Need help big time...anyone that is a expert please help...

[cheekycritter]

Hi,

Recently brought a 3.2GHz 1024Mb RAM computer with one SATA hard drive..just over 80GB.

I had lost my copy xp so I took it off another computer as I had all the files I needed on it. Apart from the bootable part. So I installed 98 in the hope of installing xp over it once I had booted.

Win98 wanted me to reformat the drive so I thought ok.
At 8 percent it looks as if it had crashed so I reset. When I booted up again it said PRI SATA HARD DRIVE S.M.A.R.T is bad, back up and replace press F1 to resume.
I do not have a back up and I have no idea what to do it is a every annoying message and I think it is effecting the fact XP pro will not install and it says it has a fatal error in preparing installation.

Soon I will buy another copy of XP this time home with a new CD. Will it fix the SATA problem? And will everything be back to normal?
Please anyone respond. I am desperate I have had the computer

[Un4g1v3n]

How far into the bootup do you get? Does it happen before the CMOS load?

[Limp]

Ok... The way Im reading your post is that you copied pre installed XP files from another machine to a cd. Then installed windows 98 on your new machine and tried to upgrade it with the XP files that you copied from the other machine?

[Gecko]

S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) is implemented into all of the modern hard disks. A special program inside the disk constantly keeps tracking the condition of a range of the vital parameters: driver, disk heads, surface state, electronics, etc. to predict possible drive failure.

It sounds to me like the HDD is bad.

Most HDD manufactures have diagnostic software that can be downloaded from their web site.
is a list of the major manufactures and their respective programs.
This software will fit on a floppy or it can be burned to a cd.
Just boot from the device (floppy or cd) and follow the on screen instructions.

How old is this drive?

[cheekycritter]

Hi,


I think it is a new maxtor 81.9GB drive i brought the computer with drive on the 8 th of december this year.

I basicly tried to install xp pro form a cd which was unbootabe.Then installed 98 when it was formatting restarted as i throught it had crashed on me, resatarted it said the SMART error on the hard drive.Installed win98 on second try then then reset Pressed F1 to ressume but could not get xp to install.

If i get the drivers for it and reinstall them, then wipe the hard drive and start again will it work with my new bootable version i brought today.
Do I really need to restall the SMART drivers for the hard drive.


Thanx

[cheekycritter]

[cheekycritter]

ok, ran test again got code from power amx of de67d779....maxtor are so useless you can not find out the meanign of the code with out looking at the serial code on the drive and I am not unscrewing the computer!

Can they jsut give me a file ...make life simple.

Gecko...that site link you gave me work at on computers at work but not at home now on any computer.dont know why.

I am sure it is a abd HDD SMART driver..I just need a repalcement driver..on the useless maxtor website it said if you get a 8 digit code,yer computer hard drive is properly failing and needs repalcing..i have not even used it yet and surely restarting in the middle of reformatting on the win98 cd then running again on restart and foramtting 100 percent is no the problem.

This forum as so dam good people on it please help me like you have done before.

Thanxs loads

[Limp]

Do you have the Maxblast disk for your Hard Drive? If not you can get it here » . If so have you tryed to boot to it?

[liljim]

[Limp]

Also I found this link»

[Gecko]

[icecube]

Depending on your warrenty stores, usually honor 30 to 90 days (it varies) so if possible return it to the store. Most factory hard drive warrentys are for a year now.

Most of my experience with hard drive return is with Western digital and Fujitsu. They give you a web location to download a program and you run it from the floppy and you'll get an error code. Then you call the company number and give them the error code. At that point they will ask you for a visa card number. They then will Fed Ex a drive to you --its fast. ghost your data to the new drive and put the defective drive in the box and send it back. If you don't send it back, you'll see a bill for the new drive on your credit card statement.

it looks like the program you ran generated an errror code, I'm just not sure that its the one Maxtor uses. If so, call customer support, give them the error code and they should do the rest.