[Solved] windows 7 freezes, re-boots, and keeps running chkdsk on boot

[Richard_T]

Forthe last few days ive been having some major issues with my p.c running windows 7, first it started freezing, not even CTRL+ALT+DEL would work, then following a reboot after removing the power, it ran CHKDSK, ths was then followed by some error messages about the user profile being corupt, so i re-installed windows, and everything was OK for a while.

Then the freezes came back with avengance, after a while my pc would make two beeps then un freeze for a short while, each time it re-boots it runs chkdsk, a few errors crop up, and it sometimes boots again.

most of the time the only way to escape the freeze is to re start the p.c by removing the power supply, as everything esle has become un responsive, i have tried safe mode but this also freezes after a while with the same freeze and two beeps. any ideas?

[KenB]

Hi,

 

Desktop or laptop ?

 

2 Beeps could be linked to RAM.

Take one out and run the machine on the other.

Swap them over if the problem still exists.

[Richard_T]

desktop, had memtest running and that reported no faults, if i can get the thing to boot then could it be the hard drive?

[KenB]

Taking the RAM out is a far better test.

Let's try that first before we move on.

[Richard_T]

ive just plugged an old hard drive with an old windows vista install ( origanating form the same pc, managed to get a dual boot option up) that can see the windows 7 drive, so at the moment im trying a full back up of all my data etc.

There are currently four sticks of Ram, so im guessing it could be any one of those sticks, if not the hard drive?

Ive found a utitlity called HUTIL for eror checking the hard disk ( i think) so fate backing up i will try that then the ram removal.

[KenB]

Keep us updated.

 

It is undoubtedly a hardware issue.

[Richard_T]

At the moment my main prioity is backing up to an external drive, so far its chugging along copying from the main windows 7 drive to an external disk( at the rate its goign it may take a while) after that i will make a further back of important stuff from the external to my laptop.

Next i will try and run the samsung disk hardware utility - as it appears to be the fastest way to say yes its the disk, or no its something else.

 

At the start of the problems, just before christmas i re-installed windows, for a while everything seemed OK, but that did not last, not long after a huge amount of windows update installs, the problems re-occured. it appered to be the updates that could cause the issues, but after further re-install the freezing re-appeared before any updates were installed ( almost imediatly)

As well as all that there have been some odd noises on start up for a few weeks ( clicking/grinding noises), i thought these were due to a stuck fan, but on inspection all fans appeared OK, and then the noises stopped.

 

in the last few months i reconected my older drive with vista installed, both are sata drives, could this be causing issues? when my p.c boots its set to dual boot, the first option is windows vista, the second is windows 7, with 7 being the default.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, the clicking and grinding noises do suggest a hard drive about to fail, you are right to get everything backed up first and as quickly as possible before the drive fails.

Is the Vista on a different hard drive, not a partition on the same hard drive? I get the impression that is the case, but can you confirm it and if so which of the two hard drives is giving the problems.

 

Edit to add, is this the same PC that you had a problem with the graphics card, as posted in the graphics section of hardware?

Nev.

[Richard_T]

Its the same p.c as the graphics card problems, vista was origanaly installed on an older hard drive, but i needed a larger hard drive, at the time it seemed logical to install windows 7 on the new drive as a clean install, and just disconect the older drive after backing up first, then the old drive just sat there unplugged.

[KenB]

odd noises on start up for a few weeks ( clicking/grinding noises)

Grinding noises could be a fan ......but coupled with clicking this does sound like a dying hard drive as Nev suggests.

[Richard_T]

i tought it was a fan, but there all hapily spinning away.

The drive with windows vista on is much much older than the one with windows 7 on, and is usualy active only as a bit of extra space ( it normaly shows as drive D:\ ) could a fault on the on the non primarr hard disk cuase issues with the main disk?

[KenB]

could a fault on the on the non primarr hard disk cuase issues with the main disk?

No - not possible.

Drives fail. There is no guarantee and new drives can die as well as old ones.

[Richard_T]

No - not possible.

Drives fail. There is no guarantee and new drives can die as well as old ones.

Thought that may be too easy, so far the backng up is slowly chugging along, its not ben a good year for my p.c, as everthing seems to be dying in a short space of time.

first the graphics card, then the monitor (which was later repaired by replacing and soldering in 5 new capacitors) and nowit appears the hard drive is on its way out.

S

[Richard_T]

yay, virtualy everything has copied, but in the last few moments theres been some odd noises, along the lines of low pitched squeky brakes on a car.

[KenB]

That sounds like a dry bearing.

It could be on the hard drive or it could be one of the fans.

 

Once you have all the data off the drive that you need try disconnecting the power to the hard drive and switch on.

All fans will run.

If the squeaking continues - it is a fan. If it stops - it is the drive.

[Richard_T]

I needed to get my p.c workign quick, so today i made a trip to er, P.C world, the new drives installed, and so far so good.

i did have the old drive conected on a temporary basis, as if it worked ( and it did - sort of) it would be easier, and a bit faster than trying to get the data off the back up drive via usb.

the squeking and clattering noises were coming form the old drive, during the transfer proces it was sat ontop of my p.c, the squeeks took a while to start, but once they did the drive became quite hot to the touch.

And after a bit of extended searching on google i found this article that refers to the disk model that i had problems with, Samsung HD103UJ.

http://www.laptop-junction.com/toast/content/unreliable-disk-samsung-spinpoint-f1-hd103uj-1-tb-tera-byte

[KenB]

new drives installed, and so far so good.

This is good to hear :)

 

Thanks for the link - interesting.

I assume your new drive is not a Samsung ?

[Plastic Nev]

Oh dear, guess who has recently fitted a Samsung HDD to his laptop? well OK it is an older IDE drive and only 160GB, so fingers crossed. Thanks for finding that page and giving us the link. Also glad we could help and you are back up and running.

 

Nev.