Troubleshooting the Disk

There are specifc instances when your hard disk will give you problems. Here’s a peek at
the most common issues that you need to keep an eye on when the hard disk stalls.

When the hard disk drives go on a troubleing spree it really becomes tough to manage the
mess. Sometimes the ultimate option available is formatting the disk and losing all your
data. Here are some common problems and the answers:

The CMOS knows about the Hard Drive, but it still won’t boot, and there are
errors.
The solution: Formatting and partitioning the Hard Drive is required. This should be done
before it is used.

Can the drive be mounted side-ways?

The solution: positively in most of the cases, to mount it upside down, is not agood idea
though. To be sure, write to the company.

How does one add info about a new Hard Drive to the CMOS?
The solution: Usually the F1 or F2 key can be hit during boot up. Some systems allow you
to do it by hitting Ctrl-Alt-Esc,Alt-F2, or Ctrl-S. If not this, then the manual may work.

The drive will work as a slave, but not as a master, and if as a master not as a slave,
why?
The solution: The settings differ for every drive, and this problem is related to that
particular setting. Check the master/slave jumper on the back of the drive and consult your
manual for correct settings.

The hard drive works fine in one system and then stops working when I upgraded
the motherboard or moved it.
The solution: Double-check all configurations and connections. It could also be an
incompatibility between the two BIOSes and the hard drive. The translation mode affects
how the system reads data off the drive sectors.

Boot from the drive doesn’t work but booting off a system disk does, why?
The solution: This is because formatting and partitioning has not yet happened to your
drive. Maybe a damaged boot sector or possibly a virus. Scan thedrive with a virus
scanner. Check if the primary partition is active so that it is bootable.

Hard Drive gets hot and hotter.

The solution: Hard Drives normally generate a lot of heat. However don’t let them get too
hot to touch - the newer drives especially. A well ventilated case should do the needful.

The Hard Drive just won’t work!

The solution: Check the power connection. The spare power connectors if any, in the
system, might have gone bad. Check all connections and jumpers.
The hard drive won’t boot, or says C: drive failure insert boot disk.
The solution: Check error message on the screen and act accordingly. You may also boot
the system off a floppy or use your disk. If you can read anything off the hard drive then
the drive and controller are fine. Maybe a boot sector is damaged. Recopy
COMMAND.COM, AUTOEXEC.BAT, and CONFIG.SYS, then retest. If error persists,
your drive maybe dead or dying.

The machine doesn’t allow a partition over 2 GB in size.

The solution: If your machine has a FAT16 file system, then this limitation will come built-
in to the operating system. Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98 are however capable of
using the FAT32 system, which will get rid of this problem. Else, devide the drive into
partitions where each is less than 2GB.

The Hard Drive seems to have failed.

The solution: This seems to be when the hard drive is not bootable or cannot be detected
by the computer. If it ssis not auto-detectable by the BIOS, it might be a drive failure.

Running a scan disk utility, finds me occasional errors.

The solution: Some files get corrupt during various operations. However, if there are
excessive errors the problem is aggravated. Check for viruses. Ensure the shut down
procedure is followed properly.

You system fails to recognise the large size of your disk

The solution: The BIOS is an old version and cannot recognize a drive a drive larger than
this. An upgradation in the BIOS is required. A driver called dynamic disk can be installed
that servers as a medium between a large disk drive and the old BIOS.

A new hard drive changes all my drive letters.

The solution: Letters are first assigned to the primary partitions, then the logical drive
partitions and later to the other drives. They will change if a primary partition is created on
the new drive. Create only logical partitions on the second drive.

Formatting
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The Drive should be formatted and partitioned before using. A necessary step to hard drive
preparation, formatting, cannot be ignored, and most installation cases require a high level
format.
When getting a new drive ready, you will be required to use the FORMAT C: /S
command. This high level command formats the volume Drive C, copies hidden operating
system files to the volume and asks for a label. The bad sectors are marked as unreadable.
This command also overwrites the boot sector and creates the FAT. The root directory is
written and system files are copied.
The second style of formatting is the low-level format and this is already done on your the
drive before you buy.
You would want to low-level format your hard drive when:
* You need to erase all traces of data on the disk.
* Remove corrupted operating systems or viruses.
* Remap the drive to reallocate all bad sectors to other sectors thus replacing bad sectors
with good ones. This is called defect mapping.
Manufacturers recommend you never low-level format at the drive.