Windows 7: Error 0xc00000e9: Unexpected I/O error

[RegiKing]

Hello guys, I'm a bit desperate with this issue.

My girlfriend was playing a game in her laptop. Something in her game made her a bit upset that she hit her laptop. She says that as soon as she hit the laptop, the laptop froze, so she shut it down. When she turned it back on, Windows displayed 2 messages, (bare with me, I'm Mexican and I'm about to translate spanish messages into english) Startup repair (recommended) and Start Windows Normally. Whichever I chose, Windows went into a "Loading Windows Files" with a big gray bar below, it fills to about 1/4, stops and then shows:

"Big long message detailing how I might have a flash memory inserted and or faulty HDD" along with

"Error 0xc00000e9: Unexpected I/O error" and then it loops, showing the first 2 messages and into this error message.

I have been searching everywhere, and even though I haven't tried many of the solutions for this problem I can at least say what I have done so far.

First, I can open F8, Advance Boot Settings. No matter what I do, if I Startup Repair, Safe Boot, Avoid restarting, etc, it ends up at the I/O Error, meaning F8 is useless so far.

F2, F12, do not help. There is no USB, SD and such connected to the laptop.

I have opened the laptop, removed the HDD, re-inserted it and nothing. I connected the HDD to my laptop, ran "chkdsk /f /x /(other command which I already forgot)" in cmd as an administrator and scanned the HDD with Windows Defender in Windows 8 running in my MacBook Pro (not as a virtual machine, running Windows 8 as 2nd operating system) and no problems were shown, so I can safely say the HDD is fine; which I hope, it means I must not reinstall Windows or format it.

I don't have any discs with Windows 7 and such to be able to run a System Repair from the disc. I have removed the CD/DVD driver physically, boot the pc and received the same error message. If I should try running repair disc from a CD or USB, from where could I get the software to be able to use it, preferably on a USB?

What could be the problem? What else could I do to fix it?

The laptop is a LENOVO G470, Intel Core i5, Radeon Graphics, Windows 7 64bits.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

First of all Reg mate she hit the laptop and you don't need to be rocket scientist to know they are easy to break. The bang could have damaged all manner of thing from small ribbon cable joints to the drive itself - what was she thinking??

The chdsk you mentioned did you try the chkdsk C: /r option?

Try reseating the RAM and anything that is removable - easily.

If you have data backed up then you may be up for a system clean install and for that you can use this as long as you have the activation code on the sticker and pick the right version of Windows.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html < read tis carefully and see my pic for getting the version.
Plus doing this you will get rid of all the bloatware that Lenovo put on the machine.


But check out the other stuff first.

 

[badger906]

0xc00000e9 normally relates to a hard drive communication error during start up.

as youve removed it and replaced I think it may have a) loosened a cable that plugs into the sata controller on the mobo, or caused damage to the drive.

taking the entire thing apart and checking all cables is one thing, and next would be as stated above a fresh install.

p.s.. never play multiplayer with your missus.. you maybe next in line for a beating!!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well that might be hard Badger mate as most laptops have a block with the SATA connections molded into it - there usually are no leads as such so I am thinking maybe that hit may have bent the contacts or cracked that block.

 

[badger906]

some do have flat ribon style cables trailing off them though. not all, not many but some do lol.
an acer I was doing a screen replacement on recently did! as did my previous Asus and my current macbook

 

[RegiKing]

The hit was done near where the power button is, so if looked from below, it's around where the air vent is.

I'll re-read you guys answers tomorrow, it's a bit late already.

Again, thanks in advance.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Can you sen a pic of the area where she hit it? then we can look up the disassembly guides to see what lies below.

Yep Badger I have come across them but far and few between and I find the Toshiba ones (ribbon cables) especially fiddly and flimsy to work with.

Having said what we have it could be damage to anywhere really as I said it depends on how hard this machine was hit eh? IT could be anything form a dislodged cable to a cracked motherboard

 

[RegiKing]

Here are 2 photos of where the hit was done, seen from above and below. At first, I thought it was just near the power button, but she now confirms being in all the left-edge-side of the laptop. So I examined the RAM, go it off and inserted it back on, and the error persists. I'll try to do the backup of the HDD at night if any physical error slips away from you guys (I'm not too good at dealing with the hardware).

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Here is a pic that may helkp you sort some things out if you are ok with doing it. It could be that the thermal compound under the CPU and GPU heatsink is dried out and cracked and therefore not cooling the devices properly - this will cause shutdowns etc.

That said the hit could have damaged the drive itself as some of the internals are quite delicate.