Large file trashed OS

[DanR]

I'm wondering what happened.
At work via our network I copied a 5GB file from one computer to another by drag
and drop. The target computer was Win2Kpro. After several minutes the screen was
showing command prompt saying major errors had occurred and couldn't write to
hard drive. (I didn't write the exact message down) When re-booting the prompt
said that Win2K was damaged and recommended I try to repair it using the
original CD. This fails and reports that it can not find a Win2K OS to repair.
Recovery console takes me to a C prompt but can't do anything from there.
So I have accepted that the OS is gone and I will have to reformat and reload
Win2K. But...
I'm wondering what happened.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "DanR" <[email protected]>

| I'm wondering what happened.
| At work via our network I copied a 5GB file from one computer to another by drag
| and drop. The target computer was Win2Kpro. After several minutes the screen was
| showing command prompt saying major errors had occurred and couldn't write to
| hard drive. (I didn't write the exact message down) When re-booting the prompt
| said that Win2K was damaged and recommended I try to repair it using the
| original CD. This fails and reports that it can not find a Win2K OS to repair.
| Recovery console takes me to a C prompt but can't do anything from there.
| So I have accepted that the OS is gone and I will have to reformat and reload
| Win2K. But...
| I'm wondering what happened.
|

Win2K NTFS or FAT32 ?

The maximum file size is 4GB for FAT32.

Reference:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

 

[DanR]

Win2K NTFS or FAT32 ?

The maximum file size is 4GB for FAT32.

Reference:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

I'm not sure if NTFS or FAT32 but would guess that it was NTFS. It was a clean
install but I didn't do the 2K install but have done others and know there is
the choice when installing. If it was FAT32 would the OS self destruct if a 5GB
file was copied to it?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "DanR" <[email protected]>


|
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp
|
| I'm not sure if NTFS or FAT32 but would guess that it was NTFS. It was a clean
| install but I didn't do the 2K install but have done others and know there is
| the choice when installing. If it was FAT32 would the OS self destruct if a 5GB
| file was copied to it?
|

It is possible. FAT32 is the only reason I can fathom.

 

[DanR]

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

It is possible. FAT32 is the only reason I can fathom.

Monday I'll take another look at it to see if I can determine whether NTFS or
FAT32. Not a major deal to start over with this particular computer as no
important data is stored there but re-installing OS and doing ALL the updates
and re-installing software will be a multiple hour job.
I'll report back here if I can determine the file allocation flavor for what
it's worth to others.

 

[GHalleck]

Monday I'll take another look at it to see if I can determine whether NTFS or
FAT32. Not a major deal to start over with this particular computer as no
important data is stored there but re-installing OS and doing ALL the updates
and re-installing software will be a multiple hour job.
I'll report back here if I can determine the file allocation flavor for what
it's worth to others.

And where was this large file being copied to? The root
directory of Drive C, by any chance?

 

[DanR]

And where was this large file being copied to? The root
directory of Drive C, by any chance?

It was being copied to the desktop.

 

[DanR]

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

It was being copied to the desktop.

Well, for what it's worth.... it was NTFS but it looks like the real problem was
a power supply fan that quit. The hard drive is exactly over the power supply
and maybe the heat cooked the hard drive. I can't even re-format the drive.
Don't know what the 5GB file had to do with anything. A coincidence or straw
that broke the hard drives back.

 

[Dan Seur]

You are aware that drives have long replacement warranty lives, and that
drive manufacturers have downloadable (boot-floppy image) diagnostics
for their drives? Those diagnostics are good, and sometimes can fix
what's wrong on a drive, and sometimes they'll send you a no-charge
replacement drive.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Dan Seur" <[email protected]>

| You are aware that drives have long replacement warranty lives, and that
| drive manufacturers have downloadable (boot-floppy image) diagnostics
| for their drives? Those diagnostics are good, and sometimes can fix
| what's wrong on a drive, and sometimes they'll send you a no-charge
| replacement drive.

DanR:

Go to the hard disk manufacturer's web site and download their diagnostic software
respective to your hard disk. After the test, you will know if the hard disk is bad or
not..

Quantum/Maxtor - PowerMax
http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/powermax.htm

Western Digital - Data LifeGuard Tools (DLGDiag)
http://support.wdc.com/download/

Hitachi/IBM - Drive Fitness Test (DFT)
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Seagate - SeaTools
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

Fujitsu - Diagnostic Tool
http://www.fcpa.com/download/hard-drives/

Samsung - Disk manager
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/shdiag.htm

 

[DanR]

DanR:

Go to the hard disk manufacturer's web site and download their diagnostic
software respective to your hard disk. After the test, you will know if the
hard disk is bad or not..

Quantum/Maxtor - PowerMax
http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/powermax.htm

Western Digital - Data LifeGuard Tools (DLGDiag)
http://support.wdc.com/download/

Hitachi/IBM - Drive Fitness Test (DFT)
http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Seagate - SeaTools
http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/

Fujitsu - Diagnostic Tool
http://www.fcpa.com/download/hard-drives/

Samsung - Disk manager
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/shdiag.htm

Thanks all for advice and support. I ended up replacing the hard drive. I had
already spent too much time trying to resurrect the original. I had no data that
wasn't available elsewhere so re-installed Win2K today. Tomorrow will do all the
updates and re-install the various apps.
I am surprised that the computer didn't try to shut down when it overheated.
Others I've owned have. Possibly the only thing that got really hot was the hard
drive which was located directly over the power supply. Don't know where temp
sensors are located in computers??? This one was a Gateway.