harddrive problems?

Today I got the BSOD with the message 'Kernal_stack_inpage_error'. My computer had been making lots of noise, sizzling, crackling, static,etc. before this happened. I have an emachines 3410; 2Ghz AMD Sempron Processor 3400+; 160GB hard drive. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be? Any help would be appreciated.

 

These sounds, are they coming thru the speakers or from the tower? Do you get the BSOD every time you boot up, or just occasionally? Check these links, there may be some useful info....
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315266/en-us
http://www.opentechsupport.net/forums/archive/topic/34731-1.html
It seems this error is commonly related to hard drive/boot sector/master boot record problems. Boot to your XP CD, enter recovery console, and run chkdsk /r on your hard drive. It may also be a boot sector virus, but these are pretty rare these days. Any good anitvirus app (AntiVir, AVG, Avast) should help if that's the case..... good luck, and keep us posted!!!

hd2k

Oh yeah- I almost forgot... visit your HD maker's web site, download and run their diagnostic tool to make sure your HD is 100% healthy.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately it is the hard drive. :cry I followed your suggestion and downloaded the test from Seagate, passed the short test and failed the long one. Guess there's still some life left in it, hopefully until I can get another hard drive. Again, many thanks, you guys are the best in all support

 

If the drive is under 5 years old, you should be able to get a free replacement from Seagate via an RMA.... they have a 5 year warranty and everyone else is 3 years so you kind of did good there There's an online form to fill out for RMA replacement, you need to enter the HD model number and serial number, your name and email and street address. RMA replacements usually take 3 weeks from when you mail the drive 'til you get a new one..... good luck!

hd2k

 

Hi Guys! As Tim suggested, I don't see anywhere to reset the Seagate tool, if you know how....
I don't know how much luck I'll have with an RMA, as the drive came with the computer. I only bought it in Feb., 2006. But, of course, the warranty is up! I'll keep you posted.

 

You want to do a low level format. Maybe you just have a bad sector. Use the Seagate software to do it. You might get lucky. But in my experience once you start getting bad sectors the HDD is usually on it's way out.

 

I don't have a drive for floppy disks, just cd/dvd. Can I burn the diagnostic tool to cd? I don't feel to comfortable with the hardware end of computers, much more comfortable with software, so please have some patience with me. I am willing/trying to learn, thats why I went to the best.

 

have you heard of a boot cd by the name of Hiren's? What about Ultimate boot cd?


There is a way to make your own Ultimate Boot Cd with your own tools and everything. I believe this site links to it.
Basically what it is is a program that allows you to create a boot cd, you just select the programs you want it to put on the cd for you, then it creates a bootable .iso file that you use nero or roxio or whatever to burn the image to a cd. You pop it in the drive and make sure your bios is set to boot from the cd. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

 

Thanks! I'll give it a try

 

In addition to the UBCD, most the HD makers also have ISO images of the diag tools for burning to CD.... but the UBCD is a really good idea. It's here at Major Geeks also: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_d4981.html

Good Luck!

hd2k