So I've picked up my aunt's computer this week, the system won't boot up anymore, she says she was getting messages from microsoft about not using genuine software. She insists it is a genuine copy but whatever...I'm not sure that's actually the issue.
Symptoms, starting two weeks ago through their progression:
- sever bog down, delay in even scrolling the mouse
- continuous sound problems with external mic having to be reset
- spontaneous validation fail from microsoft after running and using xp pro for 1 year no problem, is XP pro SP3 fully updated daily
- 10 min boot up times at Microsoft logo screen
- BSOD cycle after 10 minute boot up.
The system is a dual core with a 7300gt and 2GB of RAM, nothing special but she only uses word, internet, taxes and skype.
Anyways, I was out of town so when I got home I told them I'd take a look at it and here is what I've tried:
- connected the HDD (500gb seagate) to my comp and backed up all the data without issue
- tried repairing the XP pro install with my CD, no luck, keep getting errors on different files asking if i want to skip them or retry install.
- tried to reformat the comp and it won't reformat (through xp boot up CD) past 1%.
Is this a bad HDD you think? I'm going to reconnect it externally to mine and see if i can reformat it that way...
Any more suggestions?
[edit]K, just hooked it up externally to my system, again I could see all the files etc... but when I went to reformat after 30 minutes of zero progress it suddenly zipped through the green progress bar to about 3/4 and then kicked out saying windows cannot reformat this partition....now it wont detect the HDD at all, either partition. Looking more and more like a bad HDD....now I'm wondering if its possible that they did have a legit copy of XP, can a faulty HDD lead to a legit OS spontaneously failing windows validation?
Symptoms, starting two weeks ago through their progression:
- sever bog down, delay in even scrolling the mouse
- continuous sound problems with external mic having to be reset
- spontaneous validation fail from microsoft after running and using xp pro for 1 year no problem, is XP pro SP3 fully updated daily
- 10 min boot up times at Microsoft logo screen
- BSOD cycle after 10 minute boot up.
The system is a dual core with a 7300gt and 2GB of RAM, nothing special but she only uses word, internet, taxes and skype.
Anyways, I was out of town so when I got home I told them I'd take a look at it and here is what I've tried:
- connected the HDD (500gb seagate) to my comp and backed up all the data without issue
- tried repairing the XP pro install with my CD, no luck, keep getting errors on different files asking if i want to skip them or retry install.
- tried to reformat the comp and it won't reformat (through xp boot up CD) past 1%.
Is this a bad HDD you think? I'm going to reconnect it externally to mine and see if i can reformat it that way...
Any more suggestions?
[edit]K, just hooked it up externally to my system, again I could see all the files etc... but when I went to reformat after 30 minutes of zero progress it suddenly zipped through the green progress bar to about 3/4 and then kicked out saying windows cannot reformat this partition....now it wont detect the HDD at all, either partition. Looking more and more like a bad HDD....now I'm wondering if its possible that they did have a legit copy of XP, can a faulty HDD lead to a legit OS spontaneously failing windows validation?