Windows Vista - My hard drive is not working correctly.

  1. Remove/Disconnect media and devices that could affect the trouble shooting process:

    1. Disconnect all external devices (printers, scanners, cameras, music players, etc.)

    2. Remove any added hardware.

  2. Run the Startup Repair from the operating system DVD.

  3. Run the memory diagnostic from the operating System DVD.

  4. Check BIOS Setup and verify it is set correctly:

    1. Press the power button to start the computer.

    2. Tap the F2 or F1 key repeatedly until the Setup Main page is displayed.
      Note: A message is displayed on the screen as to which key should be pressed.

    3. Verify if the RAID option is to be enabled or disabled. Reference the product documentation for proper settings.
      Note: Verify the present system configuration and set the BIOS accordingly.

    4. Verify the boot order in the BIOS Setup utility has CD/DVD-Drive listed first.

  5. If Windows boots, run a virus scan. If it fails to boot, continue troubleshooting.

  6. Make sure that the cables and jumpers on the hard drive are secure and set correctly. Use the computer's documentation for the correct procedures.

  7. Make sure that the cables and jumpers on the optical drive are secure and set correctly. Use the computer's documentation for the correct procedures.

  8. Run Disk Defragmenter.

  9. Run Check Disk (chkdsk) from the command prompt.

    • Chkdsk requires exclusive access to a volume when it runs. Therefore, if one or more of the files are open on the disk that you want to check, Chkdsk displays a prompt asking if you want schedule the disk check for the next time that you restart your computer.

    • Chkdsk might take a long time to run, depending on the number of files and folders, the size of the volume, disk performance, and available system resources, such as processor and memory.

    • Chkdsk might not accurately report information in read-only mode.

    1. From the Start menu, click Run. In the Run dialog box, type: cmd, and then press the ENTER key.

    2. At the Command Prompt type: chkdsk /r, and then press ENTER.

      3. Note: If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, the following message is displayed:

      "Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)"

    3. Type: Y, and then press ENTER to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer to start the disk check.

    The following table lists the exit codes that Chkdsk reports after it has finished:

    Exit codeDescription
    0No errors were found.
    1Errors were found and fixed.
    2Disk cleanup, such as garbage collection, was performed, or cleanup was not performed because /r was not specified.
    3Could not check the disk, errors could not be fixed, or errors were not fixed because /f was not specified.

  10. Run System Restore using the operating system CD.

  11. Run GWSCAN.

    12. If following the above procedures did not resolve your problem, please contact Gateway through one of the following methods: