Topic: disc read error

[daveeb]

Hi guys

Mrs B turned our old pc on today (xp sp2) got past the smart/disc recognition dos screen then "A disc read error occurred" I've tried booting to safe mode but can't get to it before the message comes up.  No post (normally get one beep). I'm currently testing the drives with an old maxblast floppy but they have passed the basic tests. Could it be a MBR problem, the discs are recognised on first bios screen and smart says they are ok.

I guess i need to try some sort of repair from the windows disc but can't remember what dos prompts there are available. Any takers 

[daveeb]

Ignore the bit about it not posting, it does as normal i.e. 1 beep.  I've tried reseating the RAM and ide cables...still same problem.  The OS drive passed the "full" smart test so looks like either an mbr problem or the mobo/memory is kaput.   

[sam]

can you try the disk in another machine?

Btw Mrs B... is there a Mrs A aswell....    ... I have the urge to say "dude"

[daveeb]

Nice idea Sam, a Mrs A could be useful when Mrs B is indisposed    Anyhow I can't really try the ide drive in my other pc as it uses sata connectors and is also rammed to the gills inside so i'd need to virtually take it apart to get the drive in. I could try a dodgy IDE drive I kept from a while back in the misbehaving pc i suppose.  I still reckon its a job for fixmbr or fixboot.  Question is which do i run first and is this facility accessed via the first or second "R" when the windows xp disc is invoked.  I've googled around and the info is rather contradictory. 

[sam]

ooh I can't actually remember, I think its the first - I reckon some windows savvy person might be able to help... I'll have a think

[Simon]

Sandra should be able to help with this one. 

[Sandra]

Use the XP CD and select the repair option then at the DOS prompt you want either FIXMBR or if that doesnt work FIXBOOT.

I am never sure which to try first but hopefully one of them will sort you out Dave 

[daveeb]

Thankee all, I'll give it a go tonight 

[daveeb]

Well i ran the xp cd and tried fixboot, fixmbr, bootcfg rebuild and finally chkdsk.  The first three had no effect, chkdsk helpfully told me there was one or more unrecoverable errors  . Sounds more hardware than software to me even tho an old maxblast disk checker (and "smart") say its ok.  I put the drive in a caddy and managed to get off important files with no bother.  I also tried an old drive in the broken pc and it worked, so the problem is not mobo/ram/psu or bios related. My next plan is to try an XP repair install, failing that a format and reinstall and failing that i'll RMA the drive and get a new pc...unless anyone has any more suggestions ? 

[sam]

sounds like it might be the drive though - unrecoverable errors are never a good thing.

[Rik]

Indeed - ask Mr Bush Senior.

[daveeb]

Update..tried a repair install and that didn't work. Finally did a reformat/install and that has worked 

[Simon]

Glad to hear that, Dave.