topic Hardware in PCs & Accessories

One Dead Desktop

stevep-4 — Sun, 06 Apr 2003 15:26:12 GMT

My RX-405 has died.
History.
Thursday put machine into "standby" while I popped out. (!st time to use standby in XP)
machine would not restart by keyboard astivation.
Restarted computer by full power off/on.
Since then, computer would stop and reboot whenever it felt like it.
Saturday, XP would not load fully. only 3 icons completed (IE6, Outlook). Managed to save e-mails to Memory stick.
Performed system recovery using Vaio disks.
Sunday. Computer continued to stop at will.
Tried performing system recovery again......"Check Sum Error in F:\\SONY.IMG
I have tried also using the E drive (DVD) with same effect.
Repeated attempts either give this message, or "Incompatible Image in use"

SO, what are my options?? John Lewis have given up, but suggest that I call Sony to get a new set of Disks. But from reading messages on here, sony don't give out new disks, EVER !!

I am not a happy bunny......2 weeks hard work on the D drive (partition of C), and I fly in the morning !!!

One Dead Desktop

intradinkq — Sun, 06 Apr 2003 17:57:49 GMT

Hi,

Not sure but it may be possible that you have a virus that is progressively corrupting your machine. Try some antivirus software, it may be able to tell if this is the case and possibly remove the bugger.

If not then you need to try and format the machine, possibly from something like a DOS/ Win 98 boot disk. Then run you system restore disks (assuming they won't run currently). If you format C: you'll be able to load an Operating System however if it was caused by a virus on the 😧 then that will need formatting as well.

Failling that, I have no idea, maybe a hardware/motherboard failure.

Not a virus

stevep-4 — Sun, 06 Apr 2003 18:31:37 GMT

I ran Norton virus checker on it the other day, and that is as upto date as can be. (I get auto notification of new anti-virus definitions).

I don't think you an run an anti-virus software if there is no operating system there...(system recovery deletes this before it loads up the new system)

If I had dos, or other software, I would probably lose the info on the D:\ partition, and possibly have trouble with sony.

Will call sony in the morning, and see when they are going to pick it up. (Like all Computer suppliers, they will blame the software and reccommend a complete system recovery...which doesn't work).

Liek you say, it is possibly a motherboard failure, or maybe it is a corrupt CD....

sony Says...

stevep-4 — Mon, 07 Apr 2003 06:12:18 GMT

Sony says they reckon the hard drive is at fault....and I must return the unit (next time I am at home).

SO, I store all my data on the D:\\ partition. is it possible to pop the hard drive into another computer and access the D:\\ partition? If so, how do I go about it??

One Dead Desktop

intradinkq — Mon, 07 Apr 2003 07:35:46 GMT

I'm not certain about your particular model, but I think that the D:\ is a logical partition on the same physical disk as your C:\. So you won't be able to seperate them.

If they are on seperate physical disks then you should be able to remove it and use it on another machine, although this may not be straight forward.

One Dead Desktop

kee-lo_ — Mon, 07 Apr 2003 10:42:52 GMT

I would call Sony - tell them all you told us, they should be sorting it out for you, as its brand new. I have a feeling the BIOS might have had issues.

Hardware

chuckalicious — Mon, 07 Apr 2003 11:11:25 GMT

Yeah, sounds like a hardware fault. I work in IT myself and have seen this kind of thing. A rebuild of the machine normally does not help. Yes, I would imagine your C and D drives are one and the same, just 2 partitions. You could still try to remove the dirve and set it to slave mode and put it in another PC, but it'll have to be running XP or Windows 2000 to read NTFS file systems (assuming I read right and you are running XP).
I would let Sony deal with it, although I am surprised John Lewis have not just swapped it out, they have always done that with me.
Good luck.

One Dead Desktop

VAIOspecialist — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 13:33:29 GMT

Sorry to hear about your problem!

You only have one physical harddisk, formatted with NTFS. You can take out the harddisk very, very easily, and pop it into any other computer. Here is an article from another member on that:
Reading the files from an NTFS disk plugged into a different computer is not a problem unless the data has been encrypted. A handy little freeware utility will even allow you to do this on DOS/Win 3.1/9x and it is available from http://www.ntfs.com/products.htm

But that might not even be the reason of your problem. Another problem might be your Memory. In case you have a friend that can borrow you another bank, I would try that...

Good luck,

David

Memory

chuckalicious — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 14:05:13 GMT

Yeah, memory could be a problem. Out of interest, is Mr Vaio Specialist a real specialist (ie work for Sony). Anyway
Yes, memory problems can cause these kind of problems, but then so could many other problems.
I just thought that it may be a particular process that is causing the machine to crash.
You say you can get as far as maybe 3 icons, suggesting that XP is okay until it gets to that point, suggesting that a possible process is starting and causing the crash.
Not used XP in a diagnostic way for a while, but if you can, boot XP into safe mode (if you can still do that) and see how far you get. If it's okay, it would suggest it's a software problem not a hardware one. If I have read the post wrong, my apologies.

Silly me

chuckalicious — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 14:06:12 GMT

Ignore the last post. Obviously not a process error.

One Dead Desktop

stevep-4 — Thu, 10 Apr 2003 14:55:41 GMT

I was running the standard 256mb of memory plus an additional 512mb DDR-ram (infineon chips, PC2700 - no information in the Sony manual or website whether PC2100 or PC2700)). I did try removing the 512mb set and tried again with no luck.
In addition, i physically removed any ancillary equipment (printer, webcam, USB mouse etc), taking the computer back to "as bought" configuration.

I have no other computers available which run XP, so cannot even consider popping the hard drive out (thanks for the NTFS info). Therefore the computer will remain as it is (upside down with its little feet in the air) until I return to the UK and Sony can make arrangements to pick it up. Hopefully they will find a motherboard or bios error and the hard drive can be reclaimed (I have managed to catch up on the lost work, but its the principle !!!).

As a future precaution, I will be buying an additional hard drive for back up purposes. since I deliberately keep all my files in dedicated folders in the D:\\ partition (and regularly burn each folder to CD as a "back up"). It should be no problem to back up the info straight to ther new "E drive" just incase of future problems.

Or would you guys recommend a tape backup?? (we are only talking about 3gb total)

Backup

chuckalicious — Fri, 11 Apr 2003 07:42:50 GMT

I wouldn't count on Sony saving your hard drive. I know most companies reinstall the hard drive when they fix a machine, whether there is a fault or not, so back up.
I wouldn't bother with a tape backup, too expensive. Seeing as the 405 has a DVD writer, use one of these, it should only take about 40 mins to back that amount up.
Using a second hard drive as a backup is an idea, but I have seen many "backup" drives go t*ts-up too.
I think you have been unlucky though, PC's don't go wrong "that" much, so if you are careful, you should be okay.