computer problem

[tw]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

how do you format a drive the computer can't see?

Of course the computer was seeing it. The disk size (320 mb?) and other information from the drive was reported. In the thread, you had only started. Hardly did anything to fix it. Did not load and execute any diagnostics. Have no idea yet what the system can and cannot see.

Clearly, your CD-Rom loaded programs. Therefore the Recovery Console, comprehensive hardware diagnostics, and other repair functions were available and could be executed. I will never understand why so many give up when so may useful options exist and were not attempted. Formatting a disk is the fool's option.

Disassembling the machine all but guarantees you will not fix it. Numerous options were provided from one who never loses a computer - who even fixed computers declared by the Geek Squad as unfixable. But I cannot help when, well, there is a long list of detailed reason why I posted what I did. And received only "quitter's replies" rather than information necessary for the solution.

[zippyt]

Hook it up as an external drive for a working PC

[lumberjim]

there's stuff on there we'd like to try to save

[lumberjim]

fuck, speak english, man.

[tw]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

fuck, speak english, man.

Like I said. The most difficult part of the problem is not hardware.

[jinx]

Originally Posted by tw

Like I said. The most difficult part of the problem is not hardware.

[lumberjim]

you keep talking about diagnostics that I cannot access.

use a pronoun or two and try again?

[tw]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

you keep talking about diagnostics that I cannot access.

Diagnostics are on hard drive, on CD-Rom, and on manufacturer's web site. You cannot access any of those? Then how are you accessing the Cellar? Again, I am not having difficulty with your computer problem. I am having trouble with you reading what was posted.

And, I also noted, only better computer manufacturers provide those diagnostics. Again, only repeating what was posted before.

Also discussed was the Recovery Console. From previous posts, that also is available.

PTDD loaded because you can load and execute programs. This is the first time I have seen actual numbers posted. Why were you withholding critically important numbers? Meanwhile, nothing I posted discusses or even assumes PTDD exists. That was another and completely different solution. Why is this the first time you posted about sector 33? If you want useful assistance, you post numbers until your fingers cry. Because nothing posted is useful without numbers. Quote the messages in detail especially when those numbers appear to have no purpose.

That PTDD implies (but does not yet say) you are fully accessing the hard drive. Meanwhile, how many partitions exist on the hard drive? Comprehensive hardware diagnostics are typically located in their own partition. Does that other partition exist?

Now, that error message says nothing about the hardware diagnostics if they exist on the hard drive. And for the fifth time, those diagnostics are also on CD-Rom and on the manufacturer's web site (if that manufacturer is minimally responsible).

Meanwhile, at the very beginning, I noted that if those diagnostics do not exist, then you need the diagnostic downloaded from the disk drive manufacturer. When jinx read the BIOS, that manufacturer name and model number was read by the BIOS (she complained because it said nothing about "C:"). More critical numbers. Those numbers identify which diagnostic from the disk drive manufacture is available. Then the entire disk drive program is loaded from a CD-Rom (or the USB memory stick, or whatever) so that no Windows and no Recovery Console and no Comprehensive Hardware diagnostic is executing.

Why did I list each in the same sentence. Each one is a program. You only execute that program - no other program - to solve problems. That disk drive manufacturer program is the replacement for Windows - is loaded by the BIOS and executes just like windows (or DOS) without anything else executing. Therefore the results are simple and completely informative.

Once diagnostic verifies hardware parts of the disk drive, only then are you ready to view (diagnosis) the software parts of that disk drive. Tools to look at the software side are Windows (booted from the hard drive or CD-Rom), the Recovery Console (which I have detailed so many times and received no acknowledgement), or PTDD.

Everything here is written at a layman’s level. If it has useful information, then do what I always do to understand anything - read it three or more times. If you read something the first time and understand it, then it probably has near zero useful facts. Again, it is not the computer that is causing so much difficulty. I keep posting all three sources of that comprehensive hardware diagnostic. How can you not have it and yet still access the Cellar? Because you did not read what I posted multiple times.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by tw

Diagnostics are on hard drive, on CD-Rom, and on manufacturer's web site. You cannot access any of those? Then how are you accessing the Cellar?

we have 5 computers

Again, I am not having difficulty with your computer problem. I am having trouble with you reading what was posted.

ironic

And, I also noted, only better computer manufacturers provide those diagnostics. Again, only repeating what was posted before.

again and again. it's a Sony.

Also discussed was the Recovery Console. From previous posts, that also is available.

PTDD loaded because you can load and execute programs. This is the first time I have seen actual numbers posted. Why were you withholding critically important numbers? Meanwhile, nothing I posted discusses or even assumes PTDD exists.

please see post #14 for a link to the Ultimate Boot CD which I mentioned in the first post.

That was another and completely different solution. Why is this the first time you posted about sector 33? If you want useful assistance, you post numbers until your fingers cry. Because nothing posted is useful without numbers. Quote the messages in detail especially when those numbers appear to have no purpose.

That PTDD implies (but does not yet say) you are fully accessing the hard drive. Meanwhile, how many partitions exist on the hard drive?

I don't recall specifically, but I think it was partitioned in two pieces...the C and the D recovery partition.

Comprehensive hardware diagnostics are typically located in their own partition. Does that other partition exist?

Now, that error message says nothing about the hardware diagnostics if they exist on the hard drive. And for the fifth time, those diagnostics are also on CD-Rom and on the manufacturer's web site (if that manufacturer is minimally responsible).

Meanwhile, at the very beginning, I noted that if those diagnostics do not exist, then you need the diagnostic downloaded from the disk drive manufacturer. When jinx read the BIOS, that manufacturer name and model number was read by the BIOS (she complained because it said nothing about "C:"). More critical numbers. Those numbers identify which diagnostic from the disk drive manufacture is available. Then the entire disk drive program is loaded from a CD-Rom (or the USB memory stick, or whatever) so that no Windows and no Recovery Console and no Comprehensive Hardware diagnostic is executing.

Why did I list each in the same sentence. Each one is a program. You only execute that program - no other program - to solve problems. That disk drive manufacturer program is the replacement for Windows - is loaded by the BIOS and executes just like windows (or DOS) without anything else executing. Therefore the results are simple and completely informative.

Once diagnostic verifies hardware parts of the disk drive, only then are you ready to view (diagnosis) the software parts of that disk drive. Tools to look at the software side are Windows (booted from the hard drive or CD-Rom), the Recovery Console (which I have detailed so many times and received no acknowledgement), or PTDD.

Everything here is written at a layman’s level. If it has useful information, then do what I always do to understand anything - read it three or more times. If you read something the first time and understand it, then it probably has near zero useful facts. Again, it is not the computer that is causing so much difficulty. I keep posting all three sources of that comprehensive hardware diagnostic. How can you not have it and yet still access the Cellar? Because you did not read what I posted multiple times.

you base your assumption on the incorrect premise that i only have one computer. your advice is useless if it is incomprehensible. I appreciate you taking the time to attempt to help us, but clearly I'm too stupid to comprehend these words of yours. Your condescending attitude is NOT appreciated.

Everything I've seen leads me to think that the C drive has died. I took it out and put it back in last night.....rebooted without the boot disc, held my finger on the drive to see if i could feel it spinning up, and felt nothing.

does anyone that can speak english have any other ideas? Tony? Mitch? Pete?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

does anyone that can speak english have any other ideas? Tony? Mitch? Pete?

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

Everything I've seen leads me to think that the C drive has died. I took it out and put it back in last night.....rebooted without the boot disc, held my finger on the drive to see if i could feel it spinning up, and felt nothing.

I dunno, Jim. PTDD was accessing something when it gave you that information above. You don't have more than one physical hard drive in this thing, do you?

[tw]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

you base your assumption on the incorrect premise that i only have one computer.

Obviously you have a second computer because you are on the cellar. Therefore you have everything you need to get diagnostics and to fix the first computer. Everything posted is easy - designed for layman. But, again, your problem is that you are not reading what was posted.

For example. You have a second computer. So you go to the disk drive manufacturer's web site and get the disk drive diagnostic. How is that so difficult? And again, the problem is not your broken computer. The problem is you did not read simple directions to see, for example, that Sony should have provided those diagnostics on the hard drive, on a provided CD-Rom, and on their web site. You have a second computer. That means you use that second computer to get diagnostics. Or use the CD-Rom that only better computer manufacturers provide for free.

It is a Sony. That does not mean anything except that it is a Sony. That does not say the computer is from a responsible manufacturer. If Sony does not provide comprehensive hardware diagnostics, then it is no better than Gateway.

PTDD - another completely different solution to the same problem, says the computer is talking to the disk drives computer. What that all means is explained in simplest English in the previous post. But again, it is completely new to you. So how many times did you reread it? And then you ask questions about each sentence you do not grasp - one sentence or paragraph at a time.

All this silliness about not understanding is emotions (also called frustration). You must dispose of that your #1 problem to solve this problem. We already went through that previously with your Dell. A simple solvable problem that remained unsolved only because you got frustrated quickly and gave up.

If anything is confusing, then emotionally get angry and blame others. The learned keep asking questions every hour of the month until they learn. You post frustration rather than ask questions. Therefore I cannot help you with your confusion and frustration. You don't ask questions. You just keep expressing emotions. And again, the most difficult problem is not the computer. The most difficult problem is getting you to address the problem without letting emotions (frustration) take hold.

PTDD says you have two partitions? One is the recovery partition? Then only the Recovery Console can access that partition. And computer's CPU and disk drive's CPU are talking to each other.

Forget, for now, referenced to C: and D: drives. It exists only when discussing disk drive 'software'. First you must establish disk drive 'hardware'. Define were so many ways to do that. Does Sony provide comprehensive hardware diagnostics? Or is Sony another inferior computer company like Gateway? Then move on to other solutions such as the diagnostic from the disk drive manufacturer. Or the Recovery Console as provided in that Microsoft 'easy to understand' description. Or use the PTDD software to only see what the disk drive is doing. Or use the hyperlinks provided by UT.

In every case they are ideal layman's descriptions. And in every case, you do not even being to understand what is written until the third reread. That is how technical things work.

Caution - fixing any partition or file on a drive without first establishing hardware (disk) is good (without first using comprehensive hardware diagnostic or disk drive manufacturer's diagnostic) can result in loss of all data on the disk.

Everything I posted assumed you have a second computer. That means you have Sony's comprehensive diagnostic available from all three sources (on disk, on CD-Rom, and on their web site) as I have posted now six times.

[lumberjim]

running PTDD Fdisk:

says Error: Partition 1 on harddisk1 start sector is 33. The right start sector is 1. Do you want to correct?

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

running PTDD Fdisk:

says Error: Partition 1 on harddisk1 start sector is 33. The right start sector is 1. Do you want to correct?

BTW, I'd guess this is most certainly your problem. I suspect a virus trying to mess with your machine.

Where are you on this?

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

BTW, I'd guess this is most certainly your problem. I suspect a virus trying to mess with your machine.

Where are you on this?

Unfortunately, I'm stuck at work, and it's getting busy.

I dunno if jinx wants to try playing with this today...but if anyone wants to chat tonight, I'll be there by 10 pm probably.