HDD detected in BIOS setup but disappeared after that?

[shoryuko]

Hi Experts,
I have another HDD, a 10.2GB Quantum LCT10 5400rpm. Everything is working fine until one day where it complains boot disk failed with no OS found. I checked the HDD detection under BIOS setup (the blue screen) and it was there with the correct properties (well, 10.2GB etc...), but when I let it continue to boot, the same problem occured.

Then, initially when I tried to FDISK the HDD, it was detected and so I continued to FDISK the HDD but the progress stucked at 'Verifying data integrity...'. Thus, I restart the computer, checked under BIOS setup, yes it was there, then FDISK again and it wasnt there this time! (no physical drive found), gosh...

Is there something wrong with the HDD? I've checked the jumper, the IDE cable etc and nothing is wrong. Or is the HDD KO already? The problem just happened overnight, without the PC being removed, being hit or whatsoever...

[hiredgoonz]

What is the jumper set to? Set it to master or single drive, not cable select. Try a new cable.

You could have a virus, have you checked? Or the drive/controller could be toast...

[sleddog]

After seeing two relatively new Quantum drives display erratic boot symptoms like this, and expire, I've lost all faith in them.

Ensure that the drive is jumpered correctly and attached to the end connector of the ribbon cable. But you've done that.

Plan to go shopping. Even if you get the drive working again, you'll never have any faith in it.

[classicsoftware]

I'm with Sleddog.....

The drive is toast.

You can download the diagnostics from the Maxtor site, but I think it's time for visit to the Computer store for a new drive..

[mjc]

Since May, my personal (ones that I have actually seen do it, not actually owned) count of Maxtor drives that I have seen do the exact same thing is 7. Maxtor now owns Quantum.........

OH, yeah, two of them within the first week, one of those 3 days after being put into service.....

[shoryuko]

Hi All,

So... I guess it's toast anyway, maybe I should try to play with the hardware (see http://www.datadocktorn.nu/us_frag1.php), hehehe...

Currently I am using a Maxtor 20GB 5400rpm entry level hdd. Any GOOD & RELIABLE hdd to recommend? Seagate, Western Digital, etc? I dont think I wanna invest on a 7200rpm ones, wont feel any difference I suppose, what do you think?

[classicsoftware]

The arial density is just as important as the RPM's.

Not that much difference between 5400 & 7200 in price...

I like WD & Maxtor

[Rick]

My personal preference is IBM drives

I know of all the Horror stories about the 60gig series drives failing
But then I also Know about the same with Maxtor failures
And My personal experience with Western Digital is as bad or worse

Seagate Makes some good drives.
But you will have to pay a little more for it in some cases

[hiredgoonz]

On the other hand I have a Maxtor drive and a Quantum drive that are 6 or 7 years old and still work despite almost constant use...

I would stay away from Fujitsu drives right now though...

[shoryuko]

Hmm... some feedback from my friends here is that Seagate higher-end hdd is reliable, not the cheaper ones. Maxtor, erm... used to be reliable, now not anymore. But the market here at my place is mostly selling Maxtor hdd... IBM or even WD is considered as rare hdd.

There will be a bargain fare for pc this coming weekend, probably I'll do some survey ^.*

[classicsoftware]

I have to disagree, the last three drives I replaced for clients where the drive failed were ALL seagate.....

I get the feeling all of the low end drives are equally crappy by all of the manufacturers. The upper end drives are all equally good by all of the manufacturers..

It's the same with computers... The low end models with 145 watt power supplies all suck even those made by Dell.....

[Sylvander]

Hello shoryuko

Could you have a boot virus?

Check this out
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16951&perpage=20&pagenumber=3

especially with regard to "V-Buster" "giving access to an inaccessible drive" by the "rebuild and repair of boot sectors and partition tables".
An "Invalid Drive" can be recovered.

[shoryuko]

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. Guess what, I was quite suprised coz the V-Buster software developer is actually near my house! (the physical address is listed at http://vbuster.net and ya, I am from Penang, Malaysia). I have downloaded the evaluation copy from the site, and will try it when I got home from work this evening.

Anyway, must this file be extracted to a bootdisk? Coz the downloaded file doesnt have 'command.com'. Can I boot using a bootdisk, then swap the disket to this v-buster disket and run the command? I certainly hope it can work... I remembered when I boot from A:\ and tried to go to C:\, C:\ is no longer valid... And the disk makes irritating noise as well...

Will update here after I tried, thanks!

[Sylvander]

Hello shoryuko

I explained it all on the other thread to which I gave you a link.

However:
1. "must this file be extracted to a bootdisk?" Yes, that's how I did it and it worked.
2. "Can I boot using a bootdisk, then swap the disket to this v-buster disket and run the command?" I would expect so but I haven't tried it.
3. "I remembered when I boot from A:\ and tried to go to C:\, C:\ is no longer valid" They say that if DOS reports "Invalid Drive" for HDD you can save it if it's caused by a virus.

[shoryuko]

After months leaving the HDD in its chamber, I tried to boot up yesterday to perform the vbuster (in case it's due to virus attack), but it's dead! :eek: No signal from the HDD... I've checked the IDe and power connection, change tis and tat, no prevail... under BIOS, it's detection was a 'NONE'. KO... :(

Anyway, thanks for your suggestion, I'll use vbuster next time I encounter this problem on other HDD.

[Sylvander]

Hello shoryuko

Don't give up! If this is a virus this could be one of its symptoms.

The virus could be held in the Partition sector/Boot Sector of your HDD and therefore you should NOT ATTEMPT TO BOOT FROM THE HDD [not until after the system has been virus checked].
When you do boot from the infected HDD, you activate the virus, it is loaded into memory and starts it's nasty work. A part of this could be to ALTER THE [BIOS] HARDWARE CONFIGURATION SETTINGS stored in the CMOS memory. This would mess up the operation of your hardware when under the control of your BIOS.
It cannot alter the BIOS prog's held in BIOS ROM however so they can be trusted.
If/when the virus alters the Partition Sector/Boot Sector you would get any of a range of warnings saying that the HDD is not working ["Non System Disk", "Disk Error" etc].
What's important is that the floppy disk drive should work and the virus checking software operates. Of course, if the BIOS configuration settings have been altered so that the floppy won't work it gets more difficult.

I made an AVG "Rescue Disk" and tried it out.
The prog's were too big to all go on one disk so AVG made a separate customised boot disk. Autoexec.bat has a command line to auto-load "AVG SOS". The problem with this prog is that to restore the Partition/Boot Sectors you need to have made a backup of them prior to the problem occurring. I'm wondering if V-Buster will be the same. I've used both to make a backup of my sectors.