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Question

Windows 7 stuck in chkdsk loop...

May 28, 2013 11:53PM PDT

Greeting to everyone. I am in need of some serious help.

Yesterday, while on the computer in noticed ballon pop-ups in the bottom right corner. First was regarding some QuickBooks Connector exe file that failed. Not a big deal, I was not in QuickBooks at the time. Then the next one was that chrome.exe had failed. All the sudden the computer BSOD and when it restarted it went directly to chkdsk.

While chkdsk was running, I saw several sectors that said they were unreadable, some were repaired by a "minor file name change". After hours of running, I thought I might get a login screen. Nope, BSOD and then chkdsk runs again.

I tried doing a system restore, but that failed. I have a WD passport which has a back up from two months ago and so I'm not too concerned about losing important memories. Sure, I'll propably lose some pictures and maybe a video or two, but this is not a crisis for me. I just don't have the money for a whole new computer. Nor do I want to purchase one.

I am assuming I have a hard drive failure on my hands. Would formating the hard drive fix my issue? I've tried to do a bunch of research and I am under the impression that it would. Obviously if this drive is failing I will want to buy a new drive, but will re-formating give me a temp fix? If yes, how do I format the drive and still have Windows 7 on it. I'm not completely computer illiterate, but step by step instructions are useful.

I bought my computer from Costco about 4 years ago. I have the system disks that came with it. (I think, I'm really good about keeping that stuff). It's an HP.

I appreciate everyones help. Sorry for the short story. I just want to give as much info as possible. I tried Safe Mode and couldn't get in. I think I will try to re-install windows 7 first.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Given it's 4 years old.
May 29, 2013 12:06AM PDT

Did you move up your 6 to 12 month cleaning to today and pull the side cover off and go at it with the canned air early?

It could be time.
Bob

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Answer
Re: chkdsk loop
May 29, 2013 12:03AM PDT

If you want to get files off, do that after booting from a Linux Disk (like Ubuntu or Mint). Those are free and let you copy everything you want to a USB-stick or an external hard disk. Losing nothing is just more pleasant than losing something.

Then see if the discs you have from HP let you format the disk as part of the recovery procedure. I'd surely do that. Then again chkdsk with surface check (takes a long time).
If formatting it isn't possible as part of the recovery, then format the c:-partition from that Linux disc or use DBAN to completely erase the drive (be sure, however, that those HP discs work, because DBAN erases a possibly existing recovery partition).

However, hard disks with errors are best replaced.

Best of luck,


Kees

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Figured it out on my own
May 30, 2013 4:32AM PDT

Luckily for me, my HP had a bunch of system tools to help me get everything off my drive and then I formated and re-installed windows. Nothing lost.

Yeah!