Cannot write file, disk may be full

[Bob]

I am getting this extremely frustrating error message. I recently
experienced what seemed to be some sort of a power surge. I have gotten
many power-related problems since I moved into this new place. The
symptoms are always similar. They tend to appear upon a reboot.

1. Difficulty rebooting machine; machine will not restart.
2. Machine refuses to shut down from the menu
3. Machine *refuses to power off from the power switch on the box*!
4. Upon reboot, cable modem is knocked off and often hard to get back
on.
5. Often file corruption. File corruption is often massive and
outrageous; the worst you have ever seen.
6. Tendency to destroy or delete entire partitions.
7. Windows crashes on reboot and needs a total reinstall.
8. Certain programs refuse to load, run or even be installed.
9. Corruption of winsock so I can't get on the net.
10. Hard to reinstall Windows, a lot of errors reading from disk and
weird stop errors.
11. Upon reinstall, Windows is ok for a while but then it starts to fry
out again, typically upon reboot.
12. Sometimes, the POST test will not even run. Pulling the plug
completely out of the wall seems to reset it.

Ok, the surge (I think that was the problem) came through Dec 22.
Computer would not reboot or shut down through the menu and would not
even power off at the switch. Had to be powered off from the back of
the box. I immediately assumed there had been a surge. Upon reboot, my
cable modem was lost. I managed to get it back on somehow. There were a
few more reboots in the next few days. On one of those reboots I lost
my cable modem and could not get it back. Later I unscrewed the network
cable and screwed it back in and the modem was working again, but
winsock was shot. Winsock was finally reinstalled and the modem is
working again. On another reboot, an entire partition (F was
destroyed, deleted, wiped off the Earth. That was my programs folder.
It was shifted over to H:. The entire volume of F: was appended to H:.
Furthermore, H: now had about 2.5 MB full, which is bizarre, because if
you opened H:, there seemed to be nothing in it. There were about 2.5
full MB in the destroyed F:, which merged with H:. Using one of Windows
applets, I renamed H: to F:. Now F: had 2.5 MB full but appeared empty.


I now have a working modem and internet and am using Internet Explorer
to browse (IE not effected by hosing Programs partition).

I am now trying to reinstall my old programs (they were safe on D. I
am trying to reinstall them to F:, but I keep getting this bizarre
message telling me the drive is full, when I have multiple MB's free.
Also, when I try to install a mere one or 2 programs to F:, even though
they don't install with the stupid message, F: quickly fills up. IOW, a
failed attempt to install Yahoo Messenger and Opera added 2.5 MB to
F:!!!!!!!!! There is something horribly wrong with the F: partition.
Right, there are 2.7 MB "used" on F: and there isn't a damn thing on
the partition!

D: Documents and Downloads, G: Windows 2000, E: Backup and C: root
drive all seem to be working just fine.

What in God's name is going on with my F: partition? It's like it is
jinxed.

What's with the stupid error message? It makes no sense at all.

 

[DL]

A pwr surge may have damaged many components, not least HD, mobo,cpu etc. I
doubt you have the facilities to test each component, at the very least you
would need a second functioning box to swap out components.
You could try a HD checking utility from your HD manu.site, at least you
should get an indication that HD is OK or not

 

[Bob]

A pwr surge may have damaged many components, not least HD, mobo,cpu etc.

Actually, I strongly suspect that the power supply is damaged. The local
comp store is swamped with damaged computers from that storm, mostly
fried power supplies and modems.

I

doubt you have the facilities to test each component, at the very least you
would need a second functioning box to swap out components.

I do have Check-it PE.

You could try a HD checking utility from your HD manu.site, at least you
should get an indication that HD is OK or not

I ran chkdsk on all the partitions over and over and it never finds
anything.

However, I think I have figured out the problem on F: and why there are
2.5 GB of INVISIBLE FILES somehow "being used". I think that the power
surge damaged the entry in the partition table for F:. That explains why
F: claims to be full when it has 5 GB free, why it has 2.5 GB invisible
files (original programs are still basically on there). Incidentally,
the last surge and following power supply powers repeatedly destroyed
partitions in a similar manner.

I am now installing to C: as that partition seems clean for now, but
Internet Explorer is acting weird and I got a weird error that ole.dll
needs to be checked against the proper file image on the install disk.

With a whacked power supply like this, you can muddle along (sort of)
for a while *as long as you do not reboot*. When the comp comes back up
from a reboot, it is usually really kooky. I don't understand why that
is, but it seems a Law of Power Problems.

I am also going to invest in an $82 *industrial strength* surge
suppressor with an cable modem outlet that will go right into the wall
where the faceplate is. This surge apparently went right through my APC
UPS or else went through the cable lines. I am also considering a $100
top of the line 500 watt power supply. I am learning that the typical
"surge suppressor strip" in the stores that protects against everything
on Earth is not all that. In fact, business and government typically do
not use them and use the industrial strength suppressors instead.

Also, I learned that biz and govt typically *do not* use the APC UPS's.
Instead, they use industrial strength UPS's, which are at least double
APC's prices.

All in all, I have learned a lot of interesting stuff about power and I
thought I would share it with you.

Also, I note that comp guys in general (not speaking to you folks
necessarily) seem to be *seriously ignorant* of the role of power
problems in malfunctioning PC's. Everything is either software or
hardware or (l)user error, and the wall plugs may as well not exist.

 

[DL]

There are 'simple' surge suppressor strips that have a guarentee for $$
($5k/$10k cannot remember which, maybe Belkin) if they fail and equipment
damaged.