HDD Problem

Hi Guys,

Have done some searching/reading but can't find a solution to my problem.
Machine - AOA150-Ab, 120GB, 1GB, XP Pro (SP3). The netbook ran my ftp, http, printer and files.

All was running well until a few days ago when I noticed the ftp program had stopped and would not restart, since it runs 24/7 I thought a Windows restart was in order. When I asked it to restart I noticed the exclamation mark on the shut down button to tell me there were updates. This is strange as I have them all turned off but I went with shut down anyway. After installing the 18 updates and restarting I got "a disk read error occurred, press ctrl+alt+del to restart", restarting did nothing. Booting from my USB XP installation key I ran FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, whenever it tries to access the HDD there is a long delay but does work as I have to enter admin password.

I removed the HDD and with a desktop PC copied all the files, no problems. Once back in the netbook I went for new installation including deleting the partition and formatting to NTFS. Again, initial access to HDD is slow but everything OK until 1st reboot at which point I get no action after slecting option 2 (Windows GUI installation). Without the USB key I still get disk read error, at one point during my attempted installations I got the hal.dll missing error.

Latest BIOS is installed, tried a full format to NTFS but still same message. Windows 7 installation doesn't even see the HDD. From netbook and desktop I have run checkdisk with /r and /p.

Putting the HDD in my laptop I seem to be able to access just fine and can get 1st reboot from HDD to continue XP installation. Put this back into netbook and get disk read error again.

I am going to try another HDD as soon as I can borrow one but has anyone else had this problem and got a solution?

If as I think the SATA controller has gone faulty and given that the ZIF connector is absent. Can I run XP from the card reader?

 

I tried another HDD and it fails to boot, same read error as before. This is strange since booting with a USB drive gives me full read/write access to the HDD.

Any ideas?

 

Have you tested the RAM?
MemTestx86

Is there an IDE/AHCI controller setting in the BIOS?

Can a live USB install maintain full read/write access to the HDD?

 

Will test the memory later today.

There is no IDE/AHCI setting in the BIOS, been looking and tried 3309 and 3310.

I noticed when installing windows the HDD activity light is a dull orange rather than flickering green. When I check the drive after though the files are there.

 

I doubt that it is a memory issue as you can boot from a usb drive. You do not say what software you boot from the usb, but I suggest you use a partition editor to check your internal drive. Any Linux distro would provide gparted, and Windows must have an equivalent. Just unmount the internal drive and run the partition check option. And while you have a systerm running you may wish to backup your data as the next step is a recovery/re-install.

 

I have deleted the partitions several times & also gone from ntfs to fat32 but no change.

Assuming the sata controller is faulty, I see some options and value comments:

1) Install mini pci-e card with sata connection. However, is this another channel or am I just extending the current faulty controller?
2) Install 8GB mini pci-e ssd from another netbook as used with other asus netbooks - anybody try this with aspire one?
3) Install mini pci-e to zif card and install zif hdd as I have done in another aspire. Has anybody tried this with the aspire one?

All options remove my wifi but as this is ftp, etc it is connected by wired lan. As the current sata hdd can read/write (but not boot) can it stay in there and I have a 120GB but boot from another drive?

 

I am unclear from your reply above exactly what you have done.
My procedure would be-
1. boot from an external image
2. run a partitioner (ie gparted)
3. check the partition
4. check the make bootable flag is set
5; exit partitioner after committing any changes
6. reboot, checking the boot order of devices on the way back in.

If you carry out this procedure and the disk is visible but not bootable then you have an operating system fault and should either run the repair disk, or else re-install the operating system.

 

I have had the HDD in my main PC where I found it boots fine, the partition is OK and active and the drive is fully read/writeable. While in the netbook I have deleted the partition and re-created it before installing Windows several times. The drive just wont boot while in the netbook, after the first restart of windows I get "a disk read error occurred" if I try to boot from the HDD or "hal.dll" missing error if I continue to try and install windows xp from usb key. When I boot from the USB key the files and partition are visible and OK and I can read and write.

The hdd from my laptop where it works perfectly will not work either in the netbook, get the disk read error problem.

The problem starts with slow initial access to the hdd, there is quite a pause (over 1m) before it begins the windows installation. Formatting is also slower as well as the actual transfer of files. The hdd access led is not green either or flickering during installation.

I am not aware of gparted but will have a look. If that fails I may try a Linux installation just in case that works.

 

Gparted is a Linux tool, and Linux is an easier operating system to use for diagnosis as it uses less system resource.
Have you checked the boot sequence by interrupting the power on process (F2). This should show what devices the machine thinks are bootable, and in what order. It might just be trying to boot something else before the disk - something which it thinks is present and which fails to boot. It might even have lost the hdd from the list of bootable devices. On my AOA150 I have 6 options set up in the following sequence:-
1. USB CDROM
2. IDE0: WDC WD1600BEVT-22ZCTO
3. IDE1:
4. USB FDD
5. USB HDD
6. Network Boot : LEGACY PCI DEVICE
the order is important. In my case option 1 is normally not present and it boots from option 2.

Incorrect boot device problems can be particularly true of Windows machines as they are often set up with a small boot partition which chains the main partition later in the OS install process. A bootable Linux disk (puppy is a good one) running Gparted would quickly show you the true state of the machine.
How certain are you of the integrity of your Windows installation disks?

 

The USB stick is good as I used it to install windows originally and just recently on another netbook.

My hdd is 1st on list as IDE0.

Will Gparted check the boot sector? I have the original disks for the machine but that is Linpus, does anyone have a link so that I can create a USB installation stick for Ubuntu or similar? I only mention Ubuntu as it came installed on a 2nd user machine I bought recently and seemed OK, it had to go because I was unable to browse my network and access my WD ethernet HDD.

If I can get Linux working I can try to get it back doing the job it was doing - ftp, http, file and print serving. Would need further help with that as I have not got to grips with Linux.

 

Gparted will not check the boot sector. For that your best bet is to go to the website for your disk manufacturer and downlod the bootable diagnostic disk. Seatools and Hitachi Ftools will work on other disks.
A sophisticated install script like the OpenSuse 11.2 netboot disk will correct boot partitions errors by offering to set up new boot options.
Ubuntu do a specific Netbook Ubuntu Remix which is aimed at netbook and should also correct boot errors.

 

I have been loaned a 40GB HDD from a PS3 and put that into the Aspire. During XP installation the HDD led is now green and flickering as normal however still the same boot problem upon first restart.

Ubuntu install reports a dev loop error and stops. Memtest is OK. CHeck HDD for errors also stops working, the USB install key also seems to have gone wrong now.

 

An IT friend has checked out the netbook for me and after booting a Linux tool CD he is getting error reports for the I/O controller and WiFi. It would appear that it is a motherboard fault.

He tried running Ubuntu from the USB and that failed as well. He is surprised that XP tries to install at all.

One odd thing I have noticed is that with this netbook wired LAN transfers were 1.5 Mbytes/s whereas while I am using another netbook it is much much faster, nearly 8GB in 16m. Was this a sign of impending failure!?

Will keep my eyes open for a sata motherboard to get it working again.

 

Got a refurbished board, all working now. Also bought a slim USB CDROM to get away from USB sticks for installation.