I think my PC has just died... any help please

swebb

It's been on for most of the day today and just a short while ago it had gone from a Vista screen to a DOS looking screen for a reboot asking for a boot disk. I did a reboot and a screen appears "Windows Error Recovery" - safe mode etc. (no reboot disk used).

I select safe mode (and on other occasions other options) and it takes a while and looks like it will boot up. But then a blue screen with a message:

STOP: C0000218{registry file failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
or ots log or alternative.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable

Collecting data for the crash dump...
initializing disk for crash dump...

The hard disk is making a slightly different noise - a hard disk crash?

Any ideas anyone? Help much appreciated...

NiftyDigits

Could be on it's way out. So you can't boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt in order to run chkdsk /f or chkdsk C: /f?

Brand name and full model number of this machine?

I_have_spoken

Sounds like disk has a problem, best install a new one and restore from last full backup.

swebb

To update:

I have a recovery disk and have booted form that.
I have tried an automatic repair, but this failed.
I've then dropped into DOS. I can freely access the C: (and have copied some files as a back up).
So the hard disk isn't the problem??
I'm now running CHKDSK - read only. When I ran with the /f - it said "Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. xxxxxdismount first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to dismount xxxx" At which I point I hit ctl + c.
I'm now running CHKDSK and "Error detected in index $0 for file 25." I get 3 lines of this. Then "Insufficent disk space to correct errors in index $0 of file 25." (Although I have circa 100 GB free). Then "Errors found. CHDSK cannot continue in read-only mode."

I'm guessing this is the killer problem? Any ideas?

swebb

Of course I do have the system recovery running at the same time - which might be preventing the /f from working.

If I do allow the dismount and "ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID" - would this be problematic?

bluesnake

read only mode does not fix, just reports errors.

Get a Mint linux cd and use it at a live cd. try and read your drive. If you can read your data, then I would copy your wanted data off to a usb disk, because now it is a bit too late to backup. Also a good time to copy the files of the recovery partition

Once you have your data off, go to your hard disk manufacturer site and download the diags. Run them in non destructive mode.

If the diags say the disk is faulty, either warranty replace it, or buy a new one.

if the disk is 'good' time to re-install, but just be aware that the diags may say a disk is good, but it still could be flaky.

the command is chkdsk c: /f /r and read what the screen promps, as it may ask you to reboot.

If the above command does not work, type in chkdsk c: /f /r /x

swebb

CHKDSK to one side a moment...

I'm looking at the bootloader from here:
http://neosmart.net/wiki/recovering-windows-bootloader/


BOOTSECT - is not recognised on my PC.
BOOTREC - will run

I try BCEDIT but this is not recognised on my PC either.

Does this provide any clues?

swebb

bluesnake wrote: »

read only mode does not fix, just reports errors.

Get a Mint linux cd and use it at a live cd. try and read your drive. If you can read your data, then I would copy your wanted data off to a usb disk, because now it is a bit too late to backup. Also a good time to copy the files of the recovery partition

Once you have your data off, go to your hard disk manufacturer site and download the diags. Run them in non destructive mode.

If the diags say the disk is faulty, either warranty replace it, or buy a new one.

if the disk is 'good' time to re-install, but just be aware that the diags may say a disk is good, but it still could be flaky.

the command is chkdsk c: /f /r and read what the screen promps, as it may ask you to reboot.

If the above command does not work, type in chkdsk c: /f /r /x

If the above command does not work, type in chkdsk c: /f /r /x - is running now

swebb

bluesnake wrote: »

read only mode does not fix, just reports errors.

Get a Mint linux cd and use it at a live cd. try and read your drive. If you can read your data, then I would copy your wanted data off to a usb disk, because now it is a bit too late to backup. Also a good time to copy the files of the recovery partition

Once you have your data off, go to your hard disk manufacturer site and download the diags. Run them in non destructive mode.

If the diags say the disk is faulty, either warranty replace it, or buy a new one.

if the disk is 'good' time to re-install, but just be aware that the diags may say a disk is good, but it still could be flaky.

the command is chkdsk c: /f /r and read what the screen promps, as it may ask you to reboot.

If the above command does not work, type in chkdsk c: /f /r /x

if the disk is 'good' time to re-install, but just be aware that the diags may say a disk is good, but it still could be flaky.

when you say re-install - I assume you mean the actual OS i.e. reformat and start from PC from scratch?

swebb

The PC is 6 years old and is a Medion.

swebb

swebb wrote: »

If the above command does not work, type in chkdsk c: /f /r /x - is running now

Still running:

"Correcting error in index $0 for file 25." has appeared on the screen 3 times and it's just haning off the third line at the moment.

This is stage 2 of 5. Guess I just need to leave it running for longer still.