Hard Disk Problem

[Guest]

My mother has used a custom DOS based program for the last 10 odd
years, last running under W2K on an IBM T23 laptop (1.13 Ghz 256 Mb
RAM). Recently the program came up with some sort of hardware error and
now when the computer boots I get the following:

ERROR
0200: Failure Fixed Disk 0

Press <F1> to Setup

She restored from a backup to another identical T23 she had not used
before, ran the program again and after a while (just enough time to
re-enter lost data) the same thing happened.

I have disabled all but the cd-rom in the boot priorities yet it will
not boot from any cd.

There is also an option on boot to "Choose Temporaty boot device <F12>"
on boot which results in the same error.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex

 

[Dan Seur]

If not unlikely coincidental drive failures, sounds like some sort of
infection inhabiting both the first pc and the backup she used
(presumably imaged recently from that first machine.)

My mother has used a custom DOS based program for the last 10 odd
years, last running under W2K on an IBM T23 laptop (1.13 Ghz 256 Mb
RAM). Recently the program came up with some sort of hardware error and
now when the computer boots I get the following:

ERROR
0200: Failure Fixed Disk 0

Press <F1> to Setup

She restored from a backup to another identical T23 she had not used
before, ran the program again and after a while (just enough time to
re-enter lost data) the same thing happened.

I have disabled all but the cd-rom in the boot priorities yet it will
not boot from any cd.

There is also an option on boot to "Choose Temporaty boot device <F12>"
on boot which results in the same error.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex



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[Guest]

Thanks, though she says the machine had never been connected to the
internet

Alex.

 

[Dan Seur]

Infections can occur via media other than the net. A diskette, a pal's
CD, a fly-by-night product CD, and so on.

To check whether the drive(s) are really bad, get the manufacturer's
drive diagnostic. It's free and downloadable from their website. It's a
bootable diskette image; no other OS needed. It'll report any problems
with electronics and surfaces.

If the diagnostics find no drive problems, then the problem was caused
by software or some other machine component. An example might be a very
brief power interruption or fluctuation during a disk access, producing
gibberish on the medium in a really bad place. Such a power problem,
which is only one example, can have several causes including a failing
power supply in the machine or faulty wall power.

Bottom line: maybe the manufacturer's diagnostic is just the first step.
There isn't enough info to go much further.

Thanks, though she says the machine had never been connected to the
internet

Alex.







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