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Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 ) (14373 Views)
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Intern
doon
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎12-17-2008
Message 1 of 40 (14,509 Views)
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Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

[ Edited ]

Hi all,

 

This is really bizarre... and very frustrating.

 

I own an IQ506 (with TV tuner) which I have been pretty happy with. So much so, that I had my office buy one, too (IQ504). But lately, my computer has been acting up (locking up, freezing). Funny enough, the IQ504 we bought for work has also been acing the same way.

 

Today, the IQ504 at work died. We ran the boot-up diagnostics tool and discovered a problem with the hard drive (not detected).

 

I came home to a working TouchSmart, but before I went to bed, I tried waking it up from Sleep only to see the Vista donut of death. So I did a forced shutdown and reboot. I then got a "media missing, please reboot" error. So I did. Multiple times only to see the same error. I try to run the F9 diagnostics (which is sluggish to run) and find the the diagnostic tools cannot find the HDD. I reboot again and go into Setup. Sure enough, no hard drive detected.

 

This strikes me as being a strange coincidence. Both PCs, in different parts of the city, BOTH die with the SAME error on the SAME day?

 

Hard drive dead? or could the SATA controller be dead? 

 

Please don't tell me that all the new pictures of my daughter's birthday are now gone...

 

Is this something HP would cover under warranty?

 

What can I do?

 

Thanks,

doon

 

IQ506 running Vista Home premium. One peripheral attached: HP LaserJet.

Message Edited by doon on 12-17-2008 01:32 AM
cheers, doon
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Master's Graduate
JimT
Posts: 545
Registered: ‎11-29-2008
Message 2 of 40 (14,432 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

[ Edited ]
wow thats terrible, if the drive died on you or controller on the drive or the controller on the motherboard died then yep should be covered under the warrenty.
one thing to keep in mind is a device mean time between failure (MTBF) is high in the first couple of weeks or so for any devices, (they are however tested thoughroughly by the manufactures before release) then after you get past that stage should be stable from then on for at least 4 or more years before anything more goes wrong with your h/w...
.
According to Seagate for these drives (mine is a 500GB ST3500620AS), should have 700,000 hours w/ 5 year warrenty :smileyvery-happy:
.
.
Should also make sure the environment is good enough for your drive because once you start pushing the limits that greatly reduces its life span, for example humidity, temperature, moisture, etc,...
.
its always a good idea to run some good tests on your h/w early in the piece, for at least 1 or 2 weeks each day so that if anything does give, you pick it up early and send it in for the warrenty repair, before you start saving critical data onto it.... if you have no choice then better to backup to dvd until the system settles.. just my 2 bobs,..
Message Edited by JimT on 12-17-2008 02:54 AM
IQ508a, slimline s3480a, MediaVault 2020, photosmart 7660, iPaq Data Messenger
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Professor
RasterBlaster
Posts: 2,132
Registered: ‎11-17-2008
Message 3 of 40 (14,474 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

[ Edited ]

Did you use a any type of external storage device in both computers - memory cards, ipods, etc...? If so, make sure they are all removed when testing. Scan any device that was inserted for viruses from a computer that has the latest virus definitions.

 

 

Aslo... unplug any printers that have memory card readers attached and disconnect network cable while testing.

 

Also... all you should have to do to see if the HD is being detected is go into the BIOS (F10) and look at the device listing on the main tab. If it's not in there, then it is not connected, does not have power. I have never seen a HD that died later and was not detected in BIOS - even drives that had catastrophic failures.

Message Edited by RasterBlaster on 12-17-2008 12:45 PM
Message Edited by RasterBlaster on 12-17-2008 12:49 PM
... an HP employee expressing his own opinion.
Please post rather than send me a Message. It's good for the community and I might not be able to get back quickly. - Thank you.
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Intern
doon
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎12-17-2008
Message 4 of 40 (14,373 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

I unplugged everything.
 
I have gone into BIOS to check the device listing and have seen that the hard drive is not showing up (1st device). My DVD burner, however, does show up...which tells me that the SATA controller is still ok.
 
I do hear the drive spinning up and initializing. It does not do the repeating "click of death" that i have had on drives before, so my inclination is that the electronics  are maybe shot (overheating?).
 
alternatively, the data cable could be shot. grasping at straws right now.
 
so, i decided to open up the device and reset the hard drive (unplugged it, plugged it back in). no change.
 
now i am looking to either buy an external SATA enclosure to try out in my old PC or buy another drive to put into the TouchSmart. this way i can eliminate the PC as being the cause of my pain.
 
would appreciate any other ideas folks may have.
 
thanks,
doon
 
 
cheers, doon
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Master's Graduate
JimT
Posts: 545
Registered: ‎11-29-2008
Message 5 of 40 (14,321 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

Maybe you can tell the reseller you bought your PC from or even HP Support that you have isolated the problem down to being the drive(s) by means of testing them on another PC, and if it is OK with them that they swap or send you another replacement drive for each of your new PCs.   Its worth a try, who knows they "might" do it for you - then again they'll just ask you to send in your PC and they'll repair it...   I guess it all depends how the warrenty is honoured in the end.. good luck with it!
IQ508a, slimline s3480a, MediaVault 2020, photosmart 7660, iPaq Data Messenger
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Intern
doon
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎12-17-2008
Message 6 of 40 (13,947 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

Hi all,

 

unfortunately, I am no further with this problem.

 

The post by RasterBlaster got me thinking, though. It is true that whenever I have had a drive crash on me, it was still recognized in BIOS. It was usually a hardware problem when this ocurred. But this time, since the drive does not show up in BIOS at all (but does power and spin up), I am thinking that it is an issue with the drive electronics.

 

So here is my thought: if I got the exact same drive as a replacement, I could take the PCB off the new one and swap it out with my old drive. This might just work, no?

 

Thoughts? Warnings?

 

thanks,

doon

cheers, doon
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Tutor
thehatguy
Posts: 39
Registered: ‎01-06-2009
Message 7 of 40 (14,013 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )


doon wrote:

Hi all,

 

unfortunately, I am no further with this problem.

 

The post by RasterBlaster got me thinking, though. It is true that whenever I have had a drive crash on me, it was still recognized in BIOS. It was usually a hardware problem when this ocurred. But this time, since the drive does not show up in BIOS at all (but does power and spin up), I am thinking that it is an issue with the drive electronics.

 

So here is my thought: if I got the exact same drive as a replacement, I could take the PCB off the new one and swap it out with my old drive. This might just work, no?

 

Thoughts? Warnings?

 

thanks,

doon


Exact same issue with me.

 

Rebooted the 804T and it went to the blue HP screen.

 

Ran diagnostics and no HDD drive was detected. Took out the drive and took it to Data Doctors and they could not detect any data.

They said it was strange because they could hear the drive spinning, but nothing after that.

 

I should receive a new HDD today and a technician will be onsite on 1/8/09 to replace.

 

Luckily, if you can call it that, the 804T was only 45 days old and I still have the old files I loaded then.

 

I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to get form the Tech, but I will share what I can.

 

John

 

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Intern
doon
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎12-17-2008
Message 8 of 40 (13,940 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

misery loves company. thanks for the post!

 

could you take a look and see what model hard drive it was? i had a seagate barracuda ST3500620AS.

 

Would be interesting to know if you had the same one.

 

I am thinking that there may be an overheating issue with the drive or TouchSmart which fried the drives electronics.

 

Please let me know if the tech figures anything out.

 

Thanks again for posting!

 

cheers,doon

 

 

 

cheers, doon
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Tutor
thehatguy
Posts: 39
Registered: ‎01-06-2009
Message 9 of 40 (13,990 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

[ Edited ]

doon wrote:

misery loves company. thanks for the post!

 

could you take a look and see what model hard drive it was? i had a seagate barracuda ST3500620AS.

 

Would be interesting to know if you had the same one.

 

I am thinking that there may be an overheating issue with the drive or TouchSmart which fried the drives electronics.

 

Please let me know if the tech figures anything out.

 

Thanks again for posting!

 

cheers,doon

 

 

 


Same ST350062OAS as yours.

 

 Recieved the new HDD this morning and it is a Hitachi Deskstar P7K500. Model # HDP725050GLA360

Guess the Seagate isn't their preferred drive anymore???

 

Link to drive info:

http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/30C3F554C477835B86257377006E61A0/$file/HGST_Desk...

 

 

John

 

Message Edited by thehatguy on 01-06-2009 08:53 AM
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Tutor
thehatguy
Posts: 39
Registered: ‎01-06-2009
Message 10 of 40 (13,911 Views)

Re: Two TouchSmart PCs in different locations die on same day with same error??? ( BIOHD-2 )

Another issue.

 

Today I received my new HDD.

 

 I got to thinking... I have no O/S software to load.

 

Called tech support and they will send to me at no cost???

 

A HP certified technician will be at my house on 1/8/09 to supposedly rectify the situation.

However, HP said they do not have the O/S software. So if it doesn't come in time, HP said

all they can do is install the new drive and I am to load the disc(s) when they arrive.

 

My issues with the support thus far are:

Why didn't the first HP support tech send the discs?

If the new drive is installed without the HP tech being able to power up the machine... what kind of support is that?

 

I'm not feeling the love.

 

In case HP is listening - the order reference # is TLL593.

 

John

 

 

 

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