Resolved Do I have a dying hard drive? Or worse?

OK, the basics: my computer is a Dell, running Vista. 2 gigs of RAM, 2.6 Ghz processor.

The story: I came in this evening from a weekend trip, hit the power button on my semi-trusty computer, and it would not boot. I got the double-beeps from my hard drive. Turned it off manually, turned it on again, double beeps again. I opened up the computer, thinking maybe a loose connection, everything looks fine. I wiggle the connections anyway. This time it boots and I get the Dell screen and then the flashing cursor, which is where it stops. I shut it off and try yet again. Miracle: it boots and runs normally. But it needed probably five tries in all.

Then it reboots after a few minutes with a surprise blue screen. The BSOD lasts maybe three seconds and "memory dump" is the only thing I can read and process before it shuts off. I go through some of the rigamarole again. The computer doesn't want to boot and the power supply sounds like it's working extra hard, and we go through the whole process again: double beeps, shut down, cursor only, shut down, and finally coax it back into working order. This time I fully unplug the cord that connects the hard drive to the motherboard; the plastic plug on the hard drive end is supposed to be at a right angle but it appears bent and I don't know if that's a problem or not, but I work it back to its proper angle and plug it back in.

This time the computer works for several hours before rebooting, and I got the BSOD again. I meant to snap a picture with my phone but I was an instant too slow on the draw. If this problem recurs again I will have a picture. It's far too fast to read what's on there.

This is this computer's second hard drive as the first one failed on me. Right now I have the computer up and running again - it didn't need as much coaxing and begging this time but who knows if it will last? I have not tried Safe Mode yet, nor have I hit F2 or F12 on startup as, if I do any of those, I'm not sure what the next step would be and if I go to Safe Mode, I don't know if the computer not rebooting would actually be because of Safe Mode.

Should I start making preps to replace the hard drive yet again? Or is there a fix?

 

The hard drive doesn't beep !

Its the motherboard that's trying to tell you something and it ain't hard disk.

When you boot, where does the system gets stuck ? Do you get anything at all on the screen [BIOS/CMOS test, memory test] or is it blank from the word go ?

From the symptoms it looks like something to do with RAM. Take out the RAM from its socket, give it thorough cleaning with pencil eraser [golden edges only], put it back & see what happens.

 

Three different things have happened on booting up:

1) Nothing at all except for the double beep.
2) The usual Dell startup screen, which offers the F2/F12 option, then a blank screen with a flashing cursor in the top left, and nothing else.
3) Proper startup.

 

Short or long beeps?

http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm

 

The best way to rule out hard disk is to unplug it & then boot several times. If the system displays these symptoms even then, we can almost rule out hard disk.

 

Two short beeps, repeating themselves.

Today, though, I haven't had an issue. (yet.) Disk check as suggested appeared to check out OK. Crossing my fingers.

 

Pull a RAM Stick if you can.

You're not passing the POST.

I always suggest using a LiveCD if you think its windows or HD related.

 

OK, update: for the past couple days I've been able to use this computer about 95% trouble free. On occasion it has frozen up - there doesn't seem to be any relation to what I'm doing when it freezes. I've left it sitting and come back to a frozen computer.

Usually it boots correctly. Every so often I get the symptoms described above. Usually if there's a problem it's the double beep. Once it sat there sounding like the power supply was working extra hard and not doing anything. As suggested above, I've tested it by unplugging the hard drive and booting; double beeps occurred regardless. (I take this to be a good sign as I'd rather replace the RAM than the hard drive.) I pulled the RAM and gave it a little cleaning; did not seem to make the problem disappear.

Replacement of RAM may be in order?

 

If you have more than one stick of Ram, just put them in one at a time. Switch between them. Maybe just one bad stick. Seen that problem many times. 1 or 2 bad sticks and there would also be a good stick or 2...

 

Just ran the memory diagnostic tool, which found no problems.

I thought about pulling a stick when I was cleaning them, but I'm not sure if I'd learn anything. The simple act of unplugging things and rearranging things seems to make it work for a while. Right now both RAM sticks are in, and the computer is up and running. If I pulled one, it'd probably work; if I pulled the other, it'd probably work. That's what's annoying is that so far there's very little correlation between things I do and whether or not the computer starts. Only concrete thing so far is that it has twice given me the same symptoms with the hard drive unplugged which is a bit of a relief but doesn't pinpoint anything yet.

 

Your hard disk may have other problems but at least its not preventing booting of system.

You just have to test the RAM by putting one stick at a time & working on your system. Whichever stick gives problem, replace it.

Also run chkdsk /r on all partitions of hard disk to make sure that your disk is ok. And you have a backup ? Right ?