Problem with an 80gig hard drive WD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brigitte J.
  • Start date Start date
B

Brigitte J.

I'm not sure what happened, but this much I can tell you...

My son was using my computer to download games from the internet (he says my
computer downloads faster).

He turned off the computer, and the next morning when I booted my computer,
I got a "disk full" message. It then prompted me to "clean-up", so I chose
to do the clean-up. The computer locked up. I did a hard shutdown and
tried to reboot the system. No joy :( I'm not even certain that the disk
is actually full, as it said. But I suppose it is possible, since some of
the games my son downloads onto my system are sometimes huge files.

All I get is a black screen with a blinking curser in the upper left of the
screen. When I boot up with the boot-up disk, and try to see the directory
on the hard disk, it says bad command.

I am at my wit's end. When I put the disk into an external enclosure and
look at the properties, it says the disk is full. But won't let me look at
anything on the disk.

I have many years of information on this disk and would hate to lose it all.
I don't know much about these kinds of problems and am trying to figure out
a workaround to get in there and get the information and put it on another
disk, but don't know how to go about this. I don't want to cause further
damage to the disk.

Does anyone out there have any ideas or any experience with this kind of
problem? I was an idiot for not doing back-ups on a more frequent basis. I
am fortunate that I had backed up my family photos back in February, but I'd
like to get email addresses and old emails and other stuff too, If it's at
all possible.

BTW, the disk has windows98se edition on it.

Any advise or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brigitte J.
 
Virus? Sounds like one.Have you tried running a scan disk at dos prompt?
You might try booting into safemode. When you turn on computer hold down the
f8 key. This will bring up a menu to allow you to go to save mode. Once
there start deleting any unwanted files.If this don't work try reloading
windows.
Might have some bad files. Try putting the 98 cd in and reboot. Reload
windows into same directory. Just load it on top of it self, that way you
will lose nothing.
 
You say when you put the disk in an external enclosure you can't read
it. Does this mean you connected the disk to another working PC? Was
that PC running Win98? Win98 can format a disk in a fashion that Win95,
WinNT, 2K, XP can't read; perhaps your disk is so formatted. Also, be
aware that various jumpers usually have to be reset when a second drive
is added to a PC.
 
Tj said:
Virus? Sounds like one.
Click to expand...

Maybe. How do I run a virus scan from dos?

Have you tried running a scan disk at dos prompt?

Nope, when in dos, it says the drive is not there. When I attempt to look
at the directory, it says it's a bad command. Am I doing something wrong
there?
You might try booting into safemode. When you turn on computer hold down the
f8 key. This will bring up a menu to allow you to go to save mode.Once
there start deleting any unwanted files.
Click to expand...

I've tried getting into safe mode. I just get the blinking curser in the
upper left of the screen.

If this don't work try reloading
windows.
Might have some bad files. Try putting the 98 cd in and reboot. Reload
windows into same directory.
Click to expand...

Just load it on top of it self, that way you
will lose nothing.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is what I was hoping to do, but when I boot up with the windows cd
in the computer, the only option I get is to format the hard drive. If I do
this, I'll lose all my data, won't I?

If I'm doing something wrong, please let me know. I'm assuming that when in
dos and at the C prompt I type in "dir", and the response is "bad command",
that it's not able to see it. Is this correct? As I said, I'm no expert,
just trying to figure this stuff out as I go.

Thanks again,
Brigitte
 
Bennett Price said:
You say when you put the disk in an external enclosure you can't read
it.
Click to expand...

I can't read see files, but in the disk's properties, i see the pie shaped
image that shows the pie completely blue, which represents used space.

Does this mean you connected the disk to another working PC?

No, I hooked it up to the same computer. I put another hard drive in and
installed win98se onto it.

Was
that PC running Win98?
Click to expand...

Yes

Win98 can format a disk in a fashion that Win95,
WinNT, 2K, XP can't read; perhaps your disk is so formatted. Also, be
aware that various jumpers usually have to be reset when a second drive
is added to a PC.
Click to expand...

Yes, I set the jumpers per the manufacturers instructions.

Thanks,
Brigitte
 
Can you boot in Bios (setup)? Make sure it is seeing your hard drive. It is
possible you battery went dead on your computer and it doesn't see the hard
drive settings. Have you checked to make sure jumper is correct and cable is
in the right way? Perhaps it is lose.
Do you have an emergency boot floppy? Boot from the floppy and see if you
can see the hard drive.
Western Digital has a web site where you can down load a program to check
your hard drive (it might be dead)
 
Have you attempted to run Win98's disk repair utilities from the good
disk on the bad disk? When you look at the properties of the bad disk
does it say File System = FAT or FAT32?
 
Since you've exhausted all the "normal" methods at
this point
I'd recommend you go to GRC.com(Gibson Research)
and buy Spinrite if
Western Digital doesn't work for you, but the
drive is still alive.Spinrite can
resurrect almost any hard drive that exists.

message
Can you boot in Bios (setup)? Make sure it is seeing your hard drive. It is
possible you battery went dead on your computer and it doesn't see the hard
drive settings. Have you checked to make sure jumper is correct and cable is
in the right way? Perhaps it is lose.
Do you have an emergency boot floppy? Boot from the floppy and see if you
can see the hard drive.
Western Digital has a web site where you can down load a program to check
your hard drive (it might be dead)


from the internet (he says
my morning when I booted my
computer, me to "clean-up", so I
chose curser in the upper left of
the and try to see the
directory full. But won't let me look
at and would hate to lose it
all.
Click to expand...
problems and am trying to figure
out
Click to expand...
back-ups on a more frequent basis.
 
Bennett Price said:
Have you attempted to run Win98's disk repair utilities from the good
disk on the bad disk?
Click to expand...

I no longer have win98se on the "new" hard drive. I did a clean install of
win2k on the "new" one. I doubt I can run that utility now.

When you look at the properties of the bad disk
does it say File System = FAT or FAT32?
Click to expand...

I don't remember what it said, but I'll check on that...

Brigitte
 
Tj said:
Can you boot in Bios (setup)? Make sure it is seeing your hard drive.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was able to go into the bios and it did see the hard drive there.

It is
possible you battery went dead on your computer and it doesn't see the hard
drive settings.
Click to expand...

I doubt that's the problem, since I've got a new hard drive installed with
win2k running and it's running fine.

Have you checked to make sure jumper is correct and cable is
in the right way? Perhaps it is lose.
Click to expand...

Yes, checked and double checked jumpers and cables.
Do you have an emergency boot floppy? Boot from the floppy and see if you
can see the hard drive.
Click to expand...

When I try to look at the directory on C, it says "bad command". I guess
that means it doesn't see the hard drive.
Western Digital has a web site where you can down load a program to check
your hard drive (it might be dead)
Click to expand...

Would I download this onto a different hard drive? Not sure how I'd
download it to the 80gig drive.

Thanks,
Brigitte
 
Go to Western digital and down load there tools. After down loading you
install it to a floppy. You then put the floppy into broken machine and boot
from it. It will run a series of tests to see if the hard drive is any good.
Sounds like it went south.
 
Pen said:
Since you've exhausted all the "normal" methods at
this point
I'd recommend you go to GRC.com(Gibson Research)
and buy Spinrite if
Western Digital doesn't work for you, but the
drive is still alive.Spinrite can
resurrect almost any hard drive that exists.
Click to expand...

Went to the website, looks promising.

Thank you for the information...

Brigitte
 
Tj said:
Go to Western digital and down load there tools. After down loading you
install it to a floppy. You then put the floppy into broken machine and boot
from it. It will run a series of tests to see if the hard drive is any good.
Sounds like it went south.
Click to expand...

Ok, was wondering how that would work...I'll give it a shot.

Thanks,
Brigitte
 
Bennett said:
You say when you put the disk in an external enclosure you can't read
it. Does this mean you connected the disk to another working PC? Was
that PC running Win98? Win98 can format a disk in a fashion that
Win95, WinNT, 2K, XP can't read; perhaps your disk is so formatted.
Click to expand...

Please explain to me about this Bennet. A web-site or reference would be
nice. I have never heard of it before.
 
I'm not sure what happened, but this much I can tell you...

My son was using my computer to download games from the internet (he says my
computer downloads faster).

He turned off the computer, and the next morning when I booted my computer,
I got a "disk full" message. It then prompted me to "clean-up", so I chose
to do the clean-up.
Click to expand...

This may have actually been the beginning of a virus. By clicking on
the 'clean up', you may have started a script that simply copies files
from one part of your drive to another...until the drive is full. Its
really hard to tell at this point.
The computer locked up. I did a hard shutdown and
tried to reboot the system.
Click to expand...

This may actually be what is causing part of your problem...if you
shut down the power to the hard drive as it was working. You were
pressured to do this...but its generally not a good idea.
No joy :( I'm not even certain that the disk
is actually full, as it said. But I suppose it is possible, since some of
the games my son downloads onto my system are sometimes huge files.
Click to expand...

After you solve this problem, you should find a program that can
search for large files on your drive...that you can delete if need be.
Vopt is one of them...a good defrag program...that can also allow you
to tweak some things on yer computer.
All I get is a black screen with a blinking curser in the upper left of the
screen. When I boot up with the boot-up disk, and try to see the directory
on the hard disk, it says bad command.
Click to expand...

WHAT says 'bad command'? Are you typing in some kind of command?
I am at my wit's end. When I put the disk into an external enclosure and
look at the properties, it says the disk is full. But won't let me look at
anything on the disk.

I have many years of information on this disk and would hate to lose it all.
Click to expand...

Then you should take it to someone who can solve your problem.

Be careful. You've gotten some really bogus suggestions and advice so
far! Some of the people here mean well...but some of them are only
still learning also. If you implement the wrong info, you could wind
up losing all you have.

Take it to someone who knows what they're doin'...if the info is
really that important. And make sure he does a clone of the drive
before he starts to try to fix it...just in case HE makes a mistake.
I don't know much about these kinds of problems and am trying to figure out
a workaround to get in there and get the information and put it on another
disk, but don't know how to go about this. I don't want to cause further
damage to the disk.

Does anyone out there have any ideas or any experience with this kind of
problem?
Click to expand...

Depending on how the drive was installed initially, you may not be
able to see the files on the drive unless you boot from that drive.
That may be why you can't see the files when you install it as a slave
drive. And its the booting from that drive that yer havin' a problem
with. So yer caught between a rock and a hard place.

Take the drive to a machine that can handle...and boot into...80 gig
drives. Then boot it as the master on the primary controller...and
see what happens. If it DOES boot, you'll have a few minor problems
if you try to put it back into the old machine. But you can take care
of those problems easily later on...since yer running 98.
I was an idiot for not doing back-ups on a more frequent basis.
Click to expand...

Errrr...let's move on! lol
I
am fortunate that I had backed up my family photos back in February, but I'd
like to get email addresses and old emails and other stuff too, If it's at
all possible.
Click to expand...

Whatever you do, don't format or re-partition. With work, you should
be able to save what you've got.

You don't need this tag line. This is not email.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
 
Trent© said:
This may have actually been the beginning of a virus. By clicking on
the 'clean up', you may have started a script that simply copies files
from one part of your drive to another...until the drive is full. Its
really hard to tell at this point.


This may actually be what is causing part of your problem...if you
shut down the power to the hard drive as it was working. You were
pressured to do this...but its generally not a good idea.


After you solve this problem, you should find a program that can
search for large files on your drive...that you can delete if need be.
Vopt is one of them...a good defrag program...that can also allow you
to tweak some things on yer computer.


WHAT says 'bad command'? Are you typing in some kind of command?
all.

Then you should take it to someone who can solve your problem.

Be careful. You've gotten some really bogus suggestions and advice so
far! Some of the people here mean well...but some of them are only
still learning also. If you implement the wrong info, you could wind
up losing all you have.

Take it to someone who knows what they're doin'...if the info is
really that important. And make sure he does a clone of the drive
before he starts to try to fix it...just in case HE makes a mistake.


Depending on how the drive was installed initially, you may not be
able to see the files on the drive unless you boot from that drive.
That may be why you can't see the files when you install it as a slave
drive. And its the booting from that drive that yer havin' a problem
with. So yer caught between a rock and a hard place.

Take the drive to a machine that can handle...and boot into...80 gig
drives. Then boot it as the master on the primary controller...and
see what happens. If it DOES boot, you'll have a few minor problems
if you try to put it back into the old machine. But you can take care
of those problems easily later on...since yer running 98.


Errrr...let's move on! lol


Whatever you do, don't format or re-partition. With work, you should
be able to save what you've got.

You don't need this tag line. This is not email.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!
Click to expand...

Trent,
Thanks for all the information. I believe I'll be sending the disk in for
data recovery. I don't want to risk doing further damage.

Brigitte
 
Have your priced data recovery?
Big bucks.

Brigitte J. said:
says look but

Trent,
Thanks for all the information. I believe I'll be sending the disk in for
data recovery. I don't want to risk doing further damage.

Brigitte
Click to expand...
 
Trent© said:
You don't need this tag line. This is not email.
Click to expand...

Doesn't hurt though, lets you know the post was scanned. Plus by looking at
the virus database date you can get some idea of how on-to-it the poster is.
 
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