Troubleshooting - Magnetic Drives

Home > Hardware > Troubleshooting: Magnetic Drives

Troubleshooting The Hard Drive and Floppy

-The Hard Drive-

-For the most part the hard drive is pretty dependable. Most of the time the problems associated with it are simply software conflicts. This is not to say the hard drive wont die on you. If you are having problems with the Hard Drive there are a few ways to deal with it. First we need to get into windows if possible. If not there are ways around that also.

-There are several utilities to use when diagnosing problems with the hard drive. We have ScanDisk, Disk Defragmenter, and FDISK. FDISK is commonly on a startup disk that you should have for windows |95| or |98|. If you didn't make one then download one of the corresponding disk's you need. Unzip onto a diskette. If no winzip then download it |here|.If you need further advice on running these please refer to |instructions|

-ScanDisk, this is a handy utility that is packaged with windows 95, and 98. You will want to use this to check drive for any errors in the file system. Also check scandisk to check for any problems with disk itself, this is done by checking "thorough". This of course this will take longer but will help you out in the long run.

-Defrag, this is another good utility to use with windows. Try defragging the hard drive to make sure file fragments are distributed correctly. This can get messy at times and is a good idea to defrag on a regular basis. This is simple preventive maintenance. Go To: start menu, programs, accessories, system tools, and then defragment.

-FDISK, this is used mainly to partition your hard drive.A partition is just defining space on your hard drive, such as C,D,E, and so on. You need to have one master partition. IF running windows 95 you should have one partition per 2GB of space. Windows 98 can hold all of your drive in one partition since it uses FAT 32 files system rather than FAT 16 like windows 95. A reformat can really help clean you up with a fresh start. This at times is the only option other than buying a new hard drive.

-If all else has failed which there is that possibility, try a reformat. There is a good utility for reformatting and partitioning made by Western digital. It also has drive diagnostics tools available. Unzip onto a diskette. |Here|

-Also since people have problems with this stuff here is some |instructions|

-Is your Disk Dying?-

-This is a list of some common problems associated with disk failure along with symptoms and solutions.

Excessive Heat, this is contributed mostly to poor case ventilation. Check fans in case and make sure they are blowing well. Even try adding more fans or some type of case cooler. Even moving the hard drive can help some if it is in a bad spot. The drive should be warm to the touch in normal operation but not really hot.
Loud Disk, sometimes you will have a disk that is whining and clicking. This is not a good sign of course. In this case check and see if hard drive is mounted securely and all cable are tight. The hard drive should not be at an angle and should be flat or on end.
Constant Errors, run scandisk, defragment, and any other utilities handy to insure data is the right spots. Also checking the CMOS is always a good idea incase drive is set up wrong.

The Floppy

-When the floppy is giving you trouble the best thing to do is replace it. Its a very cheap item and is not worth all your trouble. Simply get rid of it. If you do want to keep it you might find someone willing to work on it. Most PC technicians don't have the tools for this but simply replace it anyway.

Back To Hardware Guides