Solving Hard Drive Problems

Table 8-3Solving Hard Drive Problems

Hard drive error occurs.

Cause

Solution

 

 

Hard disk has bad sectors or has failed.

1. In Windows 7, right-click Start, click Explore, and right-

 

click on a drive. Select Properties then select the

 

Tools tab. Under Error-checking click Check Now.

 

2. Use a utility to locate and block usage of bad sectors. If

 

necessary, reformat the hard disk.

 

 

Disk transaction problem.

 

 

 

Cause

Solution

 

 

Either the directory structure is bad or there is a problem with

In Windows 7, right-click Start, click Explore, and right-click

a file.

on a drive. Select Properties then select the Tools tab.

 

Under Error-checking click Check Now.

 

 

Drive not found (identified).

 

 

 

Cause

Solution

 

 

Cable could be loose.

Check cable connections.

 

 

The system may not have automatically recognized a newly

See reconfiguration directions in the Solving Hardware

installed device.

Installation Problems on page 159 section. If the system still

 

does not recognize the new device, check to see if the

 

device is listed within Computer Setup. If it is listed, the

 

probable cause is a driver problem. If it is not listed, the

 

probable cause is a hardware problem.

 

If this is a newly installed drive, run the Computer Setup

 

utility and try adding a POST delay under Advanced >

 

Power-On.

 

 

The device is attached to a SATA port that has been hidden

Run the Computer Setup utility and ensure Device Available

in Computer Setup.

is selected for the device's SATA port in Security > Device

 

Security.

 

 

Drive responds slowly immediately after power-up.

Run Computer Setup and increase the POST Delay in

 

Advanced > Power-On Options.

 

 

Nonsystem disk/NTLDR missing message.

 

 

 

Cause

Solution

 

 

The system is trying to start from the hard drive but the hard

1. Check the hard drive format using fdisk: If NTFS

drive may have been damaged.

formatting, use a third party reader to evaluate the

 

drive. If FAT32 formatting, the hard drive cannot be

 

accessed.

 

 

Solving Hard Drive Problems 145