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Thread ID: 74298	2006-11-17 18:21:00	VERY NASTY PROBLEM...heeeeelp!	notechyet (4479)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
500046	2006-11-17 18:21:00	It started all like that: "Aneighbour called me over to see his machine, a Compaq Pressario. The only thing it comes up with is "disk read error press crtl,alt delete" I checked to see if the floppy was still there, no so.. I did insert the XP CD and went to the recovery. One of the things I did then was to try the CHKDSK and I got as much as: "performing additional checking and recovery... " and that was all, no further steps where possible. Later on it came up on the screen: "1720 Hardware detects imminent failure" So do I have any chance? Should I try to reinstall XP?" I did take the drive home and placed in my second machine (which was working perfectly)as slave to try to find/save the files. Started up-------- To my surprise: Nothing works anymore I took the "bad" drive out and it is still the same with my drive. It does not boot at all, it can't even see the drive!!! Tried "spinrite" :it can't even see the drive Tried repair install: no change Tried recovery console: done chkdsk (did recover and repair some files)and then tried FIMBR ;no reaction at all I have the impression that the MBR has been infected/corrupted from the drive that I placed in there for recovering the files. Has anyone some idea what this could all be?? Any help is appreciated very much Thanks G	notechyet (4479)
500047	2006-11-17 19:06:00	Go into your BIOS and make sure your hard drive is detected correctly. A hardware fault on your neigbours hard drive might of upset your settings when you connected it up.	Jen (38)
500048	2006-11-17 19:32:00	Jen: I think the SMART drive is saying it's failing . . . if it hasn't already failed . This message had to be evident for a while on that Compaq . . . weeks even . . . . . Now there may be damage to the BIOS like you said or even more sinister damage to the second unit too . I Googled this: 1720 Hardware detects imminent failure . . . . . . . . . and got about all the same results from a lot of sites . "Contact your PC manufacturer for any BIOS updates on this error message . This message can also occur if the drive is incorrectly recognized . Also, set the BIOS to its default values and check . If the error persists, time to check and get a new drive . . . . . this is not because of any virus . To my knowledge, the only virus that affects a BIOS is the famous Chernobyl virus, and it simply shuts things off . . " . . . and . . . . although I got the W95 . CIH . damaged [the famous Chernobyl virus] a long time ago . . . it is still in the wild . I had to reflash my BIOS before the payload was delivered . Nasty, indeed if this is the problem . Sorry .	SurferJoe46 (51)
500049	2006-11-17 19:35:00	I did take the drive home and placed in my second machine (which was working perfectly)as slave to try to find/save the files. To my surprise: Nothing works anymore done chkdsk (did recover and repair some files)and then tried FIMBR ;no reaction at all Um. You say it can't even see the dirve and then you say you recovered some files. So which is it? It sees it or it doesn't. You need to the have BIOS see it first so your jumper settings and cables need to be right first. Then proceed to fixing it. I don't like to attach another HDD with the same O/S on it directly. Thats why I use a USB to IDE adpater instead. I've found XP doesn't like another copy of itself on a 2nd drive - can do some nasty messes. Happened to a friend who tried exactly the same thing - and he corrupted both of them. 4	pctek (84)
500050	2006-11-17 19:43:00	I agree pctek . . . but I also feel this is something that really requires a hands-on tech with the puter . . . this isn't for amateurs to try, IMO . This can get really messy if everything's bolloxed up from any one of a number of things that went bump in the night .	SurferJoe46 (51)
500051	2006-11-17 19:49:00	I found some more info and funny, all of the results in my Google search were about Compaqs...imagine that! Anyway...the original message, which ran for quite a while on that Compaq if it is typical is this: "1720 IntelliSafe Hard Disk detects imminent failure."...so there was a rather long warning period...I think.	SurferJoe46 (51)
500052	2006-11-17 20:30:00	G ood morning to you all and thanks As Jen said it was the settings in the BIOS, it was not detected so after doing so it started up and I did a repair install and everything is working ok again. It was a time waster and a lesson not to do that sort anymore. Just wonder; could I place the stuffed Compac drive in one of my USB enclosures to try to retrieve documents? Anyway guys, you saved my day! Thanks G	notechyet (4479)
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