The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Hard-drive replacement and cloning
ege02
__BANNED USERS regular
__BANNED USERS regular
So, my hard-drive has been making a really annoying noise lately (like grinding a metal fork on a plate), and as of several days ago the computer has been booting randomly (while in the middle of hard-drive intensive tasks) and not coming back on.
I usually have to turn it on and off multiple times for Windows to load up. Sometimes it will load up but the mouse cursor won't move (even though the mouse itself will move... I can tell because it highlights the menus and bars when I move it around). And sometimes after the windows loading screen, I'll get a messed up screen with funky, random colors and lines for a few seconds before the "welcome" message appears on Windows. And sometimes the funky screen won't go away, and the monitor will turn off and show the "invalid input" message.
I'm thinking it's time to replace this thing.
So, question 1: External hard-drive or internal? Advantages/disadvantages of each?
Question 2: Before my current hard-drive fails completely, I'd like to copy the contents to a new one. How does one accomplish this task?
Thanks in advance.
P.S. My critical files are already backed up. But I don't wanna lose my games. And porn.
I usually have to turn it on and off multiple times for Windows to load up. Sometimes it will load up but the mouse cursor won't move (even though the mouse itself will move... I can tell because it highlights the menus and bars when I move it around). And sometimes after the windows loading screen, I'll get a messed up screen with funky, random colors and lines for a few seconds before the "welcome" message appears on Windows. And sometimes the funky screen won't go away, and the monitor will turn off and show the "invalid input" message.
I'm thinking it's time to replace this thing.
So, question 1: External hard-drive or internal? Advantages/disadvantages of each?
Question 2: Before my current hard-drive fails completely, I'd like to copy the contents to a new one. How does one accomplish this task?
Thanks in advance.
P.S. My critical files are already backed up. But I don't wanna lose my games. And porn.
ege02 on
0
Posts
1. External drives tend to be slower and more expensive, but are easy to move to place to place. Internal drives are faster, cheaper, and non-portable. Also, Windows might not be able to boot from an external drive unless you do something fancy like SCSI or ESATA.
2. I like Norton Ghost for mirroring drives - see if you can get a version from before Symantec ruined it. It'll boot from a floppy and mirror the drives very quickly. However, SystemWorks (the new name for it) actually rendered one of my systems unbootable when I installed it.
Yeah I'm on my laptop right now. I won't be turning the desktop on until I get the replacement hard-drive and am ready to clone.
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6B300S0 300GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
What can I replace this with without having to worry about compatibility issues? Would this work?
Yeah, that should work fine. Only compatibility problem I can think of is if Windows decides to get uppity at the hardware change and makes you reactivate.
Before I make the purchase I'd like to be 100% sure that the problem is my hard-drive and not another component. I'm thinking the monitor's "input not supported" message might have something to do with the graphic's card?
Problem is the screeching sound starts 5-10 minutes after I turn it on.
I opened up the case and put my ear close, and the sound seems to be coming from either the motherboard or the CPU.
If it ain't the hard drive it's a dying fan.
Disconnect one fan, see if noise comes up next boot. If it does, plug it back in and try another.
Keep in mind that unplugging the CPU fan may result in your system shutting down immediately or locking up when booting into Windows (depending on the CPU and heatsink/fan). May want to try it last.
I'm betting its a GPU fan because those tiny things are pieces of junk on almost any video card.
SC2 NA: exoplasm.519 | PA SC2 Mumble Server | My Website | My Stream
In fact, I just checked its temperature from the NVidia control panel. It's 80 degrees while idle (ambient is 47). It seems a bit high...
Assuming those numbers are accurate, you've got major airflow problems. 47° C ≈ 116° F. 80° C = 176° F! By comparison, mine is idling at around 50°.
Then I ran Neverwinter Nights 2. About 15 seconds into the game, the machine booted and wouldn't start up. The monitor said "input not supported."
But, after running the game for 30 seconds, I alt-tabbed and checked the temperature. It was over 100 degrees. Which explains why the computer was locking up and booting.
What to do, what to do...
Shut down, let the card cool off, and then examine it. The heat sink may have worked itself loose, or the fan might be gummed up with dust. In either of these cases, it should be pretty obvious what's going wrong.