Elderly 486 getting disk-I/O-error

  • Thread starter Thread starter impslayer
  • Start date Start date
I

impslayer

Hi all.

I've recently had some serious problems with my old PC
that my son currently 'owns'.

First there was an error message 'HDD controller failure', then
the last couple of days it's (mostly) 'disk-I/O-error'.
It shows at (before) boot, I can't even boot from a floppy...

It sounds as if the disk (?) tries to get started, but then
dies. There are also 'clicks' coming from inside the computer
rather randomly but in bursts (rather seldom though)...

As you probably can tell, working inside the computer isn't
exactly my cup'o'tea, at best I can manage to put a new
graphics card in :)

My guess is that it's either the HD (disk, drive, whatever
it's called, a Seagate ST5850) or the controller (of which
I have no knowledge of). Or could it really 'only' be problems
with cables?

It's a 100 MHz 486 with Windows95 on, feel free to ask more if
needed. English isn't my native language, and I would probably
have difficulties describing my problem in swedish too, so
I understand if you think I have to clarify a lot.

Thanks in advance and best regards,

/impslayer, aka Birger Johansson
 
I've recently had some serious problems
with my old PC that my son currently 'owns'.
Click to expand...

I've reported you to the RSPCPPC.

Dont forget, he'll be picking your nursing home.
First there was an error message 'HDD controller failure',
then the last couple of days it's (mostly) 'disk-I/O-error'.
It shows at (before) boot, I can't even boot from a floppy...
Click to expand...
It sounds as if the disk (?) tries to get started, but then dies.
Click to expand...

Presumably you mean it spins up, but
doesnt manage much more than that.
There are also 'clicks' coming from inside the computer
rather randomly but in bursts (rather seldom though)...
Click to expand...

Thats normally the drive recalibrating
when it cant read the platters properly.
As you probably can tell, working inside the
computer isn't exactly my cup'o'tea, at best
I can manage to put a new graphics card in :)
Click to expand...

And those old dinosaurs are harder than modern systems too.
My guess is that it's either the HD (disk,
drive, whatever it's called, a Seagate ST5850)
Click to expand...

Yep, almost certainly with that clicking.
or the controller
Click to expand...

Thats a rather misleading error message. Its basically
still talking about the drive. The controller migrated from
a card in the PC to the logic card on the drive with IDE
drives and thats why its still talking about a controller.
(of which I have no knowledge of). Or could
it really 'only' be problems with cables?
Click to expand...

In theory, but that wouldnt normally produce that clicking symptom.

Very likely the hard drive has died. Get the diagnostic
off the Seagate site and see what it says about the drive.
It's a 100 MHz 486 with Windows95 on,
Click to expand...

Urk, poor kid |-)

Dont forget about your nursing home.
 
impslayer said:
Hi all.

I've recently had some serious problems with my old PC
that my son currently 'owns'.

First there was an error message 'HDD controller failure', then
the last couple of days it's (mostly) 'disk-I/O-error'.
It shows at (before) boot, I can't even boot from a floppy...

It sounds as if the disk (?) tries to get started, but then
dies. There are also 'clicks' coming from inside the computer
rather randomly but in bursts (rather seldom though)...

As you probably can tell, working inside the computer isn't
exactly my cup'o'tea, at best I can manage to put a new
graphics card in :)

My guess is that it's either the HD (disk, drive, whatever
it's called, a Seagate ST5850) or the controller (of which
I have no knowledge of). Or could it really 'only' be problems
with cables?

It's a 100 MHz 486 with Windows95 on, feel free to ask more if
needed. English isn't my native language, and I would probably
have difficulties describing my problem in swedish too, so
I understand if you think I have to clarify a lot.

Thanks in advance and best regards,

/impslayer, aka Birger Johansson
Click to expand...


Hello, Birger:

Your English is fine...can't say the same thing, regarding the HDD
(i.e., hard disk drive), alas. I trust there's nothing very important,
on it, and that you can replace it cheaply (and easily) enough.

By the way, my first PC was a Pionex 486DX2/66 (66MHz), purchased in
1995. Having built two, better computers (Pentium III 600MHz & Pentium
233MHz), during the interim, I've put it in "storage" (pun intended),
around here.

I've barely used my 486 machine, since "retiring" it, back in August
of 2000. Actually, I just hope its Western Digital 2.5GB "Caviar"
doesn't deteriorate, completely, as I still need to retrieve some data,
from it.

Good luck!


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>
 
Back
Top