HELP! Computer might have just died on me

Rollingskies

Rollingskies

Rollingskies

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Joined
13 Nov 2007
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Aberdeen
Studying away on my laptop with my desktop running besides me. Then out of the blue this pops up on my desktop!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/BDF/DSCF8059-1.jpg
I reboot and I only get this:
Disk Boot failure, Insert System Disk and Press Enter

It is overclocked and has been running fine for about 15 months.

Changes since Christmas include a new graphics card and a flight simulation hardware.

I'm fearing the worst.
Specs are:

E2180 2ghz overclocked at 3.1ghz
2GB ram
P35-DS3L motherboard
Geforce 8800GT
XP
 
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It may be an hdd problem.

If you've backed up - i would make the cdrom your first boot priority in the BIOS and then boot from the windows cd and try and reformat the drive - and then do a fresh reinstall fo the OS. Hopefully it will then be ok - but you have to ask yourself why it did this...

If you haven't backed up you're going to have to connect the drive to another computer to try and access the data - if you have no luck sorting it out another way.

Edit: Check the hdd connection and also set the sytem back to defaults.
 
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killari said:
First thing to do is try a chkdsk /r
If that doesn't work try fixing the MBR.
Click to expand...

^ sensible first step - i'm just very brutal when it comes to laptops ;)

Also, how full is your hdd if you're anything like some of my friends they run their HDD's nearly to bursting point? (HDD's don't like this.)
 
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No problems on the chk disk. I'm going to have to go and get some DVD's and just ensure everything is really backed up.

So what caused that? It obviously is waiting to happen again. :(
 
How full is the HDD and when did you last defrag?

Edit: Ah, it's a desktop...

Then i would check your connections as it could just be a loose con - pull out the sata cables and reconnect them (or ide if relevent).
 
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HD is 85% empty and I'm a regular defragger! I'll have a look at the connections once I have backed up. ;)

EDIT: checked the connections just through the side of the see-through case. They are fine.
 
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Did you actually unplug them and reconnect them - or just look at them?

With my last system i had to periodicaly, about every 6 months, reconnect one sata lead so that the computer re-recognised the drive - even though it appeared securly fitted.

It's worth trying - it's strange how effective just reseating a connection can be. It may well not be the problem but you may as well rule it out.
 
I just looked at them. At the moment I am in windows as if nothing had happened. I don't see it's necessary to unplug them and put them back in, I'll do it though. Given that error message something is wrong somewhere.
 
I know, it makes no sense - but cables can lose connection integrity even when they appear to be fitted ok.

As i said it may well not be your problem as the problem i had, usualy, presented itself before the system booted up - but it occasionaly cocked up windows.

Good luck with it.
 
I was unable to pull them out as there was no room because of my graphics card. I managed to get my fingers tips in though, got some slack on the cable and then gave them a tweek in their sockets. Fired up and no problems yet. I guess it is a waiting game now for it to happen again, unless someone else has any other ideas.
 
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