Disk I/O error

[TarsierSpectral]

When I try to boot my computer I get this message "Disk I/O error. Replace the disk and then press any key"
Does anyone know what that means and what I can do to correct that?

Thanks

 

[wolluf]

Is there a floppy in the drive?

If not, there's a problem with your hard drive. Try downloading diagnostic tool from drive manufacturer's website - most have one - use the Hitachi drive fitness one if not & running that to get status of drive.

Could also try recovery console - if that can see the drive, then its still function - if you get into this, run chkdsk /r, then fixmbr and fixboot.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654

(I'm assuming XP - 2k much the same. If its 9x/ME, just boot from a boot floppy -

http://www.bootdisk.com

if you need one - and run scandisk).

 

[kmcferrin]

Typically this is indictes a disk failure and the hard drive will need to be replaced. Sometimes the filesystem has been trashed but the data is there and still recoverable with tools like Stellar Phoenix.

 

[TarsierSpectral]

I tried to run scandisk and it told me this:
"ScanDisk encountered a data error while reading cluster 2. ScanDisk will try to continue past this error. When ScanDisk offers to perform a surface scan on this drive, choose Yes."

After I click OK, to contine, it just sits like that with 0% completed.

Anyone has any clues?

thank you

 

[electronicsfreak]

How long are you letting scandisk run for sometimes it takes a while? Have you tried accessing the recovery console using the win2k boot disc? Ive never tried through there but you might be able to use system file checker and fix it. Also if your hard drive does turn out to be bad you can try a program called spinrite to fix it.

http://grc.com/spinrite.htm

 

[TarsierSpectral]

I let it run the whole day and it sits at 0%.
I haven't tried the recovery console because it says you need to set it up in WIndows and I can't access windows

 

[wolluf]

Maggie,

Have you tried the drive manufacturer's diagnostic? It sounds like the drive is definitely damaged - I'd guess it won't be usable - but the diagnostic should tell you. Suspect the best you might manage would be partial data recovery (with something like getdataback).

Note - you do not need to set up recovery console in windows (that's just an option). You can run it booting from install CD (or the boot floppies) - see my link above. I'm still assuming XP or 2k operating system as you haven't said. Also, you say you ran scandisk (from win98 boot floppy?). does this mean filestore is fat32 (as scandisk can't read ntfs).

 

[garebo]

You could use a win98 boot disk to get to dos and then run the command:
fdisk /mbr
If your master boot record was corrupt that is supposed to repair it.
Then reboot and go into your bios and see if it sees the hard drive. Depending on which bios you have there are a few areas to check for the hard drive. Let us know the results.





Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[TarsierSpectral]

Thanks for your tips.
1. BIOS sees the hard drive, but there are errors reading it whenever I try to run ANY diagnostic tool
2. I am running Windows 98
3. I was unable to run manufacturer's diagnostics

thanks

 

[garebo]

Ok, heres another way. That is, if you dont care that you will LOSE all your data. I repeat, you will lose everything and have to start all over, but at least you will know if the drive is any good or not.

If you are still willing, then use your boot disk to get to dos. Put the maxtor diagnostics on a floppy and insert the floppy, after using the win 98 boot disk first.
Then go into the diagnostics and you will find a program that "writes zeroes" to your hard drive. Use that program.
If it works then you will have a hard drive that you can likely use again. If it doesnt, its likely dead anyway.

If you would prefer to try and save any data files, you would likely have to get a program such as "get data back", as mentioned above.
But its possibly unlikely you will get any data back if the drive isnt working at all. So you are likely back to square one.

One other possibility. If you have access to another computer, then take your hard drive out and install it to that computer. You should put it on another computer only as a slave drive, not as master, so that you can boot up the computer with the good drive that is in that computer and then when in windows you can try and get access to the hard drive from your own computer.

Before you do anything, though, see if you can run "chkdsk"
instead of scandisk. Give us a report on what it says.
Here is info on chkdsk. This is only a shot in the dark, but other tries have failed, so why not.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx

I mention this, chkdsk, only because i prefer chkdsk to scandisk.









Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[TarsierSpectral]

thank you everyone for all your help. It is not worth to get this drive working at this point. I mean the comp is soo old that I see no point if data can't be recovered. The person I was fixing this for was soo stingy to get a new computer that now he lost his files. This comp is probably 10 years old and about a year ago I mentioned that he should start thinking about getting a new one. Ohh well, his problem he makes big big $$$$$. I don't get some people.
Thank you
Maggie