Planetarion Forums

I am Idler · 8 Sep 2005, 23:12

Right.. my harddrive has started to act up, or, atleas the mp3's have.

A brief summary:

A few days ago I suffered a HD crash, so I had to format, install xp and bla bla.

When I got the system back online I noticed that my entire mp3 collection had simply vanished, along with my movies and a few random files here and there.

So I did the Chkdsk thing, and suddenly all the data was back, or 90% of it atleast.

Following this procedure, I then re-installed all the proper drivers etc and got on with my life.
Only to find out that something strange was happening, my mp3's were all shifted around. example: Listed track in winamp "Playing Pearl Jam - Alive"
Actual track being played in winamp "System of a Down -. Lost in hollywood"

just to name a example, and this was pretty much the situation with all 7000 mp3's, minus a few that were working as they should.

Now, my HD crashed again today, so I re-installed xp once more etc, and in the same time decided to get rid of the mp3 collection and some of the damaged movies as they were all shifted about anyways.

So I delted and emptied the rubbish bin and bla bla.

Then (in the abscense of a proper inet connection) I loaded a bunch of mp3's from old mp3 cd's onto the HD on which I had deleted all the mp3's. So basicly there shouldnt be a problem.. but nooo.

2 hours after format and playing I was listening to the following track : "Astral Projection - All I really want"

And lol, it was listed as the previously mentioned track.. but it was infact playing a deleted track .

So Im wondering, how is this even possible ? Do any of you actually posess the know how to explain to me what has happened here ? As I have never ever heard of anything like this before and would appreciate some input.

<3

Supernova9 · 8 Sep 2005, 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by I am Idler

Right.. my harddrive has started to act up, or, atleas the mp3's have.

A brief summary:

A few days ago I suffered a HD crash, so I had to format, install xp and bla bla.

Corrupt filesystem/File allocation table meaning memory pointers are now skewed and referencing wrong sections of your hard disk?

G.K Zhukov · 8 Sep 2005, 23:34

I suggest you check every single cluster on the HD for errors. Back in the Win98 days you could do it by using scandisk, Im not sure how its done in winxp, but Im sure* there is such a funtion.
If the search fails to find any error at all, then I would just get a new HD.

*hope

(and horn is absolutly correct)

s|k · 8 Sep 2005, 23:35

The bad news may be that you have faulty RAM. If that's your problem, it will only get worse. I suggest you back everything up now.

meglamaniac · 8 Sep 2005, 23:35

Your harddrive is ****ed.
Stop formatting it and buy a new one ffs!

When you can get 120GB drives for £40 these days, there is little excuse.

s|k · 8 Sep 2005, 23:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

Your harddrive is ****ed.
Stop formatting it and buy a new one ffs!

When you can get 120GB drives for £40 these days, there is little excuse.

Get your RAM checked out first. Local computer stores will often do it for free, will save you tons of money when you get a new hard drive and find out the same thing is still hapening.

I am Idler · 8 Sep 2005, 23:40

I should perhaps add that this started occuring after the first crash that went something like this: Computer shuts down for no reason, power out etc.

Refuses to even power up for 10 minutes, then agrees to power up. Cant find ant boot device. (and I took it from there)..

dunno if you can tell wether or not its a faulty ram from those sympthoms

s|k · 8 Sep 2005, 23:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by I am Idler

I should perhaps add that this started occuring after the first crash that went something like this: Computer shuts down for no reason, power out etc.

Refuses to even power up for 10 minutes, then agrees to power up. Cant find ant boot device. (and I took it from there)..

dunno if you can tell wether or not its a faulty ram from those sympthoms

Faulty RAM symptoms are usually the cause of any symptoms you can't explain. It's weird stuff. RAM can easily go bad. The good news is that it's easy to check and replace yourself. I had bad RAM, then the replacement RAM I bought turned out to be faulty too. I didn't find out the replacement RAM was faulty until after I had bought:

A new hard drive
A new Motherboard
A new CPU
A new video card
A new CD Rom Drive
and finally
I bought a new Windows disk because maybe the one I had had been scratched (I have an extra copy of windows now that I can't return, pm me if you want it).

Turned out the brand new RAM I had was messed up and all I had to do was get it checked to save me over $1000.

Don't make the same mistake I made.

meglamaniac · 9 Sep 2005, 00:54

It does sound as if your memory could be at fault.
Another culprit (which could make your memory appear to be faulty, unless tested in a different machine) is a dying power supply. Unstable/incorrect voltages make computers go nothing short of epileptic, so pretty much anything can happen.

Before taking your computer to a store and getting charged (ripped off) for the privilege of them pressing a button and wandering off for 30 minutes to do something else while the program runs, download this. Leave it to run for a good while, overnight is the best option if possible. If there are any faults, then at least you have a target (RAM or PSU).

The fact that your machine shut down and refused to power up could also be an indication of a PSU on the way out. Many have overheat/short circuit/voltage regulation protectors that will shut the unit off (and keep it off for a while) should it see anything to make it go "whoops!"

s|k · 9 Sep 2005, 02:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arachnidman

<megla> how droll
<megla> i have the last post on GD
<megla> someone post something fs

You spammer.

Dead_Meat · 9 Sep 2005, 02:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by I am Idler

I should perhaps add that this started occuring after the first crash that went something like this: Computer shuts down for no reason, power out etc.

Refuses to even power up for 10 minutes, then agrees to power up. Cant find ant boot device. (and I took it from there)..

dunno if you can tell wether or not its a faulty ram from those sympthoms

Do a Gary Glitter and take it to the local PC repair shop, get them to find out what's wrong and then have them report you for all your kiddie porn, when you are, in fact, in a position to buy a new PC without blinking an eyelid because you have loads of cash.

Stop with the 'what's wrong' crap and start asking what PC you can buy with $10k. Dumbass.

MrL_JaKiri · 9 Sep 2005, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

It does sound as if your memory could be at fault.

I don't really see how all the visable symptoms can be explained away with "faulty ram" as the explanation.

meglamaniac · 9 Sep 2005, 12:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I don't really see how all the visable symptoms can be explained away with "faulty ram" as the explanation.

If you go back and read the post again, you'll find I did offer an alternative explanation.

MrL_JaKiri · 9 Sep 2005, 12:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

If you go back and read the post again, you'll find I did offer an alternative explanation.

I know, it just seemed to be the direction the thread was going in.

Hard drive/mobo failure must also be listed as possilbilities.

From my experience of hard drives on the way out, they do tend to lose themselves from the bios, and I've had plenty of ****ery with broken file tables.

Aside from northbridge overheating, I've not really had much problem with motherboards - but again, it could be a problem there.

G.K Zhukov · 9 Sep 2005, 14:32

Harddrives has been the source of problems for years, Jakiri.

As their "movable", they sure tend to get broken. Hell I still remember when I lost my first harddrive, a Conner 540mb... Such a sad day. And my Conner 1200mb also got broken that day, but one of my mates fixed it (!).

s|k · 9 Sep 2005, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrL_JaKiri

I don't really see how all the visable symptoms can be explained away with "faulty ram" as the explanation.

No dumbass, I'm simply suggesting that he check his RAM before he spends more money than he has to.

I am Idler · 9 Sep 2005, 15:48

Well, I got a 20 gig IBM harddrive that has been workng perfectly for 7 years now. Everything was better before!!

flapjack · 9 Sep 2005, 16:22

I've seen bad RAM and indeed, just about anything can happen then...
Same for a dying PSU.

HDs breaking down, my only experience so far has been 1 HD shattering in its case and the other just stopping to work overnight.

get a friend with a compatible computer, stick your RAM in his computer. If it works just fine, stick your HD in (possibly as a second HD?) and see what it does.

s|k · 9 Sep 2005, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by flapjack

I've seen bad RAM and indeed, just about anything can happen then...
Same for a dying PSU.

HDs breaking down, my only experience so far has been 1 HD shattering in its case and the other just stopping to work overnight.

get a friend with a compatible computer, stick your RAM in his computer. If it works just fine, stick your HD in (possibly as a second HD?) and see what it does.

It's best to just get the RAM tested, as the memory may behave differently in a different computer and also, I'm sure his friend doesn't want to lose his data as well.

Blastoderm · 9 Sep 2005, 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by meglamaniac

When you can get 120GB drives for £40 these days, there is little excuse.

In computer fairs....

meglamaniac · 10 Sep 2005, 00:38

Bow before your new master (ok, it's £3 over but I wasn't far off).