problem with Western Digital HD?

Robie135 · 17th August 2003

I recently purchased a Western Digital Caviar 60Gb 7200rpm hard drive to put into my Dell 8200 computer. I performed a clean install with NTFS format of the hard drive. It took nearly an hour to format the hard drive and nearly 2 hours to install XP Pro. After starting XP Pro I got the BSOD error "unmountable_boot_volume" and I cannot boot windows at all, not even Safe Mode. I ran the Dell Diagnostics CD and it reported that Block 238750 has an "uncorrectable data error or media is write protected" error.

Is my hard drive bad?

Paul · 17th August 2003

It maybe?
Since you haven't loade anything much yet I would again boot from the XP CD and start from scratch again. Delete partition, recreate partition, format and load windows a second time. If it don't work this time you may have a HD sector problem?

RayH · 17th August 2003

Do you have it jumpered correctly? If it's the only device on the IDE channel, then WD drives like to be jumpered SINGLE, not master.

werbra · 17th August 2003

Hi, Robie135,
maybe the following link can be of help:
http://www.rdisruption.com/xp/xp00109.htm

regards
werner

BillyBob · 18th August 2003

Quote:

I recently purchased a Western Digital Caviar 60Gb 7200rpm hard drive to put into my Dell 8200 computer

1--Did you run the Diagnostic software that came with the HD before you did anthing else ?

2--Did you leave the 60Gig all in one partiton ? Some systems will not except this.

3--It is not a better idea to leave an HD of that size all in one partition anyway. At least three. 6gig for the OS and associated software. 27 & 27 for ALL other things including any download stuff, backups etc. And all other programs.

4--And will that Dell except anything other than what was originally installed in it. Dell and other OEM PCs may well have very proprietory hardware and drivers for same.

Especially if all is built into the Motherboard.

BillyBob

Abraxas · 18th August 2003

With the many drives I have purchased, none came with any software. But it is usually available on their site.

But I recently got a bad WD drive. And the symptoms were similar---took 20 minutes to boot into ME. Going to their site and putting in the serial will get you an RMA number for replacement.

BillyBob · 18th August 2003

Quote:

With the many drives I have purchased, none came with any software. But it is usually available on their site.

Say What ????

Every Western Digital and/or Maxtor I have purchased came packed with a 3-1/2 inch floppy with all kinds of stuff on it.

But it DOES DEPEND on where you purchase the drive. You buy cheap. You get cheap.

But I do agree that a bad drive is also possible. I have had one also. But I did not need to bother WD. I just went right back to the store where I got it from.

BillyBob

Abraxas · 19th August 2003

The 40 gig Western Digital drive I purchased at the Western Digital site about 2 months ago contained no software, but did mention a link in the paperwork to download the Data Lifeguard Tools.

In the future, I will shop around more to try and pay more for my drives, lest they be "cheap", and enjoy the luxury of a 10¢ floppy with the other experts on all matters XP.

BillyBob · 19th August 2003

The 40 gig Western Digital drive I purchased at the Western Digital site

That may well be the difference.

I buy no hardware at all online or anywhere other than one of two local stores where I get the full retail box. I am close enough that I can do that.

Problems take no more than an hour to take care of. No RMA number to worry about. Just the reciept.

I got a 60gig at Best Buy about 1 month ago and it had the floppy with it.

Bought a 40gig at Sams Club 6 months ago. Had problems with it and had a new one in one hour. 20 minutes over. 20 minutes in the store and 20 minutes back.

BillyBob