"metro" <metro@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Hi all,
>
> On power up, what's missing that causes the error "disk read error ?"
>
> After downloading updates from Microsoft's update page, I get this message
> on power up. Right after the post.
>
> What file is damaged or corrupted? What program is generating the error
> display?
>
> I googled it, lots of advise from homeowners, but most just end up
> reformatting and reloading their programs. Can this be fixed?
This error indicates a problem with the hard drive, the error message is
generated by the BIOS. XP is not loaded when this error is detected.
Is there a full backup of important data on the drive? That should be a
given at all times, but if there isn't backup the data first as a
precaution. Here are some ways to do that.
1. Take the drive out of the computer and install it as a slave drive in
another Windows XP or 2000 computer. It should read the drive ok, so you can
copy the data.
2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data to
external USB drive or flash drive.
3. Download a bootable Linux distro called Knoppix. Create a bootable CD
from that, boot from it, and copy the data to USB drive or flash drive, or
if the computer has two CD drives, one of which is a burner, then use the
k3b burning program on the Knoppix CD to burn the data to CD.
4. Take it to a competent computer tech to backup the
With the data backed up insert reboot from the XP installation CD. Take the
first R to get you to the recovery console. Select the number of the
windows installation, normally that's "1", then input the password assigned
to the built in Administrator account. For XP Home this normally is blank
so just hit enter in that case. At the command line give this command:
fixboot C:
(where C: is the drive letter for the drive having the problem)
"metro" <metro@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4D81B2EC-AD54-4361-8EF4-9BCDF7129F0B@microsoft.com...
> Hi all,
>
> On power up, what's missing that causes the error "disk read error ?"
>
> After downloading updates from Microsoft's update page, I get this message
> on power up. Right after the post.
>
> What file is damaged or corrupted? What program is generating the error
> display?
>
> I googled it, lots of advise from homeowners, but most just end up
> reformatting and reloading their programs. Can this be fixed?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> metro
>
>
>
"Rock" <Rock@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:eU8nNr3gHHA.1312@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> 2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data to
Sorry to butt in Rock but could you point me to a clean download of this
freeware ( I assume it is still).
"Spikey" <hedge_hogg@NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
news:u1jQ1x3gHHA.4416@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Rock" <Rock@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:eU8nNr3gHHA.1312@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>
>> 2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data
>> to
>
> Sorry to butt in Rock but could you point me to a clean download of this
> freeware ( I assume it is still).
>
> Thanks.
>
> )
>
Hi Rock,
>
> This error indicates a problem with the hard drive, the error message is
> generated by the BIOS. XP is not loaded when this error is detected.
>
Could this be a problem with the bios itself? This was with a new hard
drive. and the previous one "quit" the same way, so I'm skeptical that the
hard drive is the culpret.
If the bios generated the error message, that there is a problem with the
hard drive, why am I able to reformat it. It seems to me that the "first"
group of instructions on the hard drive that the bios is trying to get at are
"scrambled" or corrupt. Resulting in a disk read error.
Is it possible to just repair or recopy those first instructions or files?
Am I assuming that's what your having me do using the recovery console and
the fixboot command?
>> 2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data
>> to
>
> Sorry to butt in Rock but could you point me to a clean download of this
> freeware ( I assume it is still).
>
> Thanks.
I see Curt gave you the link. FYI just do a Google search for Bart PE and
it pops up as the first link.
"metro" <metro@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> Hi Rock,
>>
>> This error indicates a problem with the hard drive, the error message is
>> generated by the BIOS. XP is not loaded when this error is detected.
>>
>
> Could this be a problem with the bios itself? This was with a new hard
> drive. and the previous one "quit" the same way, so I'm skeptical that the
> hard drive is the culpret.
>
> If the bios generated the error message, that there is a problem with the
> hard drive, why am I able to reformat it. It seems to me that the "first"
> group of instructions on the hard drive that the bios is trying to get at
> are
> "scrambled" or corrupt. Resulting in a disk read error.
>
> Is it possible to just repair or recopy those first instructions or files?
>
> Am I assuming that's what your having me do using the recovery console and
> the fixboot command?
>
> Thanks in advance.
The BIOS is reporting the error, but most likely not causing it. Something
caused the corruption on the drive. Since this is the second drive it
happened on there could be a problem with the motherboard or the controller
for the drive, or just bad luck with two bad drives or two random
occurrences of corruption.
Using fixboot does a repair to the boot sector of the drive. It is a common
solution for this error but there is no guarantee it will work.
Just because a drive is new doesn't mean it can't have problems. One way to
check the health of the drive is download a drive diagnostic utility from
the drive manufacturer's web site. That will create a bootable floppy or
CD. Boot from that and run the diagnostics.
What exactly causes this? 
) 
Linear Mode
