Computer does not see the hard drive

[haydad]

I am running XP Professional. The computer started screeching and after I turned it off I have not been able to get into XP. The computer does not see the hard drive. When I Safe Boot it stops running at the following line, ...Windows\System32\DRIVE\iomdisk.sys.

I have done the following, tried to boot with Windows Setup from the original CD and from floppies. Have tried every safe mode option available, booted with each component disconnected, one at a time until nothing was connected except the monitor and keyboard all with the same results. I have run Tuff Test and when it gets to checking the Fixed Disk it stops.

I have taken the HD out and connected it as a slave in another computer and all the data is there. Connected as the main drive, XP opens and everything works well. While in this second computer chkdsk and scandisk were run and no problems were found. I ran a virus check and it cleared out over 8000 versions of w32.Netsky.P@mm, which surprised me since I have a virus checker, apparently not a good one. I have changed the hard drive ribbon cable and I have tried to access the hard drive from the ribbon cable connecting the CD rom's. All with the same results. All other drives are recognized and work.

When I can get into DOS I get Invalid Drive when looking for the HD.

Desperate. Would appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance.

Haydad

 

[micker377]

Apparently your "Zip Disk" drive has a problem. It's in the "chain" of drives, so it would affect the recognition of the hard drive. Remove the data cable from the Zip drive and go from there. The virus (or the removal of) may have affected the Zip Disk drivers.

 

[haydad]

Don't have a Zip drive and never had one.

The ...Windows\System32\DRIVE\iomdisk.sys. message has not changed pre or post virus removal.

Thanks

 

[micker377]

http://www.iomega.com/software/appservices.html

Have you ever installed a program called "Active Disk"? Every reference to your problem points to Iomega. Try the site above, it has a patch to fix a memory problem connected to this error.

 

[haydad]

I got the Active Disk download but since I cannot get into my hard drive or DOS commands I cannot open it. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[mannubhai]

Since you have access to another computer where you connected this drive as a slave , th solution could be to do the same thing again and once you are able to access this drive delete the Active Disk application and perhaps all other unnecessary applications , manually if necessary and then try to reboot using this one as a boot drive. At the same time try and get a boot disk and use that too to boot into your computer.

Try it out .

(I presume you already tried the "Last good config" option already.)

Manoj.

 

[haydad]

One more piece of information that I did not put in the original message. If I take hard drive out of the other good computer that I have, same OS, and install it into the computer that cannot boot then the hard drive from the working computer does not boot. The results are the same as if the original HD were in the system.

Booting it in the safe mode with "last know good config.", instead of seeing all the drivers load and the system stop at the same line as noted in the original message the screen just goes blank.

Regardless of which HD drive is used the same results happen. Can't get past ...Windows\System32\DRIVE\iomdisk.sys. Can't figure out why the system won't work with either HD.

Booting has been tried from the original CD and from the boot download program, Windows XP Pro, from the Microsoft web site using floppies. I just tried it again for the fun of it with the same results.

This is a puzzler.

Thanks

 

[micker377]

Was the "screech" from tne hard drive (physical), or from the motherboard (possible CPU overheat). Also look for capicitors with bulging tops on the motherboard. As suggested above, try to check hard drive as a "slave" on the other system. It won't boot on another system due to WinXP.

 

[haydad]

I can install the hard drive on another computer as either a slave or primary and it will boot as the primary.

I am not sure where the screech came from. I did have about 15 things open at the time and it could have been the CPU crying UNCLE in computereze.

Tried everthing everyone has suggested to no availe so a new mother board was ordered today.

Thanks to all for their ideas.

Haydad

 

[micker377]

I meant to add the "bad" harddrive as a slave with a known good primary boot drive set as master.