PSU Failure, now SSD Drive not working?

[justink2]

Hi guys,

I ususally leave my computer running and noticed the other day it was off. I went to start it and got nothing, a few tries later after unplugging things it would start up and then shut down before booting windows. I checked the PSU with the paper clip test and got nothing, which was strange since I could get it to sometimes turn on and run, but it wouldn't boot the hard drives.
Anyway, I replaced the power supply with the same Corsair HX1000 and turned it on and got an error that no bootrom was detected, so I went into BIOS and fixed the boot priority to my SSD drive as was the case prior to this not working. Now the SSD drive starts to load windows but comes up with "Windows Error Recovery". I have run this and it cannot fix the problem, and I've tried restoring to a week prior. I've also tried resetting the RAM with the MEMOK switch and it ran a memory diagnostic and came back with no errors.
Can anyone add any advice here? If the PSU were to have failed while the computer was running, could that wipe out my SSD running windows 7? Any thing I can do to try and retain the SSD as it wasn't backed up?
My components are:
Asus P6X58D Premium
I7 930
6gb Kinston Hyper X 1600
Kingston 128 SSD+
WD Caviar Black 1TB
Corsair HX1000
GPU- GTX 470

Thanks Much- Justin

 

[acer0169]

Can you boot into safemode? Have you tried the SSD in another machine or within a caddie? Have you another drive you can boot from, and then use the SSD as a secondary drive to get data off it? etc etc...

 

[RetiredChief]

Yes, a PSU failure, or any other case that removes Power, while the computer is operating can cause the Boot drive to become non-bootable. Primarily this occurs if the computer is in the middle of a write operation to a critical file, or to the File allocation table. Also true for your data drive, but if only the data drive was effected you would be able to boot.

Acer0169 provided a good outline of steps to follow, So I'll just expaned.
(1) If you can boot to safe mode, and access your 1 TB HDD, then copy all data that you would need/want to save such as your email folder, Your Internet Favorities and any files you have saved in "my Documents. Could probably just copy the folder "user/Your name"

If this works, your pretty much home free as You can then just reload windows 7 and your programs - Pain in the Touche. Speacially when win 7 has an excellent back up program. (a) Just go to Backup in control panel and do a system image of your Boot drive to Your 2nd drive and/or to DVDs (normally only takes 3 ->5). and then (b) select create a bootable system restore DVD.

His 2nd method would require either a friend's computer to install your SSD in his/her computer and see if you can read it, or Buy a 2 1/2 in USB enclosure (approx 15 -> 20 bucks) and try to access it on a 2nd computer/laptop. Then follow quidance above.

Most drastic method:
(1) Buy a Cheap 3rd HDD, just big enough to install win 7. Disconnect SSD and Install win 7 (do not need to activate) to this HDD. Set this drive to boot to, power off and reconnect SSD to see if you can get your data from SSD, can also check the integraty of your 1 TB HDD. Once you have retrieved your data from the SSD, re-install win 7 on SSD. This 3rd drive can then be reformated and used as a safty BU drive - Use win 7 Back, place Image here, then UNPlug Drive untill you (1) want to redo the image, or (2) restor your boot drive from Image.