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[indiguns]

Hi All,
Specs:
Dell Latitude D 600
1.5 GB RAM
40 GB Hard Disk
Regularly Defreagged and Cleaned

Symantec regularly Updated
Spybot regularly updated
Ad-Aware (Ever since the new launch, it seemed to not work too well.)
Spysweeper (license expired a few months ago)

Processor: 1.4 GHz Intel pentium M
64 KB primary memory Cache
1 MB Secondary memory cache


I first kept getting very slow startups (about 5 minutes). The system would still take another 20 minutes or so to just starting everything else (the Task mgr showed low CPU during this time. Also despite it all, every 10 seconds or so of working, it would freeze up for about 2 minutes (random).

For the last 5 days however, I have not been able to even go online (ever since I installed SP3). Had done some regedits to get administrator ownerships (even though I am the only User on this machine) to be able to install SP3. So was confident the problems are temporary and once the SP3 is in, the problems are out.

Sadly, now that the SP3 is in, I can't even connect my computer to the net. Tried everything else, including Virus check (surprisingly that went on smooth). So for 5 days have been resisting the idea of clean reinstall (have image backup done a month ago), but have some really good files that I loathe to let go. Any other options would be very appreciated. Also, if I HAVE TO REINSTALL, can somebody refer me to a Step by step reinstall guide. Have never done it, and feel really scared trying.

Also, just noted, thE DELL TrueMobile 1400 Dual Band WLAN mini -PCI Card says " This Device cannot start. (Code 10)" But troubleshooting attempts require a driver.

What's notable is that even the ethernet doesn't work with the laptop connections. So obviously it is not just the wireless. Something else is the problem as well.

Thanks
Indi

[johkir]

There possibly a few different problems going on, and I doubt I'll cover them all, but I would first check the hard drive.  Do a hard drive disk check:
Go HERE and follow the directions about 2/3 of the way down at the header, "Manual steps to run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer"
I recommend doing it at least twice to make sure everything gets cleared up.  It will take a while!
Then I would do a system check, if you have a CD containing the original system or system restore CD:
HERE is a good tutorial.
After all that, I would then reinstall the drivers for the wifi card.

If you want to do a reinstall, here are Dell's suggestions

[indiguns]

Thanks Johkir,
I quite agree, there are several issues at play here, and I seem to have just waited until it became inoperable. Funny thing is all this while I kept on thinking once the MS professional to help install SP3 is done through the regular steps, s/he should also be able to tell me what I can do to make my system behave normally.

As I sit through the ultimate painful experience, waiting about 2-3 minutes each time after I double click on a folder to just see the contents just so that I can click to check disk now.... I have begun to think it so strange, sometimes the system going fast enough for me to run Antivirus (and still showing CPU space) and now while the CPU space (System idle process  around 95%) the system being so slow that I can barely keep myself from pulling my hair apart....

Actually, I just got the message
"Windows was unable to complete the disk check"

When I tried to use the command prompt to chkdsk, the answer I got was:
"Chkdsk cannot run because the system is in use by another process."

So scheduled the volume to be checked the next time the system restarted. Will tell you how it went.


Any other suggestions that I could use?
 

[IH8U]

I would first check the hard drive.

I would also start there. Download these files from http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
1. Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file
2. Drive Fitness Test v4.13 b00 (05.11.2008) - CD Image
These are 2 great tools for testing hard drives.

I would also download HDTune and run a benchmark of your hard drive. You'll want to look for several sharp drops in the benchmark pattern.

This thread may or may not be of some value as well ->http://bbs.blackviper.com/index.php/topic,958.0.html

[indiguns]

Go HERE and follow the directions about 2/3 of the way down at the header, "Manual steps to run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer"
I recommend doing it at least twice to make sure everything gets cleared up.  It will take a while!

Since the chkdsk scheduled on restart (won't work any other way) was taking a lot of time, I did it twice during last night. The first time I was around, I saw it reported a few sectors as "unreadable" in either Stage 1 or 2 (I think it was stage 2, but not sure). The next stage saw another sector with more details, and was declared "orphan" after a while. is there anyway to generate reports on the chkdsk performed to actually see if any repairs were actually done (I performed chkdsk/r scheduled on restart through cmd mode)?

Not sure how will that benefit the case but could give me some specifics on what if anything is the problem from there. Also, the computer is still slow as it was. So overall there seems to be no improvement.

[indiguns]

I would first check the hard drive.

I would also start there. Download these files from http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
1. Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file
2. Drive Fitness Test v4.13 b00 (05.11.2008) - CD Image
These are 2 great tools for testing hard drives.

I would also download HDTune and run a benchmark of your hard drive. You'll want to look for several sharp drops in the benchmark pattern.

This thread may or may not be of some value as well ->http://bbs.blackviper.com/index.php/topic,958.0.html

Thanks IH8U,
Couple of things there:
1. I don't know what exactly you may mean by sharp drops, but running the HD Tune benchmark, I saw a total of 6 spikes from around 3 mb/sec to 2 mb/sec. Would that be the sharp drops that I might look out for? What does it mean either way?
2. The other data on the screen were access time of 16.5 ms and burst rate of 3.0 mb/sec and a CPU usage of 96.8%.
3. I can't connect to the internet either. So can't send you any screen shots but the Health Status is OK, Critical hard disk temp = 55 Centigrade.

As of the others (1. Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file & 2. Drive Fitness Test v4.13 b00 (05.11.2008) - CD Image. I copied them to a CD but wasn't able to execute them since the computer can't find what program to open the files with. Need some help again...

Additionally, some "good to know, but NOT need to know information" is here: although the computer is fast enough to let you play "freecell" without a hitch (CPU usage shows around 95% or above System idle), a simple command may take millions of years to execute (So much as opening a folder with 5 files inside takes upwards of 2 mins). Long story short, not practical to download any fixes from the web.

Any ideas?

[IH8U]

1. I don't know what exactly you may mean by sharp drops, but running the HD Tune benchmark, I saw a total of 6 spikes from around 3 mb/sec to 2 mb/sec. Would that be the sharp drops that I might look out for? What does it mean either way?
2. The other data on the screen were access time of 16.5 ms and burst rate of 3.0 mb/sec and a CPU usage of 96.8%.
3. I can't connect to the internet either. So can't send you any screen shots but the Health Status is OK, Critical hard disk temp = 55 Centigrade.

The 6 spikes downward is what I am looking for, which usually is an indicator of a bad hard drive, but the CPU usage is indicating something else may be going on. Now that hard drive temp is a little high as well, so we really have a mixed bag of results. 

Did u read that post I referenced? If you didn't, check to see if your hard drive might be running under pio mode by right clicking my computer, selecting properties, the hardware tab, device manager and find IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Expand that then right click on primary IDE channel, select properties, select Advanced Settings Tab, and look at current transfer mode. If it's set to PIO Only then close that box and right click on primary IDE channel and select Uninstall. Just click OK when you get the warning then restart your computer. After it restarts, give it 5-10 minutes and restart again. The check the mode that your controller is in now, it should be Ultra DMA Mode X.

As of the others (1. Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 Bootable CD .ISO image file & 2. Drive Fitness Test v4.13 b00 (05.11.2008) - CD Image. I copied them to a CD but wasn't able to execute them since the computer can't find what program to open the files with. Need some help again...

Those are image files that need to be burnt to CD in a certain way.
1.Download and install imgburn.
2.When ImgBurn starts select Write image file to disc.
3.On the top left hand side click the folder straight across from Please select a source file...
4.Select one the ISO files you downloaded.
5.On the bottom left click the burn button.

When your done burning your going to have to boot the computer off the CD and run the test. Let me know what you figure out.

[indiguns]

Did u read that post I referenced? If you didn't, check to see if your hard drive might be running under pio mode by right clicking my computer, selecting properties, the hardware tab, device manager and find IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Expand that then right click on primary IDE channel, select properties, select Advanced Settings Tab, and look at current transfer mode. If it's set to PIO Only then close that box and right click on primary IDE channel and select Uninstall. Just click OK when you get the warning then restart your computer. After it restarts, give it 5-10 minutes and restart again. The check the mode that your controller is in now, it should be Ultra DMA Mode X.

Totally forgot to respond to that; Yes, had gone through that post and several others. The mode is Ultra DMA Mode X. So that is all right...  However, the only test I was able to run was the HD Tune during the day, and had to go to work halfway through, but the temp remained largely around 60 Centigrade when I was around. Should that really be such a concern? I did though try to contain it by keeping the laptop on a well ventilated frame.

Moreover, with the HD Tune complete, the temp is now 50 C, and damaged blocks are 2 (I guess 15 mb each). HD Tune also says the damaged blocks form 0.1%. Does that make any sense?

Once I have opened the img files, will follow up on the rest as well.

Indi

[indiguns]

Those are image files that need to be burnt to CD in a certain way.
1.Download and install imgburn.
2.When ImgBurn starts select Write image file to disc.
3.On the top left hand side click the folder straight across from Please select a source file...
4.Select one the ISO files you downloaded.
5.On the bottom left click the burn button.

When your done burning your going to have to boot the computer off the CD and run the test. Let me know what you figure out.

I got done yesternight burning the CD per your instructions, but booting the computer off the CD, I could only get the Hitachi Drive fitness to work (that reported some faulty units (I am not sure anymore if it was sectors or something else that it said) and asked me for a repair (which I said yes to). However, the computer is still slow as earlier. So now need some instructions on how to run the maxtor test (Never having booted off a CD, I chanced upon the Drive fitness test since the options in the bootup sequence were definitely not familiar names (Neither Maxtor nor Drive fitness)). In fact now that I am trying to do it again, the only options that I see on the PC DOS 7.0 Startup Menu are
1. For Adaptec
2. For LSI 320 Controller
3. For Tekram & Symbios Controllers
4. for ATTO 320 Controller

The last time I had tried option 1 and chanced upon Drive Fitness. This time will try something else and will keep you updated. Will look it up online as well, but will really appreciate any guidance. Also, what bothers me is that auto chkdsk, HD tune, Drive fitness etc each found some bad sectors (or whatever it is called) and repaired them. There cannot have been so many bad sectors, all at once... Is there something else going on which is either:
1. preventing the bad sectors from the repairs OR
2. progressively spoiling/destroying more sectors while the others are getting repaired?

Any way to know that, and possibly prevent that? Must say one thing though, I can't overemphasize how much I appreciate the time and efforts you are all putting in to make the instructions so simple. For that, the two simple yet very powerful words...Thank you.

Indi

[IH8U]

With all the information your providing I am going to assume that the hard drive is in a failing state. This would be the cause for bad sectors, missing network drivers, and the slowness of the computer.

[indiguns]

With all the information your providing I am going to assume that the hard drive is in a failing state. This would be the cause for bad sectors, missing network drivers, and the slowness of the computer.

1. I had edited my immediately preceding posts a little bit; If you could read that as an addition please...
2. If as you say, the HD is in a failing state, what do you suggest the next step would be?

Thanks again,

Indi

[Spawn]

2. If as you say, the HD is in a failing state, what do you suggest the next step would be?

Get a new HD...

[johkir]

You might try SpinRite to save what you have and make sure you have all your data.  It will fix your HD in that all bad sectors will be rewritten to good ones, but nothing will prevent new sectors from going bad.  It will give you time to get all data off the drive, and that drive may still be usable for a while as well, but as I mentioned, more sectors will fail.  Spinrite has worked for me a couple of times.  It does cost $90, so consider how much your non-backed-up data is worth.

[indiguns]

2. If as you say, the HD is in a failing state, what do you suggest the next step would be?

Get a new HD...

So are we at least moderately certain that the HD is the main culprit, and a new HD will resolve the issues??

[Spawn]

That's my take.