T42p -- Possible HD Failure?

[shuvit]

MACHINE: T42p 2373-GTG, 7200 RPM 60 GB HD


I was surfing the internet, checking my hotmail account (very innocent stuff), and all of a sudden the computer freezed and restarted itself.

I couldn't log into windows anymore, not even to safe mode, all I get is the famous blue error screen saying UNMOUNTABLE BOOT VOLUME.

I looked over the internet and discovered it is somehow a common XP problem, where all you have to do is boot into the XP CD, go to the recovery console, and type in "chkdsk /r", which checks each and every sector and recover it if it's bad.

the problem is, THAT didn't work, the HD scan kept going on for more than 12 hours and stuck on 68%, so I had to use some force to turn the computer off.

Now there, the computer could log again into windows, but all drivers were corrupt. I ran the XP Repair installation and everything went almost back to normal (some programs like Nero, Norton and Winamp were corrupt).

WHAT SHOCKED ME IS, my 34.7 GB media folder completely disappeared!!! it just vanished, i couldnt see it at all but I knew it is physically there! the Drive Space is correct which meant the [censored] folder is still there.

I searched and searched over the internet and used all these "stupid/recovery" utilties and nothing happens, the scan always stuck at some point.

I managed to figure out that chkdsk actually hides the corrupt data into completely invisible folders names "found.001", "found.002" etc. so I typed c:\found.001\ and found all the data perfectly visible there!!


I cracked into laughter and re-managed the folder into many subfolders with different names and could get all my media files back.

NOW THE PROBLEM IS, I play the files randomly over winamp, and sometimes, say every 20 songs, the computer freezes completely with the HD activity indicator extremely busy and nothing happened.

So I force the [censored] machine into shutting down again.

What exactly happened? The hard disk is physically damaged? What do you recommend? Backup and reformat? or take it to the warranty service offices?

I'm sorry for this long entry, if u read this till the end, youre a god. Thank you.

[carbon_unit]

Download this:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-56222
and run the diagnostics, particularly the drive fitness test.

[GomJabbar]

Definitely sounds like a bad hard drive. If possible backup immediately, and call for warranty service.

[kyrotech]

yes run DFT http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

ASAP