Primary Master Hard Disk Error

iNTeRNeT-JuNKieiNTeRNeT-JuNKie
edited October 2006 in Hardware
Hello,

I went to double click on My Copmuter and and it froze. The only program running was Real Player.. I rebooted and started getting a ticking sound.. After rebooting and verifying mouse, keyboard, and processor information, this message appears.

Primary Master Hard Disk error
Press F4 to Run setup

It seems to me that my HardDrive has taken a dump.. Is there any way to retrieve some of the files/informstion that I had on there?:shakehead

Comments

  • iNTeRNeT-JuNKieiNTeRNeT-JuNKie
    edited October 2006
    Now I 'm getting this message..

    windows\system32\config\system
  • zero-counterzero-counter Linux Lubber San Antonio Member
    edited October 2006
    Yes, there may be many possible ways to extract info from the HD...assuming that it still spins and there was no massive head damage to the platters, or the servo died.

    If the message you posted in your second post has corrupt or missing somehwere there, it's just another way of telling you what you already know.

    You can take the drive over to another pc that has an OS and attempt to copy data that way. There are some software recovery methods available to attempt to retrieve your data. There are also companies that can attempt to extract data from your drive.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2006
    Run the diagnostic test from the hard drive manufacturer. If it gives you any errors, you'll have to decide whether your data is worth paying big money to recover professionally, or if you want to try and do it yourself. If you decide to go the pro route, shut the machine down and disconnect the drive immediately - the longer it runs the worse your chances of getting your data back.

    If the hard drive test finds nothing physically wrong, we'll move on to straightening out the file system on the drive and getting yourself back in business. :)
  • iNTeRNeT-JuNKieiNTeRNeT-JuNKie
    edited October 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    Run the diagnostic test from the hard drive manufacturer. If it gives you any errors, you'll have to decide whether your data is worth paying big money to recover professionally, or if you want to try and do it yourself. If you decide to go the pro route, shut the machine down and disconnect the drive immediately - the longer it runs the worse your chances of getting your data back.

    If the hard drive test finds nothing physically wrong, we'll move on to straightening out the file system on the drive and getting yourself back in business. :)


    How do I run the diagnostic test?
  • zero-counterzero-counter Linux Lubber San Antonio Member
    edited October 2006
    iNTeRNeT JuNKie wrote:
    How do I run the diagnostic test?
    Floppy or bootable cd, depending on where you got your tool. If from the mfg., you will needto create a floppy disk with the files they provide. You could use the ultimate boot cd, which has most manufacturer's diagnostic utilities pre-loaded for use.
  • iNTeRNeT-JuNKieiNTeRNeT-JuNKie
    edited October 2006
    zero.counter wrote:
    Floppy or bootable cd, depending on where you got your tool. If from the mfg., you will needto create a floppy disk with the files they provide. You could use the ultimate boot cd, which has most manufacturer's diagnostic utilities pre-loaded for use.


    Could I follow these steps given on this site? http://www.webechodesigns.com/blog/2006/08/repair-windowssystem32-configsystem.html
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2006
    You could try all sorts of things. Before messing around with a software fix you should make sure the drive is OK. That ticking noise you mentioned is trying to tell you something. ;)
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited October 2006
    I found one bad hard disk some time ago, it wouldn't start up.
    Just the usual click of death.

    Well I did the dirty trick, took the hard disk and knocked it gently on the table (while is was not running), and hey guess what !

    It started up :vimp:

    The last resort I would call it !
  • iNTeRNeT-JuNKieiNTeRNeT-JuNKie
    edited October 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    You could try all sorts of things. Before messing around with a software fix you should make sure the drive is OK. That ticking noise you mentioned is trying to tell you something. ;)

    Funny thing is, it's not ticking anymore.. I have never installed a HD or even built a computer.. I'm sure it's not as simple as removing and installing the HD into a functioning unit, is it?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2006
    You get the test from the hard drive manufacturer, or, as zero.counter said, run the program from the Ultimate Boot CD.

    You'll boot up from either a floppy or CD, then run the test. Do both the quick and the full test. At the end it will tell you if your drive passed or not. If it gives you a code, write it down and tell us what it is.

    Honestly, you can waste hours and hours trying to fix up a computer, only to find after a lot of aggravation that you have a dying drive. I know because I've done it. :(

    Once you're sure that the drive is OK, you won't mind spending the time it may take to sort out the rest. :wave:
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