HDD Failing or Virus Corrupting Windows?

[spikoman69]

Heres my situation, just keeps getting worse. Other day i turn on my computer to see that is is missing/corrupted windows\system32\(something)\system file. I fix it through recovery console, then another file is missing. So, i grab my SP 2 upgrade cd (Which will upgrade you to XP SP2 as long as you have a genuine older version of windows, which i had sp1) so it detected i had SP1, and let me do a repair install. The install goes through, my pcs back working again. Stupid me, gets on, never does a virus or spyware scan. i shut it down and started it right back a few times for various reasons, its still working fine. I shut it off for the night, turn it on again about 12 hours later the next day to come to yet a different error when trying to boot windows xp. This time it flashes...

invalid boot.ini file
boot from c:\windows\
NTDETECT failed.

.... then restarts, load my video card, goes through dell bios loading screen, then flashes that again over and over until i just shut off my pc. I poped in the sp1 cd, cant detect windows to do a repair, pop i the SP2 upgrade cd, cant detect the older verison of windows this time to do a repair, and the first time i had to do the repair, my sp 1 cd still couldnt detect the windows version to do a repair but the sp2 upgade could, but now this time none of them can.

What can i do? Is it a virus/hacker/spyware? HDD failing, corrupting itself (All other files were intact working perfectly when i did the repair the first time)?

 

[saltynay]

can only think that you need a complete reinstall of windows try and borrow a cd off a friend

 

[spikoman69]

saltynay- I do have CDs to reinstall, but i have alot of music and important files i dont want to lose if i dont have to.

UPDATE - I ran the recovery console and did the command c:\chkdsk, it checked my disk and repaired the boot file, now it says that their is a system32 file missing, but the sp2 upgrade recognized my version of windows and is currently doing a repair install right now as i type this.

Still, i need to figure out what keeps causing my windows files to get corrupt whenever i shut my computer off for extended periods of time, bad HDD corrupting itself/sectors going bad, virus/hackers/spyware?

 

[SYL\X/3K]

ya i would do a complete format, but first go to in safe mode, then burn and drag everything important to a CD or DVD or you can store evrything on a flash drive or a different Hard drive you have laying around

My Guess is bad sectors on your Hard drive even tho you try attempting to fix through Chkdsk it might be replacing the corrupted files to the same bad sectors which is corrupting again and again

BTW how long have you had the hard drive?

 

[ZenOswyn]

My Guess is bad sectors on your Hard drive even tho you try attempting to fix through Chkdsk it might be replacing the corrupted files to the same bad sectors which is corrupting again and again

I second this possibility. I just reformatted 2 days ago due to a very similar problem.

Get those files off in safe mode (or use a Linux LiveCD if you've got 2 optical drives), and then do a full format + reinstall. Then you'll get to enjoy that freshly formatted speed Windows has for about 2 weeks.

 

[spikoman69]

UPDATE - I think it may be bad sectors and it keeps writing to them. Anyway, i did the repair install, it messed up the first 2 times, then the 3rd time it worked, then when i restarted once it came up with missing/corrupted windows\system32\config\system file again. I did the recover console and deleted it then copied in the recovery file. XP booted up fine, its working right now and im on it. Shall i run a scandisk to detect the bad sectors and fix them? and will reformating eliminate the bad sectors?

 

[spikoman69]

ive had the HDD since november of last year. 200gb maxtor ata 100, got it for 20 bucks on black thursday special.

 

[Ethereal_Dragon]

I would suggest getting yourself another hard drive after you back up your files... Get a Seagate drive.

 

[spikoman69]

would a scandisk fix these bad sectors?

 

[SYL\X/3K]

no it wouldnt because its physical damage to your Hard drive (its natural), over time this happens my 40GB what in using right now is just about dead due to bad sectors and theres nothing i can do but get a new HD

all scan disk does is repairs filesystems and bad clusters. pretty much what it does is replaces bad files with new ones but moves them into good sectors of the HD

BTW im going for Western Digital 160GB SATA II for $70 NEW