My computer doesn't have a problem

Started by DGuller, August 20, 2009, 08:37:35 PM

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Baron von Schtinkenbutt

#30
August 22, 2009, 11:57:27 PM
DGuller, I have a suggestion, but it might take a while to download the needed CD image.

In a situation like this, I'd take a Linux live CD (I prefer Ubuntu and boot the machine off that.  The kernel will scan the buses and pick up any drives on them.  The problem with the drive might be so obvious the kernel can't even recognize it.  If it does, you can browse to the drive in the file manager and see if everything looks to be intact.  If it does, back up whatever you want.  In either case, you can try to format the drive using the tools on the live CD (note that you can't format as NTFS) and see if you get an errors out of that.

Alternately, you could try the Ultimate Boot CD, which includes several hard drive diagnostic utilities.

I know these are fairly advanced options, but I wanted to throw them out.

By the way, the behavior of this drive sounds a lot like what happened to the drive in my Sun box (the old server).  I don't know the cause of death on that one yet because I haven't returned the drive yet.

Liep

#31
August 23, 2009, 01:49:40 AM
Meanwhile you can try Puppy Linux on your old comp, it made my 7 years old laptop way faster than my 1 year old desktop.
"Af alle latterlige Ting forekommer det mig at være det allerlatterligste at have travlt" - Kierkegaard

"JamenajmenømahrmDÆ!DÆ! Æhvnårvaæhvadlelæh! Hvor er det crazy, det her, mand!" - Uffe Elbæk

DGuller

#32
August 23, 2009, 12:43:02 PM
Quote from: vonmoltke on August 22, 2009, 11:57:27 PM
DGuller, I have a suggestion, but it might take a while to download the needed CD image.

In a situation like this, I'd take a Linux live CD (I prefer Ubuntu and boot the machine off that.  The kernel will scan the buses and pick up any drives on them.  The problem with the drive might be so obvious the kernel can't even recognize it.  If it does, you can browse to the drive in the file manager and see if everything looks to be intact.  If it does, back up whatever you want.  In either case, you can try to format the drive using the tools on the live CD (note that you can't format as NTFS) and see if you get an errors out of that.

Alternately, you could try the Ultimate Boot CD, which includes several hard drive diagnostic utilities.

I know these are fairly advanced options, but I wanted to throw them out.

By the way, the behavior of this drive sounds a lot like what happened to the drive in my Sun box (the old server).  I don't know the cause of death on that one yet because I haven't returned the drive yet.
Thank you, I'll try that.  I'm a little short on useful boot disks right now.

DGuller

#33
August 23, 2009, 01:58:41 PM
Ok, now I just don't get it.  Ubuntu seems to read my hard drive just fine, and so does DOS prompt from the Vista boot/installation DVD.  However, Vista setup itself just can't see the hard drive.  I just don't get WTF is going on with my system.

DGuller

#34
August 23, 2009, 02:05:17 PM
By the way, can we get a subforum here just for the threads about my computer problems?

DGuller

#35
August 23, 2009, 02:48:01 PM Last Edit: August 23, 2009, 02:49:53 PM by DGuller
Ok, Ubuntu just lost my old hard drive as well.  I feel better now (no, not really, but at least I feel less confused).

I think at this point I should stop torturing the hard drive, until I get the new one in the mail.  Then I'll try to access it again and hope that at least it would have enough breath left to let me dump the files from it to the new hard drive.

DontSayBanana

#36
August 23, 2009, 04:53:30 PM
Quote from: DGuller on August 23, 2009, 02:48:01 PM
Ok, Ubuntu just lost my old hard drive as well.  I feel better now (no, not really, but at least I feel less confused).

I think at this point I should stop torturing the hard drive, until I get the new one in the mail.  Then I'll try to access it again and hope that at least it would have enough breath left to let me dump the files from it to the new hard drive.

Yep, congratulations. Your hard drive was a lemon. :console:
Experience bij!

DGuller

#37
August 23, 2009, 05:35:17 PM
Or is it?  One more mind-fucking update, although I think this will really be the last one.  My hard drive is just fine.  My SSD drive was starting to behave strangely as well, by not allowing either Windows or Ubuntu to install on it.  So I decided to disonnect its SATA cable.  Whadda you know, my old hard drive sprung back to life as if nothing happened.  Of course, its Vista still did the infinite reboot routine, but that wasn't hardware-related.  So now I installed Windows 7 RC on it, and in fact am typing this message from it.

So, the most likely conclusion is that somehow the SSD drive corrupted the I/O for my system just by being merely connected to the motherboard.  The problems were created as far back as BIOS.  This is bizarre, but now all the pieces of the puzzle fit.  Jesus, I really thought the days of such inexplicable hardware incompatibility were long behind us.

DontSayBanana

#38
August 23, 2009, 08:32:38 PM
Huh. Interesting.

Quote from: DGuller on August 23, 2009, 05:35:17 PM
Jesus, I really thought the days of such inexplicable hardware incompatibility were long behind us.

Sadly, SSDs aren't running under really solidified standards yet, so I imagine coding the interfacing for them has got to be a bitch.
Experience bij!

Valdemar

#39
August 24, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
Quote from: Liep on August 23, 2009, 01:49:40 AM
Meanwhile you can try Puppy Linux on your old comp, it made my 7 years old laptop way faster than my 1 year old desktop.

Can you tell me more about this please?

Also, Liep, are you the one in TDC? I've got some 31st october issues coming up :D

V

Liep

#40
August 24, 2009, 05:40:54 AM
Quote from: Valdemar on August 24, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
Quote from: Liep on August 23, 2009, 01:49:40 AM
Meanwhile you can try Puppy Linux on your old comp, it made my 7 years old laptop way faster than my 1 year old desktop.

Can you tell me more about this please?

Also, Liep, are you the one in TDC? I've got some 31st october issues coming up :D

V

It's a linux version that runs directly in the RAM, so if you have anything above 100mb ram it loads the entire thing instantly. And I do mean instantly, as in open the office programme, email, browser, within 1 second. Clever thing is it boots from a USB and can save data directly back to the USB, so no matter how fucked your old comp is it's suddenly super fast. Loving it.

And Bogh is the one in TDC.
"Af alle latterlige Ting forekommer det mig at være det allerlatterligste at have travlt" - Kierkegaard

"JamenajmenømahrmDÆ!DÆ! Æhvnårvaæhvadlelæh! Hvor er det crazy, det her, mand!" - Uffe Elbæk

Valdemar

#41
August 24, 2009, 05:48:57 AM
Quote from: Liep on August 24, 2009, 05:40:54 AM
Quote from: Valdemar on August 24, 2009, 04:07:37 AM
Quote from: Liep on August 23, 2009, 01:49:40 AM
Meanwhile you can try Puppy Linux on your old comp, it made my 7 years old laptop way faster than my 1 year old desktop.

Can you tell me more about this please?

Also, Liep, are you the one in TDC? I've got some 31st october issues coming up :D

V

It's a linux version that runs directly in the RAM, so if you have anything above 100mb ram it loads the entire thing instantly. And I do mean instantly, as in open the office programme, email, browser, within 1 second. Clever thing is it boots from a USB and can save data directly back to the USB, so no matter how fucked your old comp is it's suddenly super fast. Loving it.

And Bogh is the one in TDC.

Sounds great... Got an old Pentium 3 256mb ram. the pc itself works great, but it is slow as hell when it comes to internet and starting up programmes.

Got a link?

And I guess I need Boegh then :D

V

Liep

#42
August 24, 2009, 05:53:29 AM
"Af alle latterlige Ting forekommer det mig at være det allerlatterligste at have travlt" - Kierkegaard

"JamenajmenømahrmDÆ!DÆ! Æhvnårvaæhvadlelæh! Hvor er det crazy, det her, mand!" - Uffe Elbæk

DontSayBanana

#43
August 24, 2009, 08:30:44 PM Last Edit: August 24, 2009, 08:45:35 PM by DontSayBanana
Speaking of unsolved computer mysteries, mine is now over. Something (and I'm pretty sure the culprit was my laptop's "Eco Mode" utility) set my hard drive into PIO mode. I'm now trying to figure out how to set it back to DMA. <_<

EDIT: Actually, it looks like it's Windows native handling of ATAPI hard drives- it may point to a lot of corrupted data on my hard drive or a bad hard drive.
Experience bij!

DGuller

#44
August 24, 2009, 08:45:43 PM
What's a PIO?  Pain in orifice?
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