Chkdsk runs everytime I restart

Mits said:

My experience tells me that one of your disks is slowly undergoing serious corruption. Thankfully most modern disks have a built-in hardware monitoring system called SMART and special programs are able to read this SMART info (even for external USB disks).

Therefore I'd recommend downloading a trial version of Hard Disk Sentinel (Hard Disk Sentinel - HDD health and temperature monitoring) and performing tests on your disks. Only if HDSentinel says their health is 100%, then it makes sense to look for software (Windows) problems.

Tanks and good point. the tiral version however doesnt provide the required tests See: Hard Disk Sentinel store

The other tests I ran to date all passed.

OldMX said:

Did you memtest the ram for a couple of loops?

Yes. All good.

The self destruct cycle of death begins again.... ( I as "so" close...)

- did the fresh factory install
- all good
- got the Windwos Update prompt for 70 + updates
- selected only the first 4
- its stuck on the last one (4 of 4) for that last 30 minutes

Kill it now?

So does this mean it 'is' the hard drive?

For $50, I can reaplce it anyway to be sure ( but of coruse must pass thru clone hell and all the potential grief that can bring).

See how it never ends ??? .....

Do you have a Dell Win7 Installation DVD which is provided to get the superior clean reinstall? If not where did you get the Win7 DVD? Did you burn it yourself? There are no files on the partition you deleted which are required for install and the error normally means there is a problem with the installation media.

Make sure you are booting the DVD correctly: How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD

If this fails, use the Dell one-time BIOS Boot Menu key to trigger the DVD. What happens exactly? We need the error message verbatim instead of a lot of drama.

Next wipe the HD to overwrite any possible boot sector corruption: SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Run the HD maker's diagnostics/repair extended CD scan to get a definitive answer: HD Diagnostic

Run Dell Diagnostics from the hotkey given on first boot screen, or from All Programs.

Try the clean reinstall again.

If you want to continue troubleshooting the factory recovery you did, let the Updates run longer to see what happens.

gregrocker said:

You have a Dell Win7 Installation DVD, correct? If not where did you get the Win7 DVD? Did you burn it yourself? There are no files on the partition you deleted which are required for install and this error normally means there is a problem with the installation media.

Make sure you are booting the DVD correctly: How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD

If this fails, use the Dell one-time BIOS Boot Menu key to trigger the DVD. What happens exactly?

Then follow the steps I gave you to get a perfect clean reinstall.

Just bear with me a moment. I ONLY booted from the DVD . It booted fine, but when I started deleting partItions, things went south. I then put the Win 7 DVD aside and restored back to FACTORY settings, which is where I am now.

BUT ALL THAT IS A MOOT POINT NOW. I NEED TO REDO IT ALL OVER AGAIN ANYWAY ---- as those Windows updates are crashing again. See screen below, which is a no-win situation. Its been there for 60 minutes.

SO THIS TIME, I AM STARTING SUPER SUPER FRESH , NEW VIRGIN HARD DRIVE (LEAVING RIGHT NOW TO BUY IT) AND THE DELL WIN 7 OEM INSTALL DVD. SURELY WITH GUIDANCE HERE, THIS WILL WORK !!

So my next question is this:

I have a few options in terms of connections (and EVEN cloning) re
- the current Main Drive : Hitachi (flakey)
- the current Back up Drive : WDC Black (good)
- the new shrink wrapped brand new WDC Green

Should I do this? :

1. Disk 1: Remove the flakey drive completely - CONSIDER IT USELESS.
2. Connect the BRAND new unformatted WDC Green in its place ( as first SATA drive)
3. Disconenct for now, the Back up Drive : WDC Black ( good)
4. Boot with Win 7 DVD Install and have it format and install to the brand new drive - the only one there.
5. When all the dust settles, reconnect the backup drive

PLEASE CONFIRM !

There isn't anything that deleting partitions can possibly do to mess up a successful clean reinstall. It is the recommended way to start fresh with a clean reinstall of Win7. As stated the errors sounds like the DVD is faulty or a bad burn, which is why I asked where you got it.

Choose the HD you want to use for install, unplug all others, boot the DVD to clean reinstall following these steps exactly: Reinstalling Windows 7

Report back any error message verbatim.

You can also boot to run the Factory Recovery disks if clean reinstall fails again, or let us help you troubleshoot it to success as we do here every day.

After install plug back in your backup drive.

Run the Hitachi Drive Fitness extended CD test as advised to test the questionable HD, lest you are only guessing.

gregrocker said:

There isn't anything that deleting partitions can possibly do to mess up a successful clean reinstall. It is the recommended way to start fresh with a clean reinstall of Win7. As stated the errors sounds like the DVD is faulty or a bad burn, which is why I asked where you got it.

Choose the HD you want to use for install, unplug all others, boot the DVD to clean reinstall following these steps exactly: Reinstalling Windows 7

Report back any error message verbatim.

You can also boot to run the Factory Recovery disks if clean reinstall fails again, or let us help you troubleshoot it to success as we do here every day.

After install plug back in your backup drive.

Run the Hitachi Drive Fitness extended CD test as advised to test the questionable HD, lest you are only guessing.

Please be patient with me.

As to where I got the recovery DVDs from, sorry I messed that question - a little stressful here - these were the ones that Dell Backup propmted me to create in Jan 2011 when I received teh machine. Glad I did.

As to the HITACHI test - I already unsuccessfuly tried to run it - see earlier post this thread) but can try again later. Will need those result to make a claim with Dell.

Right now, the system is stuck on the screen shot above, and I cannot boot from any DVD anymore. F2 and F12 do nothing. I hope my BIOS isnt clobbered as well. That would jsut be icing on the cake.

So, the new hard drive is next. I have the new drive in hand and will be openng up the case now to remove both exsitng drives and install the new one only.


Stay tuned..

I was referring to the Win7 installation DVD which is sometimes provided by Dell and contains a clean copy of Win7 onlly along with auto-activation, not the Recovery DVD's which contain the factory image with all its preinstalled bloatware. Do you have this DVD which provides a cleaner install?

Let us know how the reinstallation or recovery goes with the new HD. It may well solve the problem.