've inhibited the OP from pursuing her query. I was
only trying to guide her in providing sufficient background information re
her problem whenever she posts. If I did so in some awkward & clumsy manner,
then I apologize to her (and others who might be offended) for doing so.

But when all is said & done, I strongly believe, as I have previously
stated, that it is inappropriate for this newsgroup and similar ones to be
treated as some sort of "chatline" between two (or possibly more) posters.
In my view, *every* post - virtually without exception except in the most
trivial of cases - should contain sufficient background information re the
issue and/or problem being discussed during the thread, including pertinent
prior responses that the current poster deems necessary. So that ANY viewer
coming upon the thread can understand the issue/problem and solutions
offered. It is insufficient, in my view, for a poster to respond to a query
and merely offer his or her response *without* including the OP's query
and/or whatever background information is needed for an understanding of the
problem by someone reading the current post. Furthermore, as the thread
develops in complexity, it's important (and even crucial) - in my view -
that sufficient background information be incorporated in any response so
that the thread can be followed in an intelligent & meaningful way.
Obviously, this does not mean that ever prior posting dealing with the issue
be included verbatim, but at least the pertinent portions of prior postings
bearing on the issue or perhaps a brief summary of the problem/issue should
be offered.

It seems to me that we can all profit from the problems/issues raised in
this newsgroup and the solutions offered. It's more than a one-on-one
enterprise. But if there is to be this "educational component", as it were,
it's important, again, in my view, that our posts be reasonably
comprehensive in that each posting contains sufficient information
delineating the issue/problem and includes whatever pertinent information
has transpired during the thread that bears upon the subject at hand.
Anna


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HD Failure