I blew my harddrive?

[Logical2u]

Ok, so most of you don't know me.

Nor care about my problems.

But whatever...

Over the last 3 weeks, I've been in the process of upgrading my computer. How so, you ask?

Well, originally I had an MSI 478 Pin AGP board, with 533 FSB. So I took a 2.8 GHZ P4 Processor, supposedly 533 FSB, to get installed.

Weeks of work, and failure. The board had a FSB of slightly above what I could handle on that motherboard. So they put my old 1.7 GHZ P4 in.

So I take it home, angry and saving my money. Then bam, my monitor stops accepting input from the PC. About 20000 reboots later, it comes back on after fixing some minor issues. Then, my computer stops, restarts, stops, restarts, repeat.

I take it back. They claim it's because of FING TRACKING COOKIES slowing down my computer. They clean the HD.

I take it home. Still doesn't work.

I take it back. They put in a used motherboard that accepts the 2.8 GHZ chip in there and replace one of my outdated RAM chips.

Take it home, abd they've formatted my hard drive. All right, that's not so bad, I have an external one with all my important stuff on it. I play with the settings for a while and blam, no sound. Hmm? No sound? Seventeen driver updates later, still no sound.

They replace the motherboard and put in a new one (ASRock). 478 Pin bu 800 FSB now. Put the ram in and the old processor in, and they test it, and it works. I get it home and do some work on it.

Plug in the Windows disc to install the Advanced Power management function...

Reading boot device, booting from disc. Nothing.

I play some Halo Custom Edition from my external harddrive after reinstalling.

I turn it off (hard... cuz I don't have APM!)

I turn it on, only 15 minutes ago. The power cords gone finicky. It turns on, I go and turn on the internet.

INSERT PROPER BOOT DEVICE. Ok, Windows XP.
INSTALLING WINDOWS XP. Ok.... this is supposed to happen.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO INSTALL WINDOWS XP: EXTERNAL HARDDRIVE G?
Uh, no, not really. Where's my C drive?... C Drive?

WTF!?

So, my C-Drive doesn't work.

Argh. It has to go in again today, when I'm planning to go out on the town. (B-Day yesterday)

-Logical2u

[Sinue_v2]

So I guess that would make it a floppy drive now?



Sorry for the dumb joke... as for advice or commentary - I'd say if you're having this much trouble with it - then you should probably stop taking it to the place you've having fix it. They don't seem very... competant, ya know? Before you take it in, you should probably try installing the HDD into another PC and seeing if it's the actual drive that's bad or not. For some reason, I have a feeling that it's not the drive. Are you sure the idiots working on it didn't just plug the IDE cable in upside down or something?

[VioletSkye]

A. Who is working on your pc?
B. Basic rule, don't EVER have an external device plugged in when formatting/installing/reinstalling. In fact on many PC builds I do, I won't even plug the card reader drive in until I have Windows installed (the reason being is that it could be assigned drive C:)
C. Don't take your PC in again. Remove all external drives, and reformat using your Windows XP disk.

Then, check to make sure you have the latest BIOS revision, (it usually gives you that info when you start your pc) otherwise download SIW (http://syntheticon) and after running that select BIOS. If there is a newer BIOS available download it and Flash it (if you need help with that let me know.) Once you have a stable Windows environment (no MAC fanboy jokes please lol) plug in your external drive and you should be good to go.

The old mobo probably used RealTek97 audio drivers, but I believe your mobo uses the C-Media CMI9761A chipset so you will need to download drivers from HERE (http://www.cmedia.com.tw/product/CMI9761.htm). Click on DRIVERS, then select ONBOARD AUDIO, then CMI19761, then select WINDOWS XP. Download the drivers and install it.


If you need more explicit directions let me know. Also if when formatting, you run into problems with copying files over or getting the drive to be recognized, let me know and I'll point you in the direction of some FREE diagnostic software you can use to test your harddrive, memory and all your ports, as well as your video and audio.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: VioletSkye on 2006-05-13 16:49 ]</font>

[Saraphim]

Damn Logical, who the hell is working on your PC? They never tried it to see if they fixed it before they handed it back (on any of the occasions that they worked on it)? Skye is right, DO NOT take your PC back there. They obviously do not know what they are doing.

On a similar note, I have had to turn in my laptop to get fixed. I bought it at Best Buy, and I got the warranty with it (thank goodness). Anywho, they have had it for two weeks (all they needed to do was replace the AC power recharger jack), and not a word from them.

I called and was told that it was shipped to Dallas to get repaired by Toshiba. When I asked for a tracking number or work order number, I was told that they didn't have one. When I asked what happens if my laptop is lost (as it well may be now), I was told it will be replaced free of charge.

Now this is actually good, because I get the value that I paid for it ($1800), and that model is no longer made. If they replace it, it will be a huge upgrade. I am torn as to whether I should be pissed or happy. I backed up the important stuff, so it's no big deal. I guess i'm for it being lost in the end.


Oh well, I hope you get your comp working Logical

Lose it FTW! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif