buffer i/o error on device

[jamesro]

had a problem with HDD for a while
i still need some information on the drive
from what i can remember
the drive will attempt to boot but fails during the windows load up
wont let me re-install windows over the top
even got some of my more advanced friends to help me but to no avail we were doing old school DOS functions but still didn't read the drive.
Even trien installing Linux distributed by UBUNTU onto the drive with thoughts that it was a Windows error but Ubuntu gave same error message
" buffer i/o error on device at a particular sector"

anyway of fixing my drive?

 

[apache_lives]

hitachi fitness test - download and burn to a cd and do an advanced test (takes maybe an hour tops) - see what it has to say about your hdd

if it fails, replace the drive, if it passes you may have lost some data or copped a virus or any other reason eg xp giving up lol ("its a microsoft" etc)

otherwise to fix, boot off your xp cd and let it load till the end where you get the option, press r for recovery, when you get to that command prompt use the command (not including the ") "fixboot" and allow it to remake the boot sector, then do the "chkdsk c: /r /p" command to fix/repair files and with some luck it may boot when its done (if you have alot of files, it can take all day)

best of luck my friend

 

[jamesro]

by the way
BIOS sees the drive
As a Slave Windows doesn't see the drive
Windows wont boot past a certain point *freezes*
Windows re installation*over the top* no formatting doesn't work

this is ONE EVIL HDD

 

[apache_lives]

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Download the Drive Fitness Test (Bootable CD Image is easiest) and boot off the cd (making sure your hdd is connected).

Let it run the advanced test

That program will check the whole drive out checking it for bad sectors and all sorts of issues etc

If it passes that test then you will know the hdd is all ok and its just the boot sector etc

After all that as i said insert your windows xp cd and boot off it, after it finishes (eg to the "press enter to continue" screen), do the repair option (R) till you get to your black dos like screen, then do the following:

fixboot
(this will remake the boot sectors to fix some issues like this)

chkdsk c: /r /p
(this will check all files and entries and fix any other issues the fist command didnt)


see how all that does

 

[jamesro]

I'm guessing using this HDD fitness test my drive has to be a Hitachi lol?
its an older Seagate barracuda 7200.7 40GB
hoping it doesn't matter? *fingers crossed waiting for reply*

 

[jamesro]

Wait i just read the DFT user manual
it will work just wont provide a TRC for non Hitachi/IBM Drives

 

[apache_lives]

it will work with any hdd

 

[jamesro]

Houston we have a problem
as many previous attempts before this seems to have failed
the DFT only got through a few tests before halting and going no further telling me to contact my hardware vendor.
I booted the comp up entered BIOS. BIOS sees the Drive.
Exited Booted from win xp cd entered recovery console
did fixboot cant access the drive or "C:" doesnt exist
tried
chkdisk c: /r /p again c: doesn't exist
what the hell is going on
anyone at all with any idea
maybe this has happened to you?

 

[apache_lives]

yeah thats faulty hdd alright, definitly

DFT will tell you wether its windows or the hdd its self thats at fault, if you get that red screen, its a goner, buy a new hdd and count your losses.