PCTech Forums

so i decided to run a disk defrag, you know, just a common tune up on my pc and when i finished, i noticed all my drivers for my ethernet card, parallel port and wi-fi networks and whatnot weren't working. it gives me a code 31 error and tells me windows cannot load the drivers.

my internet was working fine until i shut it off, and turned it on the next day and the internet wouldn't work. it sometimes does this so i left it for about an hour. i then ran disk defrag and noticed afterward all the drivers had been shot. all give me the same errors. it only seem sto be internet program drivers too, like my ethernet and wi-fi(which i don't use) and parallel port.

i tried reinstalling the ethernet cards (i instaled a new one and it just went haywire like the rest) and it did no good.

i had to use my sisters pc to ask this so if anyone could help that'd be great. thanks.

i know this is a stinker of a problem but any help is appreciated

It could be one of several things. Is the hard drive making a clicking noise? That would indicate a bad drive.

Another thing that can mess up the drive is an overheated cpu. Is the cpu fan running?

A third possibility would be a bad power supply.

Open up the side of the case and turn it on and look inside.

Hows your virus scan program? Up to date?

There is another possibility with wireless. If its not locked down with WEP security, there is nothing stopping somebody from doing ANYTHING he wants to your drive if you chose to share the c drive. If he screws up your system, he can have all of your bandwith. Check your wirless router for extra link lights late at nite. The range on those pups is over a 1,000 feet.

oh, i don't have wireless anything, it's just showing all potential ports i think. any internet based port is shot to hell. code 31.

the hdd doesn't seem to be making any irregular noises. everything seems to be as cool as usual and i don't know if the power supply has gone bad but it doesn't seem so.

just outta curiousity, how would overheating kill drivers?

anyway, thanks for the help

My guess is that the drivers are residing on a place on your HD that has bad blocks. What program did you use to defrag?

just your regular run of the mill stock defrag prog that comes with XP

See what brand of hard drive you have and go to their web site and download the software for testing your hard drive.

If its a Western Digital, they include a floppy with the test on it packaged with the hard drive. Its also on their web site.

Run the non-intrusive tests.

alrighty, will do

how do i see whast make hdd i have? just check the drive itself internally?

There is a program called Everest Home Edition. You can see the link in the upper left hand side box of this site. Download that and it should help give you the answer without opening your case.

do you think reinstalling windows would do it?

Try doing a repair from the Windows disk. Also try going to device manager and reinstall the drivers.