A Disk Read Error Occured-Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart" error message ~HELP!

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Leezza, Jan 22, 2008.

  1. Leezza

    Leezza Private E-2

    Hi All,

    Looking for some help, please!!:)

    My son has a Dell Demension 2400, which up until recently has been pretty good! For the past month of so... the computer started running more slowly (it's about 4 yrs old)..then it starting freezing more and more! Last night he turned it on and got this message:

    A Disk Read Error Occured. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart" error message.

    Of course, Pressing CTRL ALT DEL brings you right back to this message? Can you please help us out with how to resolve this!

    He runs Windows XP and is pretty good about doing the updates and he also uses Avast, Zone Alarm, CCleaner and Spybot!

    We are hoping it's not a bad HardDrive?? :eek:

    Thanks so much for any help you can provide!!
     
  2. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    Go to safe mode and run check disk. (keep tapping F8 from when you see the Dell logo as it boots)
    Delete all temp files, temp internet files first.

    It is likely that you hard drive is either nearly full and/or on its way out.

    Let us know how you get on.
     
  3. Leezza

    Leezza Private E-2

    Okay...we shall try that!!...But, I'm not sure we can even get into safe mode though?? But I certainly try!! We'll let you know soon!

    Thanks!;)
     
  4. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    If you can't get to safe mode, try safe mode with command prompt.
    type in

    chkdsk /r

    If this doesn't help, look for your dell recover (operating system) disk.
    Boot from it to the repair console
    (watch the screen and hit a key to boot from CD)
    choose R at the first option
    typein an admin password or enter if you have none
    again go for chkdsk /r
     
  5. Major Attitude

    Major Attitude Co-Owner MajorGeeks.Com Staff Member

    Lot of possibilities here.

    If you have tech support through Dell, call them. Its a pretty common problem, this way you do not cause any problems that might cost you.

    Otherwise...

    Drive could be failing, might want to scan it.

    I have read that you can go into the bios and choose fail safe defaults, save and exit. To do this, you normally hit delete at the black startup screen. It usually will say (press delete for setup) or something similar as the first thing you see. If you see the Dell splash screen first, then it is hidden from view, so tap delete early on. If that does not work, it could be f2 or f10.
     
  6. Leezza

    Leezza Private E-2

    I can not get the computer into safe mode! This is what happens!

    I turn it on keep tapping F8 (I hear the beep), but it then quickly is a black screen with ONLY these two options:

    Hit F1 to try to reboot (or something like that) or
    Hit F2 to go into setup

    If I hit F1 - nothing happens...and F2 puts me into the Set-Up DOS screens, which quite honestly I know "nothing" about. I then see the system Date and time and that sort of thing..BTW the date and time are correct!

    So that's where I am at this morning? Can I do something from the SetUp MenU??
     
  7. Leezza

    Leezza Private E-2

    BTW - I don't understand what you were trying to instruct me to do in the other two answers...Sorry but I'm not getting it...Bad day and I'm also not the most computer literate person! Ugh!!!:(

    And No...Unfortunately we no longer have any support from Dell (it was a 3 year warranty) and is out of that period!
    I do have all the discs and such, but do not know how to "boot" from a disk...??

    Sorry to be such a pain, but we've never really had an issue this bad with any of our computers..!! We had a nasty spyware one time on my other son's computer, but your expert "Chaslang" helped us to get rid of it and have had no other problems. We own three Dells and this the first time we've had an issue with this particular computer, is there any chance this could be another spyware issue? God I hope not, because without being able to get it into Safe Mode and have internet access, I can't imagine how it could ever be resolved! Ugh....Computer....gotta have them..but what a pain sometimes!!

    Thanks again...I'll await further suggestions!
     
  8. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    OK lets take it in small steps

    When you first switch on the power to the pc (not restart)
    Windows is not yet loaded
    The PC BIOS also called SETUP initialises all sorts of things, making the pc ready to run.

    While this happens the screen display is similar to pic 1

    When the hardware is ready to work the pc starts loading an operating system. Normally this is Windows from the hard drive.

    You must make you choice befor this starts by tapping F8 While the Dell logo is onscreen.
    Dell often use USB keyboards which may not be recognised until later. If possible connect an ordinary round pin keyboard to the pc.

    You will then come to a screen like pic 2

    Choose safe mode with command prompt
    This may boot to a black screen with a white
    > symbol
    Type in here
    chkdsk /r (press enter)
    It will take up to half an hour and tell tyou when it has finished.

    In the top right hand corner of pic 1 you can see the other options referred to. We will come to those if we need them but don't worry about them for now. This is also what MA was referring to (actually F12 not F10)
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Leezza

    Leezza Private E-2

    Hi,

    On of my sons is home now (and he is much better than I at working with computers)...so I printed out these instructions (THANKS SO MUCH)...and he is working on these steps.

    I'll post again when we have an update of what happened! He totally understood exactly what you suggested so it'll be much easier if he does all this to help out his older brother, who is still at work!

    We'll be back with more information and ask for more assistnance, as needed! Thank for the GREAT Detailed instructions!;)
     

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