trouble with Windows Backup ...

[timmy toad]

hi all, a few days ago i thought i would "shrink volume" to do the Dual partitioning stuff that is very clearly explained elsewhere, i couldnt "shrink volume", it told me i have to "check for errors", and then that program wouldnt run, i selected to run CHKDSK at Start up, that wouldnt run either etc. etc. so i gave up on the idea.
Today i thought i would do my FIRST BACKUP using the Windows official program, i looked out an external usb drive with enough room, started BACKUP, after an hour or so it finished telling me it had skipped some files i saved the error report which i will attach , so all in all it doesnt look very good, my hard drive is possibly crap, i have previously tried to fit a new hard drive, but my ComPAQ LAP TOP didnt like it, i thought there might be some protection against invalidating warranty or similar built in !! or it looked for the recovery partition etc. goodness me, i just dont know.

TIM

 

[Flavius]

Use this tool to diagnose your hdd Active@ Hard Disk Monitor. SMART diagnostic & HDD health control software for Windows XP Vista 2003 Server 2008...
Make sure you don't have any bad blocks and SMART is fine.

 

[timmy toad]

Use this tool to diagnose your hdd Active@ Hard Disk Monitor. SMART diagnostic & HDD health control software for Windows XP Vista 2003 Server 2008...
Make sure you don't have any bad blocks and SMART is fine.

HHHmmmmmm, thanks for that buddy, it does look as though i have a bad block O dear !

Tim

 

[Flavius]

HHHmmmmmm, thanks for that buddy, it does look as though i have a bad block O dear !

Tim

Unfortunately the best solution in this case is changing disk

 

[timmy toad]

i have previously tried to fit a new hard drive, but my ComPAQ LAP TOP didnt like it, i thought there might be some protection against invalidating warranty or similar built in !! or it looked for the recovery partition etc. goodness me, i just dont know.

TIM

Hi, thanks for that response Flavius, above is part of my first post in this thread, i would simply love to put another hard drive in it, but i am pretty sure it will reject it again, the only other thing that mifght have caused the drive to be rejected was i was replacing a 320gig drive with a 250gig drive of exactly the same model

tim

 

[MacGyvr]

i have previously tried to fit a new hard drive, but my ComPAQ LAP TOP didnt like it, i thought there might be some protection against invalidating warranty or similar built in !! or it looked for the recovery partition etc. goodness me, i just dont know.

TIM

Hi, thanks for that response Flavius, above is part of my first post in this thread, i would simply love to put another hard drive in it, but i am pretty sure it will reject it again, the only other thing that mifght have caused the drive to be rejected was i was replacing a 320gig drive with a 250gig drive of exactly the same model

tim

That would definitely not cause a hard drive to be rejected. The only time you might see a hard drive not accepted on a system is hard drives over 500GB on VERY old computers.

Explain what you mean by the drive being "rejected"...exactly what happened?

 

[gregrocker]

You mention that you were concerned about invalidating warranty while attempting to replace the HD? Why not call and use the warranty to replace the HD? Just sayin.

Each HD manufacturer has its own diagnostics which can often repair problems before they become unrecoverable. I always twin this test with chkdsk and have saved HD's by running both, some of which are still running years later.

 

[timmy toad]

You mention that you were concerned about invalidating warranty while attempting to replace the HD? Why not call and use the warranty to replace the HD? Just sayin.

Each HD manufacturer has its own diagnostics which can often repair problems before they become unrecoverable. I always twin this test with chkdsk and have saved HD's by running both, some of which are still running years later.

Thats a good point GregRocker, i shall have to investigate that next week if all else fails.

Tim

 

[TGSoldier]

Run a lowlevel format on the harddrive.

 

[timmy toad]

i have previously tried to fit a new hard drive, but my ComPAQ LAP TOP didnt like it, i thought there might be some protection against invalidating warranty or similar built in !! or it looked for the recovery partition etc. goodness me, i just dont know.

TIM

Hi, thanks for that response Flavius, above is part of my first post in this thread, i would simply love to put another hard drive in it, but i am pretty sure it will reject it again, the only other thing that mifght have caused the drive to be rejected was i was replacing a 320gig drive with a 250gig drive of exactly the same model

tim

That would definitely not cause a hard drive to be rejected. The only time you might see a hard drive not accepted on a system is hard drives over 500GB on VERY old computers.

Explain what you mean by the drive being "rejected"...exactly what happened?

I got a new Compaq Lap Top with a 320 gig drive, it came pre installed with Vista, i quickly decided i didnt like it and applied for my free upgrade to Win7. during the intervening period i thought i would install Win XP on another hard drive, i got al the correct XP drivers before hand from the HP web site.

I got a 250gig drive same make and model etc. just a smaller capacity, I then started to Install Win XP, I had already Formatted it when it was in an External USB drive adapter. When XP set up got to stage where you choose where you want to Install it, but instead it just came up with an error that the drive wasnt suitable, i forget the message exactly, but it wouldnt go any further at all.

Tim

 

[timmy toad]

Run a lowlevel format on the harddrive.

Good idea buddy, but how exactly can i do that ?, please.

Tim

 

[gregrocker]

I suggest you put the correct HD back in the laptop and install XP on a separate partition you create for it.

Shrink the Vista partition in Disk Managment. Then boot from the XP CD and make and format a new partition in the unallocated space created from the shrinking. Install XP there.

Since you have your XP drivers, put whichever are needed into the installer by tapping F6 when prompted during file loading. It may not need any extra upfront, so you can try it first without.

Post back here if you need any help. Afterwards you will need to add XP to the Boot Menu using the final steps in this tutorial's Method Two: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

When your Win7 Upgrade kit arrives you can either do an in-place Upgrade over Vista, or boot from the DVD and clean install with formatting over the Vista. The Win7 installer will reconfigure the boot correctly, as it always does when installed last.

 

[timmy toad]

Hi, really do appreciate your very willing help on my problem, but i am getting a bit fed up with the bloody hard drive now, not playing ball. I shall just enjoy it as it is and just stick with the upgrade to Windows 7, thanks again everybody.

Gregrocker, thanks for your latest suggestion, but it was when I selected to Shrink Volume in my opening post that it all started to go upside down and didnt work as it it should do !.

Tim

 

[TockTock]

You mention that you were concerned about invalidating warranty while attempting to replace the HD? Why not call and use the warranty to replace the HD? Just sayin.

Each HD manufacturer has its own diagnostics which can often repair problems before they become unrecoverable. I always twin this test with chkdsk and have saved HD's by running both, some of which are still running years later.

RE: photos -- Holy crap!!! :shock:

 

[gregrocker]

Hi, really do appreciate your very willing help on my problem, but i am getting a bit fed up with the bloody hard drive now, not playing ball. I shall just enjoy it as it is and just stick with the upgrade to Windows 7, thanks again everybody.

Gregrocker, thanks for your latest suggestion, but it was when I selected to Shrink Volume in my opening post that it all started to go upside down and didnt work as it it should do !.

Tim

Shrink failures can be overcome by a series of steps detailed here:
Working Around Windows Vista’s "Shrink Volume" Inadequacy Problems :: the How-To Geek

It was from the comments section that I learned about PerfectDisk10 trial versions'
offline file defragmenter that moves stubborn system files. These will become apparent using the superior Auslogics free defragger which shows a drive map - there will be a system file way out in right field blocking shrinkage, which PD10 works perfectly to move.