Computer troubles (Maybe)

Grandmaster Shockwaeve · Sun Jan 18, 2004 1:17 am

So I was uninstalling some stuff I don't use any more to make room for Knights of the Old Republic, and iTunes tells me there's an available update... so I update, then restart.

As the computer is starting up again, it gives me a white-on-black DOS-ish screen that tells me "A problem with the hard drive has been detected." and told me to consult my owner's manual, which I don't have with me.

Nothing seems to be going wrong yet, but does anyone have any idea what it could mean and if I should worry or not?

EDIT: this is a Gateway PC running WinXP home

Strafe · Post by **Strafe** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 1:24 am

Run scandisk.

See if the drive comes up with bad sectors and so forth.

If it does, thou art screwed.

If it doesn't, then it was just a weird glitch stemming from itunes and XP fighting for dominance.

nmathew · Post by **nmathew** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 3:55 am

Strafe is 100% correct. Though I will say that I've seen a drive with a few bad clusters that had a lot of life left in it. If it does have bad clusters, seriously ocnsider buying a new harddrive and backing everything up.

Grandmaster Shockwaeve · Sun Jan 18, 2004 7:01 am

Thanks for the advice, guys.

WinXP doesn't seem to have something called precisely "Scandisk" anymore, so I ran the "check disk for errors" utility in my hard drive properties.

Anyway, it said it replaced bad clusters in two files, then restarted and the Checkdisk screen told me "the volume is clean" so it looks like I'm in the clear.

nmathew · Post by **nmathew** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 7:38 am

Hmm, scandisk should be there. After a bit of searching, I've realized it's not where I expected it to be either. I think you ran scandisk in XP form

Good luck.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 10:19 am

Yeah, the last place I worked at, we had a mix of WinMe and WindowsXP machines. I used to run Scandisk periodically on Me, but when we changed over fully to XP I discovered that its been moved somewhere else and renamed.

There's a helpful info section in XP that explains why they did this and what the new version of Scandisk is called. It also sports a new feature or two along with its name change. To me it looks as though they've hidden it away in the back of the cupboard so no-one can find it. I'm sure they have their reasons

*Hears evil overlord cackle from Mordor*

Garand · Post by **Garand** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 4:48 am

Another thing to do is crack open the case, and find out who manufactered the HDD. I don't remember what brand Gateway tends to use, depsite cracking open countless of them at the shop.

Once you know what brand the drive is, you can go to that manufacter's web site and download a diagnostic utility for that drive. Normally, it is a program that makes a 3.5" bootable disk. pop that disk in, boot to it, and run the tests on the disk. If the drive is kaputz, that'll tell you.

Grandmaster Shockwaeve · Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:31 am

I might try that, if I can figure out how the thing opens. I tend to be very afraid of breaking things...

Although it seems if nothing has gone wrong since then, I should be fine.

Figures I didn't go for the extended warranty, though...

Garand · Post by **Garand** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 7:37 am

Originally posted by Grandmaster Shockwaeve
Figures I didn't go for the extended warranty, though...

If I had $1 for every Gateway (or HP) I've opened..