Help!

[Dash]

My computer is starting to mess up

It works beautiful when its running..

but..

at startup. it has alot of problems.

It keeps saying DRIVES NOT DETECTED. Please enter BOOT DISK.

So, i always reset it until it finally detects the drives and then it starts up normally.

I tried checking the cords, data cables and plugs to make sure they're all inserted securely..

I thought maybe it was because it was too warm in the summer and the cpu got too hot. So i shut it off for a while. and it started up normally. But now its starting that DRIVE NOT DETECTED shit again.Even when i turn it off after significant periods of time.

What can i do?

 

[thirdtime]

How old is the computer?
Any chance the drives are actually failing?

 

[Dash]

How old is the computer?
Any chance the drives are actually failing?

All three of the drives failing? No.

One drive is slightly old. Maybe 5 years. But right now, its working like a dream cos it was detected during startup.

The other two drives are only a year old. I bought them last christmas. So, that makes them not older than two years, at most.

Its true. I might have to do a reformat. Cause its been a while. And there's alot of junk spyware on this computer. I can tell from taskmanager. All these quirky programs running like iexplore.

And the underlying windows program is really bad. because the explorer stalls and lags everytime i open a window or search thru files.

But, I dont think thats the reason for the not being able to detect at startup. is it?

 

[Dash]

Like, im gonna start backiing up my files. cos this shitt is scaring me. I dont want to lose anything

is it true, that if a drive fails (primary - master) that they have to wipe out everything on the secondary - slave hard drives just to get the secondary slave drives reconnected to a cpu that has a master/primary drive that works and is running windows?

thats why my computer repair guy said. and he erased alot of important files

 

[thirdtime]

Your computer guy sounds like a moron.
If you have to reinstall Windows, only the drive (or better yet: only the partition if the drive is partitioned) that Windows is on has to be formatted. None of the other drives or partitions need to be touched and will read just fine after a Windows re-installation.
Any applications installed on the other drives probably won't work as the registry entries will be missing in the new Windows installation, and the applications will have to be reinstalled. But any data, music, videos, pictures or documents will be intact and useable on the other drives.
Is the older drive the drive with the operating system on it? If not, try unplugging it and see if the errors still occur.
PM me

 

[thirdtime]

And the underlying windows program is really bad. because the explorer stalls and lags everytime i open a window or search thru files.

Windows may be OK. (Unless your techie deleted something in it)
Clean up the spyware, defrag the drive and it may just fly!
Are you using an antivirus program and are it's 'definition' files current?

Download and install Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

Download and install Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10122137.html

Be sure to do the updates before you run each of the programs

 

[Dash]

okay, will do on those spyware and virus detect programs.

it might be a virus, as i haven't checked the viruses on my comp yet.

i can't even install the damn spyware program without my comp stalling every 5 seconds..

so i have to go to safe mode - its obvious there's spyware owning my computer. and possibly a few viruses.

i think the button to go into safe mode is like F8?

anyways, thanks. Ill deal with this shit tonight

 

[WoodPeckr]

Download and install Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.06

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html

Download and install Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.4

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10122137.html

Be sure to do the updates before you run each of the programs

Those two programs are great, I use them also.
Another great little tool is
www.CCleaner.com
CCleaner cleans up junk that accunulates in your PC and ever cleans up your registry. It works better the MS disk cleanup and only takes seconds to run once you PC is cleaned up.
I run this app a couple times a day. You will be surprised at all the junk you pick while using your PC.

 

[Dash]

oh man. awesome help guys! Can u guys also throw me the info on how to go into safe mode? I think its F8 . I'm not sure. All i need to know is that and I think i should be okay

 

[thirdtime]

You're correct.
Just tap the F8 key during POST and you'll get the 'Boot Menu' with the option to boot in 'Safe Mode'.

 

[Dash]

Thanks guys. This should do the job. I owe you one!

 

[truely-appalled]

It keeps saying DRIVES NOT DETECTED. Please enter BOOT DISK.

This is from the BIOS. Windows hasn't booted at that point.

The disk with the boot sector and OS on it could be going bad. It doesn't matter if the other two are fine, unless one of them is attached as a secondary disk on the same IDE channel as the disk with the OS. If this is the case, then try disconnecting the non-OS disk.