Windows Explorer crashes, no message, then everything crashes randomly

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  1. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 Professional N x64
    Thread Starter
       #11

    SeaTools pulled this up twice in a row... not the answer I was hoping for, but is it possible this is the root of all evil?

    I have another 2TB drive in there anyway (one I meant to set up in RAID in case this ever happened, but never got around to it...)

    I just don't know my windows key if I have to reinstall to the other drive. It still shows the right quantity of my Data on the drive, so I think I can pull from it. Guess we'll see
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 17,322
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #12

    Yeah, that's not good. Hang on before you start doing anything, I'll get some experts over here.
      My Computer

  3.    #13

    If Seatools flunks your drive more than once then I'd replace it. Then I'd do a Clean Reinstall Windows 7 which compiles everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've directly helped with here. You'll get and keep a perfect install to the exact extent you stick with the tools and methods given, just as have 1.5 million others without a single complaint.

    If the data is readable using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console then it shows here How To Recover Windows 7 8 Product Key From Unbootable Drive.

    Otherwise what I'd do at this point is Clean Install Windows 10 Technical Preview
    which plans to grant free copies to all those running the Technical Preview when it is released next month. It is a worthy successor to Windows 7 which I've been using exclusively since October with only minor beta buggyness.

    As to the earlier discussion, Be sure to always tick the box for Automatic hardware updating. Double check to Enable hardware auto-updating via Windows Update (Step 3).

    Then install all Important and Optional Updates with reboots until there are no more offered.

    Without an SP2 Windows 7 is too heavily patched to not install all Updates. Without any of them except Bing you don't really have Windows 7.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 Professional N x64
    Thread Starter
       #14

    gregrocker said:
    If Seatools flunks your drive more than once then I'd replace it. Then I'd do a Clean Reinstall Windows 7 which compiles everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've directly helped with here. You'll get and keep a perfect install to the exact extent you stick with the tools and methods given, just as have 1.5 million others without a single complaint.

    If the data is readable using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console then it shows here How To Recover Windows 7 8 Product Key From Unbootable Drive.

    Otherwise what I'd do at this point is Clean Install Windows 10 Technical Preview
    which plans to grant free copies to all those running the Technical Preview when it is released next month. It is a worthy successor to Windows 7 which I've been using exclusively since October with only minor beta buggyness.

    As to the earlier discussion, Be sure to always tick the box for Automatic hardware updating. Double check to Enable hardware auto-updating via Windows Update (Step 3).

    Then install all Important and Optional Updates with reboots until there are no more offered.

    Without an SP2 Windows 7 is too heavily patched to not install all Updates. Without any of them except Bing you don't really have Windows 7.


    Great info! Thanks!

    So, Right now, I have my lap top HDD plugged into my PC and I'm trying to pull files from the damaged drive, just as a precaution. Most of it looks to be in tact in that I've been making flawless copies of some of my more important things. My biggest concern right now, actually, is my Steam games. I don't know if I had cloud backup on for all my games, so I'm a bit concerned.

    I was browsing folders when the drive disappeared and the PC said it was no longer attached. gonna restart and see if that'll help me, but I'm going to give your suggested methods a shot too.

    I'm actually thinking about getting a SSD today and doing a clean OS install on it, then using my other WD 2 TB for storage, and find another 2 TB to set up to mirror it in case something like this happens again.

    Again, thanks a lot to all of you who have given me advice, it means a lot right now!
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #15

    As the others have already said mate and I think you should check out all the hardware see Constant Stop Errors - 0xF4 on new build - Windows 7 - Microsoft Community If you want you can also follow this

    SLOT CLEANING

    Now as for the slots toclean them use a strip of old credit card (or any card thin enough some arebetter than others ) about 1/2 inch wide nip the corners off one end - preferably round them offhold a piece of thin lint free cloth over theend dab on some form of alcohol - isopropyl alcohol (what we swab the skin withbefore an injection) is good and GENTLYswipe along the slots.

    This can also be done for the GPU slot/s andalso the contacts of the sticks or cards - not the stick but some lint freecloth of course. See my pic for the sick but please be very gentle doing it ifyou are in any doubt - please ask before doing it but I use this all the timeand have yet to damage anything
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 Professional N x64
    Thread Starter
       #16

    Thanks a lot!

    So, yesterday, i took the opportunity to step up my game a little. I got an SSD and put that windows 10 preview on it that gregrocker told me about. Using the SSD for my OS and a few key programs, then my extra 2tb drive for storage. I'll figure out what to do with this drive if I can recover some of my stuff from it. I'd like to set up a RAID to get it all backed up, but I'll do that once my drive is ready.

    So I realize I kinda side-stepped the problem, but windows 10 preview works great. I did, however get this message when I first installed it and when I shut down for the night. Neither occurrence crashed the machine though. It was kinda just there, I hit ok, and went along my way. Is this error consistent with the problem I was having with the crashes earlier, or is this just a bug in the Win10 preview?

    And no, it hasn't happened since that first shut down
    Last edited by NC595; 14 Jun 2015 at 08:14.
      My Computer

  7.    #17

    I think it is normal beta buggyness. I've been getting that at Shutdown for awhile too with no performance problems noted. I also get a periodic crash. Out of a dozen different builds I've been through I also had to roll back twice. This is to be expected with a preview/beta.

    You can always google the error text to find out how others have solved a problem. But again since this is still a preview it is expected to have rough edges for awhile longer. You can help MS smooth it out by opening and participating in the Insider Hub App in Start Menu. This should also be where to find out how to upgrade TP to RTM at no cost as recently promised by MS.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 11
    Windows 7 Professional N x64
    Thread Starter
       #18

    Yeah, I was planning on putting in some feedback soon. Between setting up all my stuff and having the bad HDD plugged in and trying to pull some stuff, I haven't really played with features like Cortana yet.

    Thanks for the help! I don't know if I'd say we "solved" this one, but we certainly made my PC experience better because of it... hahaha
      My Computer


 
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