Computer boots up but then freezes ...

[suharsh]

Hello,

I have a Gateway PC running on Windows ME OS. A week back my pc froze and I couldn't restart it since then. Following is what happens and what I have tried:

- When I power up the PC, by default the hard disk scan starts. If I let it continue then after a while the disk scan window freezes. While windows is attempting to scan, I can hear the hard drive crank. This cranking sound is certainly different than what I would hear when the PC was working
- Now if I cancel the disk scan then the PC boots up. I see the windows screen and then my desktop screen. If I start the windows explorer, I can see the file structure. But within a minute or so again the hard drive starts cranking and then the PC freezes.
- The above happens irrespective if I start in normal mode or safe mode!
- I have GoBack installed. I tried reverting back but get the same results.
- Interestingly, if I boot from the Gateway recovery disk then it takes me to the A: prompt. Then after changing to CIR, what I see the contents of my D drive, which is the slave hard disk tha I installed!

I just want this thing to work once so I can backup some of the remaining files that I haven't. Hope someone has a solution.

In the worst scenario - what are some good (cheap and reliable) places to get data recovery?

Thanks.

 

[Osiris]

your hdd could be dying...do you have windows xp cd anywhere by chance? if so, maybe you can try an upgrade....I use ERD Commander 2005 to recover files.....

 

[suharsh]

Thanks for the quick response. Do you know if it works always! I am little hesitant to shelve the $149 only the find out that it didn't work for me. I wish they had a trial version (i.e. allow you to look at what you can recover).

Are you aware of any other such tools. Honestly I didn't even know something like this existed.

 

[Osiris]

nothing always works 100% of the time.

 

[suharsh]

Apologies if I didn't convey my concern clearly. I can understand that no software may be able to recover 100% of the data, but my concern was only if I buy and just doesn't work. For e.g. I tried using the CIA commander software, which is advertised to do the same. This software gave an error right in the begining! Fortunately they have a demo version so didn't lose the money.

 

[Osiris]

if you need it that bad use limewire or torrents.

 

[dnoch]

Do you OC?

 

[EricB]

-I can hear the hard drive crank. This cranking sound is certainly different than what I would hear when the PC was working

that's the sound of a dying hard drive.

I always tell people to get a cheap 20-40 gig hard drive to run windows. you should use your expensive drives for storage (you should make one, the my documents folder). that way they aren't always constantly moving like the windows OS hard drive will, which makes them last longer. if the cheap one dies....

go get another one. I would rather replace a 20-40 gig drive, than a 200-300 gig one. all of your important stuff should be on the storage drives

 

[suharsh]

Warez - please pardon my ignorance - what is limewire/torrents?

EricB - I think that is a fantastic idea.

Apart from that regular backups should also be done. The irony is I was doing my backup when the hard drive gave up.

 

[Osiris]

limewire is a p2p program....