Reformat stalls at 37%

[chrissie10027]

I have been trying to reinstall my Windows OS with no luck. I have a Dell Inspiron 2650, initially had XP Home, later upgraded to XP Pro. I first tried reformatting/reinstalling with my XP Pro CD, but the formatting kept stalling at exactly 37%. I then tried several times with the XP Home reinstallation CD that originally came with my computer. It, too, stalled repeatedly during formatting at 37%. I have tried reformatting by first deleting all partitions and then reformatting the remaining unpartitioned space as well as by formatting the partition left by my last attempt. Every single time the formatting stalls at 37%. I have given it up to 20 minutes at 37% each time, but it can’t seem to get any further. Help!!!

Christina

[cr4sh0ver]

Have You Tried Checking The Hard Disk For Errors ?

[chrissie10027]

Tell me how and I will gladly try! I am sort of in a bind since I now have no OS, I am not sure how limited my diagnostic skills are.

[macko72]

If you know your hdd manufactrer go to their website and download utility witch will help you to reformat and you can do whole diagnostic of your hdd!
Like for Western Digital is Data Lifeguard tools( http://support.wdc.com/ ),
for Maxtor PowerMax ( http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Ma...op%20Downloads )etc.

Or if you are booting from Windows CD you can use recovery console and chkdsk command!!!
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307654

[GaryRouth]

Hi Christina

Your Inspiron should have come with a "Dell ResourceCD" (sometimes also called "Drivers & Utilities CD"). On this CD, there are tools such as the "Dell 32-bit Diagnostics". These can test nearly every important component in your Dell laptop.

To run the diagnostics, you'll first need to make sure that the system is set to boot from the CD/DVD drive (it likely already is, if you've been booting from it while reinstalling XP from your XP Pro CD).

Then, make sure that your laptop is not docked to a docking station or port replicator, that no
PCMCIA devices ("PC-cards") are inserted into the PCMCIA slots, and that no external cables (other than the AC adapter power cable) are attached. Don't run the diagnostics just from battery, make sure to plug in the AC adapter first.

Pop in the Dell ResourceCD, boot your system with it, and from the ResourceCD menu, press the number one key [1] to go to the Dell Diagnostics menu. Here are all the details from Dell http://support.dell.com/support/topi...66A&l=en&s=gen . . . in fact, here's a link with details specific to your model http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...ag.htm#1101573

You'll want to run as many diagnostics as you can. It is possible that the hard drive has some bad sectors (that could be why it is stalling at the same point each time). If it's under warranty, Dell should replace it at no charge. If it's out of warranty, and it's only the hard drive that needs replacing, such a repair is fairly easy to do [but you do have to follow precautions, and pay attention to details] . . . Dell provides excellent Service manuals on their website: here is yours http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...ag.htm#1101573 . . . the section you'd read should you need to replace a part is the menu item "Removing and Replacing Parts" - - - you'll appreciate the clear diagrams.

A suitable replacement drive can be had for as little as $55 for a 40gb or $60 for a 60gb drive. Examples from over at NewEgg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822146041 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144375 You'd have to be careful to get a drive with the same kind of connector that the current model has, whether the older parallel ATA, or the newer serial ATA [SATA].

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[chrissie10027]

2 questions:

1. How do I figure out which type of hard drive connection my computer has (parallel or serial)?

2. I hope it's just my hard drive that's bad, but there is also the factor of the keyboard that started responding erratically a couple of months ago. (Sometimes working, sometimes not responsive, or responds with characters that do not correspond with what I typed.) I really don't mind plugging in an external keyboard, and can't afford an entirely new computer right now. Can I get be with just the hard drive replacement?

[macko72]

1. http://www.techwatch.com.au/articles...s_parallel.jpg (wide one is parallel and other is serial)

2. Check above post from Garry he was talking about Hdd replacement !!!

[chrissie10027]

Gary,

The link in your above post only seems to be a section on diagnostics (http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...g.htm#1101573).

Is there another way to find the section on removing and replacing the hard drive?

Thanks!

Christina

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

That manual in the link actually has all sorts of information, from system specs, to Bios settings, to diagnostics, to replacement procedures [the trick is to get to the Table of Contents page].

Here's a direct link to the precautions page --- http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...in.htm#1408031

and to the hard drive replacement instructions page --- http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...hdd.htm#999504

and the overall Table of Contents page --- http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m_en/index.htm

You'll pretty much want to run the diagnostics as thoroughly as you can first. The system might have more than one part that's "iffy", so you want to find out as much as you can - before spending any money on it. Also -- if you can find out the make of the hard drive, macko72's suggestion to use the diagnostics from the hard drive manufacturer's website is an excellent one. No one tests their drives more than the manufacturer does! And the extra bonus - for the sometimes inexplicable hard drive behaviour - is that the manufacturer's diagnostics often also contain a "zero-write" (or "write zeroes to drive") utility that low-level formats the drive and re-certifies it to be error-free [this procedure takes a fairly long while, but can clear some stubborn problems that other methods might not -- note that ALL DATA IS COMPLETELY LOST when performing a zero-write].

Re: the keyboard ---
This could be just a keyboard problem, a motherboard problem, or some seriously mangled drivers [some malware writers with bad senses of humor have also written code that can mangle keyboard input]. It would be nice if it was just a driver problem. The other two are trickier: if it's the keyboard itself that needs replacing, that can cost about $50 - $75. If it's just a loose connector, that's just a few minutes to repair (keyboard disassembly/reassembly is covered in that same service guide, under the "Replacing Parts" sections. If it's a motherboard problem [and out-of-warranty, of course] . . . the best solution is to sell what parts are still good in the system on eBay, and buy another laptop. My general rule for laptops is that when three or more components are failing on a laptop, and one of those is the motherboard, it's time for a new laptop. That's because so much can go wrong with laptop repair, when done by the user out-of-warranty. Parts are often hard to come by, and often of dodgy reliability. It's a roll-of-the-dice each time.

If you have any remaining warranty at all, get the unit into Dell right away & let them get you some new parts. If not under warrany, start some diagnostics [and heck, try a zero-write, if you have your important data backed up]. And tell us how your luck went.

You see, computer techs are all "Curious Georges" (or Curious Georgias")
. . . Gary