Windows Startup Problem

[alexora]

I just can't wait for SSD's to increase in capacity, and decrease in price...

It shouldn't be too long before we all look back and wonder how much BS we had to put up with when using spinning hard drives. Same as it is now when we think of 58k dial-up modems or CRT monitors that used to take up most of our desks and cost a fortune in electricity.

Here's to what the future may bring to us!

[Pad]

Originally Posted by nenad

Pad, did you really wait an hour before you turned off your system? Other than when you are overclocking, if your system fans, hard drives, etc. go in overdrive, turn that thing off immediately. Minus that, It seems like you took the correct steps to fix your problem.

Nenad.

Yep!!! Not only did I wait an hour, after several other attempts to get the Startup Recovery Tool to work I actually waited some 6 hours.

The main reason for that was I had a similar problem a couple of years ago. Following a system crash I had spent a long time trying to get my PC to start. I gave up in disgust and forgot to power off. I went out for a walk to cool off and when I came back in a couple of hours later my PC had got passed the black screen and found its way to the login screen. It had just taken a very, very, very long time to startup. So I decided to try that again and see if it would help. It didn't occur to me that I might be wearing out the ball bearings.

[FoxTint]

Originally Posted by alexora

I just can't wait for SSD's to increase in capacity, and decrease in price...
Here's to what the future may bring to us!

In another 3 or 4 years SSDs will be the norm for computers. once they get to 500GB+ it'll be almost as standard as 2GBs RAM is today!

Hopefully when SSDs go down in price and up in size, enterprise drives also do. Correct me if I'm wrong, they go up to 2TB (enterprises, that is) but can have a workstation skyrocket to at least 500 more pounds.

http://seagate.com/www/en-au/pro...prise-ssd-hdd/

http://pantz.org/hardware/disks/what_makes_a_hard_drive_enterprise_class.html

[DarkGuyver]

I would recommend that when you start up your system to ensure that none of your external data storage devices are connected to your system, as these could cause errors during the windows loading process, and disconnect them from your system before you shut it down to avoid any problems.

[Shylock]

Any time you install new software or hardware you should always unplug external drives; somehow the Windows driver for external drives creates a black screen error during reboot. In order to restore your system quickly you should also make a boot disk on a floopy to reboot your system. (If you Google boot floppy for your version of Windows it will tell you which 2 or 3 files to copy from your HD to be able to reboot your system.) After you rebooted from the floppy, remove it and reboot your system. If your system returns to the black screen disconnect all external drives and reboot. After your system boots reconnect the external drives and Windows should update the boot sequence for all drivers including external drives.

[PatrynXX]

Originally Posted by FoxTint

No problems Pad, glad to help.

http://seagate.com/ww/v/index.js...00f5ee0a0aRCRD Try that site and see if your external hard drive software needs updating. If it doesn't then try that diagnostics tool there, and see if it tells you anything regarding any corrupt sectors.

EDIT: From what I now Seagate are owned by another external hard drive maker, Maxtor. Or the other way round...

Seagate/Maxtor use Hitachi parts and I think Hitachi (since they make a range of things from washing machines to ovens...) may not be reliable. I've had a few friends External hard drives die and they were either Segates, Maxtors or Western Digital Passports.

The diagnostics tools is good, it could tell you if any drivers are missing

Seagate bought Maxtor and maxtor . well some people love the brand but everything I got from them included a refurbished Diamondmax with a Seagate label (750gb) has died on me.

Hitachi is quite reliable. Although their hard drive motherboard still uses a ribbon. Most are pressure based. But have a 1 TB Hitachi and compared to Seagate which I was a big fan of. Hitachi and WD I recommend now. (the bigger capacity Hitachi's, not the smaller ones) WD is reliable on any size, preferably their Green series which isn't none for speed but it's reliable. Hitachi's sometimes run warm. But the 750 gb Seagate I had ran so hot I couldn't touch it. So obviously it died fast. Really need a Smart utility, think I uploaded one on a thread here. Those are really great at smart errors. But not entirely sure that was the case here.

[PatrynXX]

Originally Posted by FoxTint

External hard drives have a lifespan of around 2-3 years and maybe even shorter if you keep it plugged in 100% of the time - Like I do.

Depends on what kind of external? Pre built or DIY. I've got one thats about 5 years old no problems. It has a fan on it. The Axio's have a 4-5 inch fan behind them but because they are out to the open free air, rarely get hot. WD's never get warm. Hitachi's get warm. Samsung's don't get warm either except one has a really hot chip. Not that I recommend anyone be touching chips while a drive is on. :P the generic chinese ones at least protect that area, the Azio esata ones don't. the 3.0 usb ones do.

[PatrynXX]

Originally Posted by DarkGuyver

I would recommend that when you start up your system to ensure that none of your external data storage devices are connected to your system, as these could cause errors during the windows loading process, and disconnect them from your system before you shut it down to avoid any problems.

this reminds me of a problem with keyboards with usb ports on them. Sometimes this will black out the screen. Actually caused a short on one. Have a few Samsung Pleomax (sp) keyboards with 2 USB ports. Sometimes if a mouse is hooked up via that keyboard it won't boot. My brother liked it because it sorta looked like a Mac keybnoard :P wired mouse this time cause the problem. moment I unplugged that mouse poof booted normally.

[FoxTint]

Originally Posted by PatrynXX

Hitachi and WD I recommend now. (the bigger capacity Hitachi's, not the smaller ones) WD is reliable on any size, preferably their Green series

My brother used to have a 500GB WD Elements. The USB cable is pretty much dead. It cuts out. The whole HD is corrupt as is all the files too. He's had it for 2 and a half years. It was free with the computer he got so it's not a loss. I did check some reviews for that particular one, and they all said Elements is unreliable.

I have a Western Digital MyBook Essentials Elite (1TB) and an old 1TB HD with an Astone case.


Sorry Pad if this is going a bit off topic.

[Pad]

Originally Posted by FoxTint

Sorry Pad if this is going a bit off topic.

Nope. Don't be sorry. It's all interesting stuff

BTW, I tried the Seagate diagnostic tools. I haven't run the advanced diagnostics because they gave a warning that running them might destroy data - . I don't have another 1.5 Tb drive to backup what I have. The basic diagnostics gave my drive a clean bill of health.

Finally, should also have mentioned that the Seagate I have came with a 5 year warranty. That's one of the reasons I bought it. Remains to be seen how long it will actually last.