[Resolved] computer doesn't start due to virus.

[Hoov]

When its installed in the original computer are we back to what it was doing before? But when you hook it up to the other computer it says  F:\ is not accessible?

And that is where we are at right now. Correct? I just want to make sure where we are at.

[Medina]

I just installed it back on my computer. I didn't test it out. I'm assuming that it will have the same outcome because nothing was done to it. Yes, that's what came up. Everything in my error post was what happened in the attempt of data recovery. Now what? The data is gone, correct? So we move on to reformat it? Are my chances slim to none with getting it to work? Since what was done up till now hasn't?

[Hoov]

I hate to tell you but I believe it is worse than you thought. You said that "the request could not be performed because of an I/O device error. " To me this is telling me that chances are your harddrive is either ready to die, or is dead. I think you need to invest in a new harddrive. 

But the upside is that the data may still be recoverable, but if it is, you need to be ready to grab it all at once. This is the same thing that happened to me, and prompted me to buy the adapter I recommended to you.  I was able to let the harddrive sit with the cables connected to it, for a couple hours, to make sure it was cold and stable. Then I plugged it in to the outlet, and then once it was spinning, to the computer. 1 time I was able to get it to access the harddrive, and once I did, I just copied everything. I ran into a few errors and I just skipped them instead of trying to recover the data. Which was a good thing, because shortly after I finished getting the data off, it became a brick.

You can try a format, but I don't think that you will ever have a stable system again. With the whole evolution of the problems that we have been trying to work thru, either you have electronic parts that are degrading for whatever reason, or there is a problem with the platters inside the harddrive.

Do you have a computer geek in the area? They may be able to pull the data off the drive for you, If the above procedure doesn't work.

I don't know what else to say.

[Medina]

I had a feeling this was going to happen. Well my harddrive has been sitting in my computer for weeks without being turned on, so wouldn't it be cold and stable as well?? If so, I don't think it will work. Yes, I have geeks and nerds in the area but just out of curiosity they would be performing the same procedure, correct? If I wasn't able to retrieve it I don't think they will either. I could be wrong but I feel its too late for that. Maybe we could perform the format, I don't think I have anything to lose at this point. How much does a new harddrive cost, a few hundred?

[Hoov]

Not even close. I have an Inspiron 1520, and if I were to replace the 160GB harddrive I have, I would go to Newegg.com to get it. On the cheap end they have a drive for $29.99 all the way up to $69.99. You just have to remember that when you get it, you have to take the plastic end off the old drive and put on the new one, so that it will plug the whole in the side of the laptop. If you bought the higher end, it would probably increase the performance of your laptop a bit.

Newegg even has a Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD7500KEVT 750GB 5200 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive - OEM for $150. So depending on what you want to replace the drive, size and speed, you can get a good solid drive for under $75, unless you are looking for a very large drive.

[Medina]

Oh wow that's not bad at all, I thought it would be more. Well I would like to replace with what I have. I have 250G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive. 3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm. I don't know the difference between mine and the scorpio blue one you mentioned or which is better at that. Should I try the format?

[Hoov]

I wouldn't format. I would just get a new one, then you don't have to worry about it. Your harddrive specs are 250G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive so any of them on this page would be the same size as the one you have. Some are even a little faster.

There are 4 things you need to look at with harddrives. First is the size. With a laptop you have to get a harddrive meant for a laptop. They are physically smaller than the ones in a desktop. The other three things you need to kind of balance against each other. The size (your current one is 250GB so if you have been running out of room, you should get a bigger one, if not then the same size will do fine), next is the platter speed. Your current one is 5400RPM. The faster the platter speed, generally you get smaller access times. And last is the transfer speed. Right now I believe all the harddrives are either a 1.5 GB/s or 3.0 GB/s. The 3.0 means twice as much data is transferred as the 1.5 drive does.

Then there are always the other bells and whistles that are meant to entice you to buy the drive, like low power consumption, quiet, onboard g force protection, and other things like that.

If you decide to  buy a harddrive instead of formatting, look over the drives and if you have any questions, ask, and I will do my best to answer any questions you have about them.

[Medina]

I think I want to try formatting, I don't have anything to lose right? Would trying that damage anything else? When you had mentioned earlier about either having electronic parts that are degrading or it being the platters in the harddrive, are the electronic parts that you're referring too in the harddrive? Or its a different part in the system. I'm just trying to understand what it is or why the parts would fail on a fairly new system.

[Hoov]

They would be on the harddrive. As for why a fairly new electronic part may fail, there is no one reason. I am an Avionics Technician by training and trade, and I have seen electronic parts 60 years old run like they were new, but I have also seen simple components fail the first time electricity went thru them, and I have yet to figure out the why. It could be a single particle of cosmic radiation flew right thru your chest with no difficulty, but when it went thru the case of the computer, it hit one of the chips on the harddrive just right and cooked it. I would rather predict why a woman would get mad at me than try to predict the failure of an electronic component.  I know this doesn't help, but I am also still looking for the answer.

As to formatting the harddrive, go right ahead and try it.  At the worst you will not be able to, at best it will work.

[Medina]

LOL I Love the analogy. Well us women are easy to figure out so I don't blame you. I tried putting in the Vista CD and I get nothing after it states to press any key to continue. I'm going to take a second look at the drives you recommended to figure out which I should go with. All on that page will fit in the slot of my harddrive right? Is there any chance that when I replace the old with the new, the system will still not work due to it not being the harddrive? Or ill be good to go?

[Hoov]

All of those drives are laptop drives and they will fit. If you go to this page, and go over to the left side, and select laptop harddrives, you will be taken to a smaller list, and if you keep selecting properties that you want on the left side, the list will keep getting smaller. Once you get it down to a dozen or so, I would start reading the reviews. Ignore the reviews that are out of the average.

Is there a chance it will not fix your problem, yes. But I feel that the chance is very small. If you had plugged the drive into the other computer and was able to get the data off, then the problem would be the computer. With the harddrive not working on another computer, that tells me that your harddrive is bad, but there is a small chance that the harddrive did something to the computer, but that is not normally the case.

One other thing about the harddrive that you need to know, is you need an SATA harddrive. I am assuming you needed the red cable in that adapter to hook the harddrive up to the other computer.

Let me know if you need anything else to help pick out the harddrive.

[Hoov]

Medina, do you still need help?

[Hoov]

This thread is being closed due to inactivity. If you need it reopened send me a PM. This applies to the originator only. Anyone else please start a new thread.

[Hoov]

Reactivated at the request of the originator.

[Medina]

Reactivated at the request of the originator.

Ok I think I made a mistake so ill state that first, I installed all the original CDs that came with the computer except for dell media direct which has, use this media before you install your operating system written on it. I figured it out after becaause this was tha last CD I put in and it said it will reset everything, so basically it was all a waste, after installing that I would have to reinstall the rest, correct?

Now that CD you mentioned, would it be this one, drivers and utilities?