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General discussion

Can't Run Recovery Console

Feb 18, 2004 10:30PM PST

My windows xp will not load the log on screen. It starts up and goes ro a screen that gives me the option of last known good config, safe mode, start normally etc.. when one of these items are selected it goes to the windows xp logo and then restarts. I have tried to start the recovery console but when windows setup staets loading files from the cd the system shuts down completly. "HELP"

Discussion is locked

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Re:Can't Run Recovery Console
Feb 18, 2004 10:50PM PST

This is usually a sign of a hardware issue.

Try no USB devices, case cover off, remove that last ram upgrade, disk drive or whatever it was.

Be sure you are not in the 300 Watt driving an over 1GHz CPU club.

Bob

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Re:Re:Can't Run Recovery Console
Feb 18, 2004 11:36PM PST

none of these apply, the system has been a working system for a year. I can't even load the xp cd to format and reinstall windows.

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So the case cover is already off?
Feb 19, 2004 12:09AM PST

That's a sure sign the heat issue was never cured.

Time to look at the hardware and see what you find that's broken and what it will take to cool the machine proper with the case cover on.

In closing, parts age and die. At the office we lost all of out P4X266 boards from some maker due to the bad motherboard capacitor issue. Your plea would just be an echo of the same words. "It worked for a year."

Time to dig in and find your bad hardware.

Bob

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Re:So the case cover is already off?
Feb 19, 2004 12:58AM PST

The system runs fine with a different hard drive installed. the hard drive in question will not switch to safe mode it will not load any setup drivers from the xp cd. as soon as I attempt to do this it completly shuts down. If i put a different Hard drive in it runs fine. Is there any way to low level format the bad HDD?

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New information!
Feb 19, 2004 1:08AM PST

Be sure to include such items so to reach faster conclusions.

To clean off the old hard disk, I would use the disk maker's zerofill or such tools. Please discontinue the use of "low level format" since that feature has vanished from the technology about 10 years ago. I did do a LLF on an old SCSI based server not long ago, but it was a 340 MegaByte drive that still offered such. As we passed 1GB there is no more of this except you may find it in some software/BIOS to placate older users.

To recap. If you want the forum to find said zerofill or drive fitness test program for you, supply the make/model of the drive.

Bob

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gj, Is It Worth The Effort...
Feb 19, 2004 3:20AM PST

How "old" is the affected drive and is a new one a better option? You can get some great deals on large hard drives right now.

Just a suggestion.

Grif

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Re:gj, Is It Worth The Effort...
Feb 19, 2004 1:34PM PST

The drive Is only a year old. It is a Seagate Barracuda ATA ll. Model ST330630A 30.6 Gig. I can't seem access this drive to repair it or even "ZeroFill" as Mr profitt so well put it. Being a new drive and being some what of good size i do feel it is worth fixing. plus I love the challenge. We humans are always capable of learning new task. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks for the reply.

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Seagate seatools
Feb 20, 2004 3:28AM PST
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

Is this what you've tried?

If that fails, then you have a new bookend or doorstop.

As always, plenty of power supply watts, no USB things and a shiny new IDE cable of the best quality such as those 80 conductor models and the drive on it's own cable.

Bob
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gj, Have You Tried...
Feb 20, 2004 3:09AM PST

...the Seagate disk diagnostics tool. It should tell you whether its worthwhile to recover or not. Here's a link where you should be able to create a bootable floppy for the destkop. (It looks like the "Sea Tools Desktop" is the one for you.) You may need to create it on another comp, but whenever our HD's head "south", we'll run a diagnostics on it.

http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

In my situation, if the disk diagnostics are bad, it's cheaper and less time consuming to replace the drive. It's your choice.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Re:gj, Have You Tried...
Feb 20, 2004 3:12PM PST

I have tried to load the diagnostic tools from seagate and the same thing happens. The seagate tools are on two floopys. I load the first one, it ask for the second and about half way thru loading the second one the system shuts down. I do have another drive i was hoping this one could be saved. If not then so be it.