Invalid disk error - Help!!

[Dartech19]

Please help me!

I recently turned on my computer to find an invalid disk error after the Bios bootup. I'm puzzled because I haven't been playing around with any of the settings or installed any new software or hardware.

When I put my windows boot disk in, it says that I have an unrecognised FAT. Possibly due to a corrupt directory system, a second party disk compression software or a virus.

I don't use any second party disk compression software and I have a virus checker on the system so hopefully this will have picked up a virus.

I tried to copy the system files across using the SYS C: command at the A:> prompt but got an 'Invalid function'message, so then I tried fdisk on the hard drive but it says 'no fixed disks present' therefore obviously not recognizing the hard drive.

I've looked through the Bios setup and checked the bootup sequence (A,C,SCSI) and checked other parameters in the setup. All seem OK.
I've tried to auto detect the hard drive with no success, I've also plugged the numbers in manually again with no success.

I'm going to try my hard drive in a friends system to see if it can be detected on his computer - hopefully it will be, because I have four years worth of data on the computer (Who's the clot that didn't back-up his system - they say that you learn by your mistakes!!)

My system is running win98 on a 600MHz P111 with 196Mb RAM, a 20Gb Seagate Barracuda hard drive and an Gigabyte BX2000 mother board with dual Bios capability. The system was custom built 18 months ago and has been running fine until now.

What I wonder is:
Why has this happened and what should I do to get running again?

Any help would be gladly appreciated

Dartech19

[tjaymadison]

Welcome, Dartech! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Running ScanDisk will attempt to repair the FAT.

If you have Norton and a similar program, it can help also.

Good Luck! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[Dartech19]

Thanks for replying tjaymadison,

I have already tried scandisk but with no success.
When I DIR 'd the C:drive it said that the total disk size (files present + free disk space) was only 1.3Mb and said something like 'Directory of mswindows' and not 'Directory of C'. So I'm not sure what it is trying to scandisk.
I ran scandisk on both the A and the C drive - it took longer to scan the A drive than it did for the C drive (including surface scan). So it looks like I cannot access the hard drive even with scandisk.

I'm quite new to this computing lark so sorry if I sound a bit 'fick. I have got Dr.Solomons virus protection installed. Does this just protect Windows or does it work in DOS aswell - or am I mis-understanding you when you mentioned Norton.

Dartech19

[tjaymadison]

Possibly my miscommunication. Sorry. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif
Norton Utilities has other modules like DiskDoctor that can repair the FAT.

When you get the HD back in your system, try this:

At the DOS prompt type fdisk /mbr and press Return.

There's a space before the /. This will rewrite the Master Boot Record with the backup copy.




------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[Dartech19]

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/confused.gif The problem is, how do I get the computer to recognize that the hard drive is there? As far as it is concerned there isn't one. So even if I had Norton how would I repair the FAT?

Do you know how this has happened?
Is there a problem with my Bios settings or is it possible that my hard drive has died? As I said before it is only 18 months old


Cheers
Dartech19

[Paleo Pete]

Go to the drive manufacturer's website, they should have drive installation software and utilities available to download. If that, fdisk and BIOS all don't recognize the drive, chances are it's dead.

Check your warranty, it might still be under warranty so you might be able to get a replacement. I think most drives have a 2 year or so warranty.

------------------
So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[kayofcircles]

"I'm going to try my hard drive in a friends system to see if it can be detected on his computer - hopefully it will be, because I have four years worth of data on the computer"..did you do that, Dartech19? I am curious because my husband had the same problem with a Seagate that was only 11 months old. He got a Seagate diagnostic that said the HDD was fine and after a lot of effort got the puter to "see" the hard drive, so he went ahead and tried to reinstall 98. About two thirds of the way through installation, would get a "cannot write to disk" error. Despite the diagnostic report, Seagate said we could return the drive. You need to call them because they have some qualifications on shipping and wrapping, but they did replace the drive with a refurbished one. The refurbished one was full of bad sectors...but you could be luckier than we were.

Really hope you haven't lost your stuff!



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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
-- Chinese Proverb

[luthierpro]

Originally posted by Dartech19:
Please help me!

I recently turned on my computer to find an invalid disk error after the Bios bootup. I'm puzzled because I haven't been playing around with any of the settings or installed any new software or hardware.

When I put my windows boot disk in, it says that I have an unrecognised FAT. Possibly due to a corrupt directory system, a second party disk compression software or a virus.

I don't use any second party disk compression software and I have a virus checker on the system so hopefully this will have picked up a virus.

I tried to copy the system files across using the SYS C: command at the A:> prompt but got an 'Invalid function'message, so then I tried fdisk on the hard drive but it says 'no fixed disks present' therefore obviously not recognizing the hard drive.

I've looked through the Bios setup and checked the bootup sequence (A,C,SCSI) and checked other parameters in the setup. All seem OK.
I've tried to auto detect the hard drive with no success, I've also plugged the numbers in manually again with no success.

I'm going to try my hard drive in a friends system to see if it can be detected on his computer - hopefully it will be, because I have four years worth of data on the computer (Who's the clot that didn't back-up his system - they say that you learn by your mistakes!!)

My system is running win98 on a 600MHz P111 with 196Mb RAM, a 20Gb Seagate Barracuda hard drive and an Gigabyte BX2000 mother board with dual Bios capability. The system was custom built 18 months ago and has been running fine until now.

What I wonder is:
Why has this happened and what should I do to get running again?

Any help would be gladly appreciated

Dartech19
I would be careful! It sounds more like a virus to me. You can pass it on to your freinds computer this way.

------------------
Jim

[Dartech19]

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I'm just writing to say thanks for all the help that the above people gave to me. A friend has now found what the problem was.....

He said I have quite a lot a power being consumed by the various drives etc. and my power supply was not strong enough to power everything (over time he said that it may have deteriorated). Plus everything was being powered by the same power lead and my hard drive was on the end of it and was therefore not getting enough power to run it. He rectified this by placing the hard drive on it's own seperate power lead from the motherboard and everything has been OK since. He has also recommended that I get a larger power supply to cope with the demand.

Does this sound correct, is my friend true?

So again, thanks to all those people that helped http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[tjaymadison]

Sounds extremely likely. We should have asked somewhere along the line too.

The age and the capacity of a PS is an often-overlooked cause of trouble.

Good to hear you found the problem. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif



------------------
"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[kayofcircles]

And based on recent experience...ie terror!...you're backing up your stuff right and left, huh??? I learned that way once too.