HELP PLEASE - wipe drive error, hard drive problems, can't boot Windows!

[drabs]

Hi everyone~ I'm really really hoping someone can help me out here!

 

So last night I was prompted by ccleaner to update and get their newest free version (which I did)

 

I then proceeded to run the cleaner and then (for no apparent reason and my 1st time doing it) I wiped my C drive (1 path). About 80-90% into the process I got an error and it didn't finish wiping. After that my computer was working much slower than usual until about 30 mins later I got a Windsor error telling me I have hard disk problems and to back up my data (I didn't because I'm a genius).

 

I then restarted Windows in the hopes that my computer would run as usual...it didn't and immediately when it started Windows gave me another hard disk error (ignored again). At this point, I ran ccleaner again and cancelled the process about 20% in because it was extremely slow. I then googled a few things and decided to run chkdsk...it took several hours and then froze at 85% of step 5/5 (step 5 is the free space check). I left it on till the morning...still frozen. I manually shut down and booted Windows again...extremely slow start up and would not let me click anything when it started...pretty much frozen. Restart again and I got (disk read error, press ctrl-alt-del to restart)...restarted a few times with the same message...now I can't even get into Windows.

 

I read a few things on my friend's laptop. Tried Dell Diagnostics from the boot screen...got error code 2000-0142 (related to hard disk). Then I decided to pop in the Windows DVD and boot from it. Tried to get it to repair my system...said it can't. Went to command prompt and tried to go to C: (default is X:)...got a message saying it can't because of an I/O device error. I then entered "chkdsk /r c:" and it first said that the system is NTFS then after a long wait said "unable to determine volume version and state". I read some more and tried the diskpart function and was told my drive is online, has a capacity of 149GB with 0 B free.

 

I read here that some big file gets created when a drive wipe is aborted and it's screwing things up. I read on another forum that Dell hard disks especially have a lot of issues when they get to capacity. Can anyone please please please help me figure out a way to fix this problem (preferably without actually taking the hard drive out...not very tech savvy...but will do it if I have to)?

 

- Dell Latitude E6400 with Windows 7 32-bit

 

Thanks so much!!!

Rachel

[kroozer]

. . . some big file gets created when a drive wipe is aborted . . .

In the directory of the wiped drive, delete this folder or file . .

[hazelnut]

As you cannot access Windows either by booting or with a Windows disk you may have to use a linux live cd to boot your laptop and get your documents off before yo do anything else.

 

A site like this gives you some idea how to do this

 

http://geekyprojects.com/data-recovery-2/how-to-recover-your-files-when-windows-wont-boot/

[drabs]

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you for the replies.

 

I followed the advice from the last post and made a PartedMagic Linux boot CD. It loads fine but won't let me access the files on my harddrive and it gives me a lot of errors. I used Disk Health to check the harddrive and it tells me that it is "pre-failure" with the Reallocated Sector Count appearing in red.

 

I have a Western Digital Blue Serial ATA 160 GB drive (WDC WD1600BEVT-75A23T0).

 

I would try to format the disk and reload Windows but all of my family pictures and important files are on the drive. I never had a problem or error with the drive until I used ccleaner to try to wipe it.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Please.

 

Thanks,

Rachel

[Guest Keatah]

This disk was going bad for some time already. Perhaps weeks ago. And the Reallocated Sector Counts marked in red only prove my point. How many are there?

 

CCleaner's wipe operation only revealed a latent failure lurking in the disk. The longer this disk is powered on, the more failures will show. STOP USING THIS DISK!

 

My suggestion is to seek a data recovery professional. You have an unstable disk and do not know what you are doing when it comes to the type of repair needed. Right now the cost shouldn't be too bad, perhaps a few hundred bucks. But if you continue playing with it that price could go to a thousand or more - as damage accumulates.

 

A correctly functioning and healthy disk would be able to run wipe operations back to back continuously for days on end with no ill effects. But a marginal failing disk? Bam! A free space wipe operation could damage it even further. Just as normal copying large files would. Heck that's what CCleaner does in the first place. Makes a large file of nothing! So in and of itself, the operation is inherently safe, provided your hardware is in good shape. I'm afraid you can't pin this failure on CCleaner. Copying several movie files or a music collection to/from this disk would have made it fail in the same fashion.

[hazelnut]

If you are unable to pay for your files to be professionally recovered as suggested by Keatah, then as a last ditch thing to try you could wrap the disc in bubble wrap or a freezer bag (so it's sealed) and place in a freezer for a few hours. Then you MIGHT get a small window of opportunity to get the files off immediately after you take it out the freezer

 

I have recovered files twice for people as a last resort doing this.

 

I agree with Keatah that it's highly unlikely that CCleaner caused this, everything you have said points to a failing drive.

 

However this turns out I wouldn't re-install Windows on it. Get a new one.

[Guest Keatah]

I once had a disk that was completely opposite. It only worked when smoke'n hot. 60`C and up. Go figure that one. Customer said I could keep it. Eventually I'll take it apart and repair it properly. But I saved the data.

[mta]

agree with Hazel, I have had one success (out of maybe a dozen) with the freezer technique.

if you are going to do it, not only make sure it's air-tight but also try sucking out as much air as you can.

as soon as it comes out of the freezer it's going to start condensating like crazy.

(I actually hate this technique, water and electronics are never good bedfellows, all the water you see on the outside will also be happening on the inside)

 

@keatah, I must try your 'hot' technique, like layering it between two hot water bottles.

[Guest Keatah]

Personally, I don't recommend any temperature cycling in this case.

 

Doing things to a disk without having diagnosed the problem is very risky to data.

[Alan_B]

Doing things to a disk without having diagnosed the problem is very risky to data.

My StartPage search phrase

PartedMagic Linux boot CD "smart data"

Result :-

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/parted-magic-complete-hard-drive-toolbox-live-cd/

Opening paragraph

Take control of your hard drives. Whether you want to edit your partitions, clone an entire drive, check SMART data or otherwise manage the way your computer’s data is organized, Parted Magic is the tool you’ve been looking for. It’s a live CD with lots of tools baked in.

 

Perhaps this would provide the diagnostic data which experts could then evaluate.

[mta]

@drabs, I take it you had no backups?