# Hard Disk Drive Dead?



## LarM (Mar 24, 2009)

Hey guys,

I'm hoping some of you may be able to help me, my problem (as succinctly as I can describe) is as follows;

Laptop started to freeze frequently, decided to back up my data and do a clean install using the Recovery Partition. All went fine. 2 days later I had to restart after installing SP2... next thing I know the laptop won't boot. I got the following error message;

~
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.

If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can help disgnose and fix the problem. If the power was interrupted during startup, choose Start Windows Normally.

Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows normally
~

(1) If i choose startup repair Windows looks like its loading. The screen goes black for 5mins and I have a cursor, then it goes green plus the cursor, then Recovery Tools are being launched please wait window pops up and thats the way it stays for hours on end with no changes.

If i choose Start Windows normally it goes back to the "windows failed to start" and loops.

Using F10 at boot i get the following;

~
Edit windows boot options for: Vaio recovery environment

Path: \windows\systme32\boot\winload.exe

[/DETECTHAL /MININT /REDIRECT RDIMAGEOFFSET=8192 RDIMAGELENGTH=3161088 RDPATH=multi(0)disk(0)partition(1)\sources\boot.wim
~

If i hit enter it goes to the Recovery mode launching please wait and gets stuck, as above.

I tried changing the partition number to 2 and 3 incase it was a hal.dll error which it wasn't.

I can't enter safe mode or any other options whatsoever, laptop just tries to reboot after each failed option choice and i end up back at the windows failed to start screen

So.... i feel like im rambling i hope im not boring you guys!

I rang sony, out of warranty, paid 55 and got some fresh recovery discs sent out to me. Next I changed the BIOS boot order from Optical Drive  and disabled the other options. Popped in the disc, restarted the laptop, exact same sequence of events as (1) above happens.

Then i tried to install Vista from a Windows disc, same sequence as (1) above happens except after some time the warning "Recovery Partition or Disc cannot be found".

I feel like I've exhausted every avenue, and according to google i'm not alone in this issue with Vaio. Can anyone please shed some light on this issue. I'd be eternally grateful.

Feels likely that its a harddrive issue but without confirmation I don't want to spend 80 on a hdd when the problem could be the motherboard...

Thank you in advance,

Larry.


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## bobbejaan (Nov 20, 2010)

Hello Larry,

I've just been reading your post as I have exactly the same problem with my Viao sr420.
I am not very experienced on computers so no idea really of what could be the problem. I am hoping it is a problem with the software.
Have you managed to sort out your laptop ?
regards,
Roy


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## LarM (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi Roy,

I'm afraid I have not found a solution yet. . My problem is a hardware issue, it must be. However it is definately not a hard drive issue, nor is it a disc drive error (two things I thought it was). I have narrowed down some things which it could be which is (a) a motherboard problem (b) a bios issue. Most likely I think its a motherboard issue...... which, unless is replaced yourself will be quite expensive. Expensive enough that the laptop might as well go in the bin! Is your laptop still within warranty? Have you tried everything that I have tried above?


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## Old Rich (Jan 17, 2003)

You can run diagnostics on the hard drive

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287


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## LarM (Mar 24, 2009)

hi Old Rich. In my case the hdd is fine. Since my original post I've taken the hdd out, it works fine in another laptop. I'm also unable to boot LinuxLive from disc with the hdd removed.


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## bobbejaan (Nov 20, 2010)

Hey Larry,

My laptop is just over a year old so no luck with the warranty !
It had been running fine. Used freeze on start up from time to time but not very often so I used to just restart it.
I logged onto the internet the other night and a program started running immediately. Looked like Win 7 firewall. A bit odd I thought as I run ZoneAlarm. Anyway, the firewall came up with a waring of a trojan keylogger and every time I tried to access the internet this page would load and block me. Trying to get me to buy some anti-virus program !
As I said I am a bit clueless with computers so was looking at the settings and saw the cpu was running at 100% yet nothing seemed to be happening except the pointer would flicker every now and. was plugging the laptop into the charger and managed to drop it fairly hard onto the tabletop, but it seemed fine. I kept trying to work out what was happening and although I could access everything else I couldn't connect to the internet. anyway a bit later, the screen flashed a few times then went black. 
Since then have tried everything with no luck. I have managed to get into the BIOS but it is doing exactly the same as yours. 
I'm hoping like hell it isn't the motherboard but guess it may well be. 

cheers,
Roy


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## LarM (Mar 24, 2009)

Hey Roy,

In your case I think the problem is software related. When you say you have tried everything what exactly is everything? Can you boot into safe mode (F8)? Have you tried a clean install from the recovery partition or recovery discs (F10)? Can you install windows 7? Let me know what you have tried and I can give you some suggestions.

Do you need to save your data or is it ok if we lose it but get your laptop working?


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## bobbejaan (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Larry,

I guess I don't mind losing the data on my laptop as long as I can get it running again. I backed up a few months ago so I won't lose everything.

Here's what I have tried - Don't really know what I'm doing !!

F8 - 
Safe Mode - it starts to load then always stops at
loaded:\windows\system32\drivers\disk.sys
freezes for a while then the screen goes black and if left long enough will try and start again

Safe Mode with Networking - starts to load and freezes at 
loaded:\windows\system32\drivers\CLASSPNP.sys
freezes

Safe Mode with Command prompt - same as above

Enable boot logging
starts up but then freezes with the Windows logo displayed

Enable Low Res - same as above

Last Known good config - same as above

Directory Services - starts to load, until - 
loaded:\windows\system32\drivers\CLASSPNP.sys
after a few seconds comes up with 
"the system is booting in Safe Mode"
after a few more seconds screen flashes, goes black then attempts to restart

F10
comes up with
Edit windows boot option for : Windows 7
Path\windows\system32\winload.exe
Partition 2
hard disk 30a3fa50
[/NOEXECUTE=OPTIN ]

Can you make any sense of that ?

regards,
Roy


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## LarM (Mar 24, 2009)

Ok Roy, first thing to try is to change the number 2 after "Partition 2" from them F10 recovery boot to the number 1 and hit enter, if that doesn't work try reboot and try the number 3. This number represents the path to which partition windows trys to boot from and sometimes it gets it wrong.



bobbejaan said:


> F10
> comes up with
> Edit windows boot option for : Windows 7
> Path\windows\system32\winload.exe
> ...


If you have the discs enter the BIOS (F2). Change the boot order to priorty 1 - Optical Disc Drive (it may be called CD Drive or some such), priority 2 (external device), priorty 3 ( network device). Ensure the external and network devices are disabled. In this way the only way the laptop will try to boot will be from a disc and will skip over the hard drive. Pop the sony disc in or if you dont have it use the windows disc in and restart the laptop and cross your fingers!

Failing that;

Make a knoppix live boot cd from a friends laptop or pc. This is a Linux operating system that you can boot from a cd. You can get the software online, its free, simply google it and you'll get all the instructions you'll need. You'll also need image burning software to put it on the cd . I use PowerISO but theres plenty of decent ones out there. This may sound a little complicated but its really not! When you have the cd made ensure the BIOS boot order is still set how you want it. Pop the disc in a restart as above.

If you can boot from any of the options I've laid out above we know the the problem stems from your partition or harddisk.

The goal of the above is to access any working operating system, format the hard drive (wipe it completely) and do a clean install of windows 7.

Let me know how it goes,

Larry.


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

heyya larry. I've edited out the torrent advice in your post. While the intentions are good, we do not support torrent use at this site.

thanks, 

v


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## bobbejaan (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Larry,
Many thanks for the tips.
I'm afraid I gave up and took my laptop in to the local Sony shop.
They tried a few things and eventually announced that my hard drive was kaput ! I had them put in a new one and did a clean install and all seems well. I have the old drive and now need to try and get the data off it. The tech at Sony put my old drive into an enclosure and tried to get into it but failed. Told me I'd have to take it to a specialist shop.
Guess I'll get round to that some time. The main thing is that my laptop is running. 
best regards,
Roy


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## Old Rich (Jan 17, 2003)

I figured the drive had failed . . depending on the failure, it may be difficult to recover any data that was not backed up.

Glad you got it fixed . .


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