Author Topic: Call for help. (Read 936 times)

Splinter · **on:** November 19, 2004, 03:58:02 am

Ok so a couple of weeks ago my computer freezes up randomly while I'm messing with iTunes. I reboot into windows and find that my 80 gig storage drive that I use for all my "completely legal" downloaded Videos TV shows Songs and Programs is gone... it cant even detect the drive.

I try rebooting. The bios doesn’t even detect the drive... finally I switch it to the PIII800 lying on my floor and it detects the disc fine. So I decide to put it back in my computer and connect it to a different IDE cable this time. Windows boots up works fine... then 10 mins later it crashes again. At least this time it didn’t lose the HDD all I had to do we reboot but after that at least 4 or 5 times a day my computer has been crashing no error message nothing just a complete freezing of whatever is on the screen. I tried not opening specific programs and such to see if I was causing this with some software and for now I have been able to keep it from crashing for 1 day and a half by not having my creative EAX console open... wtf?!

Anyway but that’s not the end of the problem because now every number of hours my Azureus does this: http://www.n00bstories.com/image.fetch.php?id=1212638274

Any suggestions?

SadisticSid · **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2004, 04:37:57 am

Have you tried the machine with another HDD plugged into the same controller? If that works then it's most likely the drive rather than the controller, but if you get similar problems then it'll almost certainly be the disk controller that's bad.

Splinter · **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2004, 10:30:51 am

hmmm ill try that but ill have to find another HDD to plug in. thanks for the suggestion

WeatherOp · **Reply #3 on:** November 19, 2004, 10:38:49 am

UHHGGG! I have been thru that problem before, and you won't like what the problem sounds like to me is. You might need to get all your stuff off of it fast. When it started happening too us, we called compaq and they told us our hard drive was slowly failing. It would show up sometimes and sometimes the cpu wouldn't start. So, you need to call your cpu company and ask them. But, it might be too late:(, It may be something else like HDD, but you need to make sure it ain't your hard drive first, cause we waited too long and lost all our data.

mitac · **Reply #4 on:** November 19, 2004, 11:12:51 am

CPU company? Like AMD, eh?

Anyway, this Azureus screeny shows that it's a major problem. (p)ATA drives aren't exactly designed for hotplugging. It won't be a software issue, that's most improbable. So it's the hardware, either the drive, the cable or the controller.

You may try to :

1. use the cables from that PIII, as the HDD worked flawlessly over there. Or get new cables. But be sure they're not too long, the ATA specification allows no more than 48 cm, IIRC.
2. the mainboard in your comp should have two IDE plugs, primary and secondary. Switch the HDD to the other and give it a try.
3. go into your computer's BIOS and reduce speed for the harddisk, i.e. the PIO or ATA-mode, or whatever it is called. Not very likely working, but worth a try, as the PIII is probably running at lower speed.

Good luck. BTW, what kind of mainboard is it you're using? And : is your machine overclocked?

Splinter · **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2004, 04:19:14 pm

Quote

Originally posted by mitac
CPU company? Like AMD, eh?

Anyway, this Azureus screeny shows that it's a major problem. (p)ATA drives aren't exactly designed for hotplugging. It won't be a software issue, that's most improbable. So it's the hardware, either the drive, the cable or the controller.

You may try to :

1. use the cables from that PIII, as the HDD worked flawlessly over there. Or get new cables. But be sure they're not too long, the ATA specification allows no more than 48 cm, IIRC.
2. the mainboard in your comp should have two IDE plugs, primary and secondary. Switch the HDD to the other and give it a try.
3. go into your computer's BIOS and reduce speed for the harddisk, i.e. the PIO or ATA-mode, or whatever it is called. Not very likely working, but worth a try, as the PIII is probably running at lower speed.

Good luck. BTW, what kind of mainboard is it you're using? And : is your machine overclocked?

1. Actually what happened was after the first crash my computer wouldn’t detect the drive at all so to make sure it wasn’t a problem with the HDD I plugged it into my PIII and it registered on there fine... now the setup in my case is on the first IDE cable I had my 40GB HDD with windows and most my programs and games and stuff on there and my 80GB HDD for all my downloads. They were both on the same cable and then I have a NEC dual layer DVD burner on the other cable so I have one IDE end free...

After seeing the HDD being detected on my PIII I put it back in my AMD still nothing... I switched IDE cables and it worked... so now I have my windows HDD on one cable and the storage drive (the troublesome one) on the IDE cable with my DVD burner.

So I never booted into windows or anything like that with the PIII I just checked to see that it was detected on there. Besides that computer is screwed up I cant get much further then the bios so I'm lucky I was able to check in the first place.

My IDE cables and motherboard are brand new... long story short I had a gigabyte motherboard my CPU was hot I bought a Thermalright sp-97 and a 90cm Vantec Tornado and turns out the sp-97 cant be mounted on any gigabyte motherboards so I go buy a new Abit motherboard install the cooler and 2 brand new Vantec rounded IDE cables and viola. So they are brand new cables and they were working for a good month or so with no problems whatsoever. They are 18" not sure what that is in CM

2. Like I explained I had it on both. (PS every once in a while I hear my HDD click and rev up at least I think it’s the HDD)

3. I will see about reducing the speed.

I am using a low end Abit NF7 and my machine is not overclocked but with my new heatsink and fan keeping my XP +3000 at around 32 degrees Celsius I was going to eventually.

mitac · **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2004, 05:17:31 pm

18", well, that's 45.72 cm. That's just fine. The HDD sound you noticed is nothing unusual, several harddisks realign themselves once in a while.

So, judging from what you told, the secondary IDE works fine, the first IDE works only one connector on the cable. So i'd guess it's probably the cable.

Anyway : never touch a running system. If it works now and you're satisfied with it as it is - leave it.

At least unless either HDD starts acting weird again.

Splinter · **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2004, 06:16:17 pm

Quote

Originally posted by mitac
18", well, that's 45.72 cm. That's just fine. The HDD sound you noticed is nothing unusual, several harddisks realign themselves once in a while.

yeah but I have had this HDD for quite some time I never heard those noises before. PLUS I have a huge fan in my case pushing 119CFM at like 60 some odd decibles and I can hear the clicking clearley over the sound of the fan.

Quote

Originally posted by mitac
So, judging from what you told, the secondary IDE works fine, the first IDE works only one connector on the cable. So i'd guess it's probably the cable.

well thats the thing I thought so to but when I plugged my working 40 GB HDD into the connector that didnt work with my 80 it registered and worked fine... really quirky

Quote

Originally posted by mitac
Anyway : never touch a running system. If it works now and you're satisfied with it as it is - leave it. At least unless either HDD starts acting weird again.

Quote

Originally posted by Splinter
at least 4 or 5 times a day my computer has been crashing no error message nothing just a complete freezing of whatever is on the screen.

as you can see its not fine... if it was I wouldnt have posted this message

... I just turned off my computer and unpluged the 80 gig altogether and I will test my system every way possible now to make sure that was the cause and it dosnt crash anymore.

mitac · **Reply #8 on:** November 19, 2004, 06:30:54 pm

Oops. Didn't get you, there. Sorry. I should get more sleep.

Quote

Originally posted by Splinter
and I can hear the clicking clearley over the sound of the fan.

You got S.M.A.R.T. enabled in the bios? If not : do so. If so : check the status. There's a tool from Maxtor called "Powermax" which can be downloaded from maxtor.com (Support - Software Downloads). The Knowledgebase in their Support area does also include some descriptions.

If the S.M.A.R.T. test fails : backup the downloaded files you'd not want to lose. ASAP. I had that once, the drive lived only for a few more days.

If it passes the test : do the same, it won't hurt.

Splinter · **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2004, 06:14:42 am

Quote

Originally posted by mitac
Oops. Didn't get you, there. Sorry. I should get more sleep.

You got S.M.A.R.T. enabled in the bios? If not : do so. If so : check the status. There's a tool from Maxtor called "Powermax" which can be downloaded from maxtor.com (Support - Software Downloads). The Knowledgebase in their Support area does also include some descriptions.

If the S.M.A.R.T. test fails : backup the downloaded files you'd not want to lose. ASAP. I had that once, the drive lived only for a few more days.

If it passes the test : do the same, it won't hurt.

cool will do thanks for the help.

mitac · **Reply #10 on:** November 20, 2004, 06:43:32 am

Pity it's no guarantee. Passing the test doesn't have to mean it's alright. But in case it fails - see above.

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Author Topic: Call for help. (Read 936 times)

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