HDD nightmares !! HELP !!! S.O.S

[ashu888ashu888]

Hi guys well my HDD recently was infected by the Blaster WORM virus so i now as i hv no choice but to format my HDD and reinstall a fresh copy of WIN-XP PROFESSIONAL EDITION.

but i hv one querry, that i want to delete the partitions and make new partitions on my HDD but wenever i boot with the WIN-XP CD in my cd rom, I get the option to format the drives (C.D and E) but as soon as a particular drive is formatted and converted to FAT32, the WIN XP installation suddenly loads the files onto the respective drive,wich i dont want...

for example: if i am formatting my D: into FAT32, then soon after the formatting is over,the WIN-XP files start loading onto the D: but i want to load a fresh copy of WIN-XP on the C: and not on the D: so plz tell me how can i partition and FORMAT my D: and E: drives without letting the WIN-XP files getting loaded onto the D: and E: drives. I want to install the WIN-XP on my C: drive.

Wat i did was, as soon as my D: drive was formatted, i restarted the system (wich prevented the WIN-XP files to get loaded for insatallation on my D: drive) and then formatted the E: drive and again restarted the system (to again prevent the WIN-XP files to get copied on the E: drive) and then i formatted my C: drive and let the WIN-XP files get loaded onto the C: drive. so is this the way how we do it !! :roll: plz suggest a proper way to do it. I am having only my WIN-XP CD with me and nothing else and that too a pirated version but the CD is all fine and working well.
Plz do give me sum help guys !!!!!!!

thanx, cheers n peace....

 

[Keith Sebastian]

Step 1 : Delete all partitions using Windows XP Pro Installation CDROM.

Step 2 : Create 1 partition (C drive) , specify size as per requirement.
My C: drive is only 3.5GB (3584MB) as I use other partitions for installing programs and for virtual memory.

Step 3: Let Windows continue it's installation.

Step 4: Once Windows is loaded use Administrative tools> Disk management to create more logical drives.
Rt click taskbar>properties>start menu>customize>advanced>start menu items> show Administrative tools in All Programs.


Alternative

Make Partition Magic floppy disks using a different comp. Use this disk to delete/create/modify partitions

Keith

 

[pimpom]

An alternative to Keith's excellent suggestions :
Create a Windows 98/ME startup floppy disk on another machine. Boot your computer with it and format your partitions from DOS, or run FDISK if you want to make changes to your partitioning scheme.

 

[ashu888ashu888]

Hey thanx keith and pimpom for ur suggestions, well i liked keith's suggestion a bit simple so i am goin with his instructions but hey Pimpom thanx for ur suggestion too Dude i hv noted down ur suggestion also coz if in future,i ever face this problem again then i will go with ur suggestion.

Also as i was i a hurry to Format my HDD,so will prefer keith's advice this time around

OK guys, do tell me one more thing, that once i installed my fresh copy of WIN-XP PROFESSIONAL edition on my C: , now i hv also installed aVAST! Antivirus-4 (home edition) given in the DIGIT mag,I hv installed the antivirus on my C: but i hv seen that My PC hangs for no particular reason at all wenever i am in the middle of any task,so i hv to restart my PC and the PC checks for errors on any random drive (sumtimes C:, sumtimes D; and suntimes E: ) for errors and it says that the aVAST file is not valid and the action (or sumthing of taht sort) will be TRUNCATED...

so for the time being,i hv uninstalled the aVAST! antivirus from my system and the system seems to be running gr8 as before, but tell me shud i go with the aVAST! antivirus and try installing it on a different drive (d: or e: ) or shud i install another antivirus !! and y am i facing such problem with aVAST! antivirus !!

thanx, cheers n peace....

 

[teknoPhobia]

check your RAM...this kind of prob happens most often in case of RAM errors.

 

[Keith Sebastian]

I have no previous experience with avast. You can try AVG free antivirus as an alternative.

*free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Keith

 

[ashu888ashu888]

Hey Guys !!!! well i reinstalled a fresh copy of WIN-XP on my newly formatted C: but the PC still hangs a lot even though i hv removed the avast antivirus from my system.I hv to restart my PC everytime it hangs and the boot doesnt even check for errors before restarting !!

teknoPhobia wrote:

check your RAM...this kind of prob happens most often in case of RAM errors.

i hv recently installed a HYNIX DDR266 256 MB RAM on my INTEL D865 GBF mobo.SO the problem is not with my RAM. :roll:

I even had problems installing a fresh copy of WIN-XP and the PC almost FREEZED in no time, and i had a tough time installing a fresh copy of WIN-XP but i finally did get to install XP. So is my SAMSUNG 40GB HDD (3.5 years 0ld)on its last legs and will soon R.I.P ??? (rest in peace)

If yes ,then shud i be looking for a new HDD from MAXTOR or SEAGATE (or any other brand of HDD)!! and with wat RPM and wat price (mumbai prices) !! coz my this SAMSUNG HDD is also giving sum strange screecthing sounds and oflate the PC seems to be not responding too good also.

so plz suggest me on this matter guys !!!!

 

[pimpom]

Judging by the symptoms, a failing HDD is a distinct possibility. If you're buying a replacement, I'd get a Seagate if I were you. Samsung has a mixed reputation re their HDDs and Maxtor has a poor one.

SATA drives are only slightly more expensive than PATA, but the advantage in performance is also quite small. For my own use I still prefer the tried and trusted Seagate Barracuda 7200 rpm PATA drive. But that's just me -- others will have their own ideas. Price of PATA drives : 80GB - 2.5-2.7k, 120GB - 3.5-3.7k.

 

[ashu888ashu888]

Hey thanx pimpom for giving me the details for wich HDD to buy and yes i totally agree with u that many ppl will hv many different reasons depending on their experience and yes u r rite that SAMSUNG drives and HDDs giv a lot of problems in the future use as i too hv a SAMSUNG CD ROM and a CD-R/RW and they giv a lot of problems.

Also now everytime in the middle of any or or while playing any game, my PC hangs and i hv to restart it by pressing the restart button and it says that "One of ur drives needs to be checked for consistency" and it begins checking for errors but after the 100% is completed, there r no errors found on the boot screen.....

Even i was thinking of goin for any one of the HDDs either SEAGATE or MAXTOR, but from my survey even i think that SEAGATE is a better option than MAXTOR...

But tell me one thing, wat shud i do with my Old SAMSUNG HDD (40GB) any bright ideas for that one !!! :roll: will exchanging it a better idea or to keep it !! and shud i buy the SEAGATE (PATA) HDD from the official India site of SEAGATE (if u hv the official site of India plz do provide me,it will be really helpful) coz i checked the site www.seagate.com and there r so many options that it has made me confused.
Wich Seagate HJDD shud i go for..the options on the seagate site r All ATA,Serial ATA,Ultra ATA.

or shud i buy it from the vendor..... as i hv no previous experience in buying HDDs so an advice would be helpful..

thanx, cheers n peace....

 

[premrajeev]

dear friend,

if your mbo supports SATA, go for it. U can choose from a variety of options like : 80gb/120gb/160gb SATA discs from Seagate. Seagates are now even better than b4 and they have improved their build quality by introducing a new design for all new drives. I've been using a seagate PATA 80gb for 1.5 yrs now and with no probs. My power fails randomly and hdd is forcibly parked, still no problems with the drive. It's good.No sounds either.

HDD's are really cheap now, u should go for 80gb min,and depending on ur usage, go for higher capacities. 160gb cost is near 5k only.sATA drives transfer speed is better than pata drives. so choose wisely.

 

[krishnathelord]

according to the symptoms the problem is definetly of ram check it using memtest or any other soft

or better check with a different ram

 

[ashu888ashu888]

krishnathelord wrote:

according to the symptoms the problem is definetly of ram check it using memtest or any other soft.

teknoPhobia wrote:

check your RAM...this kind of prob happens most often in case of RAM errors.

Hey guys u were rite, the problem was with my RAM,I cleaned it with a cloth but the PC worked fine for sum time and again the problem reoccured,i even tried to fix the RAM onto another slot, but the problem persists so shud i buy a new RAM !!!! to solve my problem !! If yes then wich brand of RAM to buy (HYNIX or KINGSTON)

Coz my PC freezes and i hv to restart the PC and the boot checks the C: for errors, but it says that"there r no errors", so my HDD is workin fine.

ALso when goin to the BOIS, i see 2 more options(under the DRIVE CONFIGURATION tab)
1.)SATA Port 0-Not Detected
2.)SATA Port 1-Not Detected

so do these 2 options mean that my mobo wich is an INTEL D865 GBF suopports SATA HDDs ??

My drive configuration is as follows:
1.)PRIMARY MASTER PATA-SAMSUNG 40GB HDD
2.)PRIMARY SLAVE PATA-empty
3.)SECONDARY MASTER PATA-SAMSUNG CD-R/RW
4.)SECONDARY SLAVE PATA-SONY DVD ROM

But if incase this problem rises again, then shud i think that RAM is the culprit !! I am having a 256 MB DDR266 HYNIX RAM wich i got it from the market about 9-10 months back... DO the Hynix brand of RAMs give problems ever so quickly.. !!!!

cheers n peace......

 

[mkpaul]

For a fresh install of MS Windows XP Pro in your machine boot your machine with winXP cd. delete all the partition and then create partition accroding to your need. then when setup asks for format of a partition locate c: drive and format it setup will continue to install win xp in c: drive. when setup completes and you are in desktop of your newly installed xp. open my computer and format drives except c:

Hope this will help you.

 

[ashu888ashu888]

mkpaul wrote:

For a fresh install of MS Windows XP Pro in your machine boot your machine with winXP cd. delete all the partition and then create partition accroding to your need. then when setup asks for format of a partition locate c: drive and format it setup will continue to install win xp in c: drive. when setup completes and you are in desktop of your newly installed xp. open my computer and format drives except c:

Hope this will help you.

thanx mkpaul i hv already done that but thanx anyways for ur suggestion, well i was facing problems with my RAM as my PC was constantly FREEZING UP (hanging) for no particular reason so the guys here in this forum told me that its the problem related to my RAM (i use a HYNIX 256 MB DDR266 RAM). Wen i contacted the vendor from whom i purchased the RAM,he advised me to RUB (with the help of a pencil eraser) that portion of RAM wich we insert in the Slot, i did that and even cleaned the RAM slot with the help of a brush, well the PC is working fine as of now. (may be this is a new trick to solve RAM problems,wich can be useful to u guys here on this forum as well)

How can I post the screenshot of my RAM and CPU taken with help of a software known CPU-Z?? i hv saved those images as BITMAP image on my PC..

thanx, cheers n peace...