Help! my PC crashed and it wont reboot, the error message is i8042 is corrupted

IMHO: That's gross and negligent oversimplification and a damn lazy approach to a computer problem. Tho it's certainly an easy and profitable approach from a tech shop's point-of-view. (OH, did i mention that raybay has a tech shop?)

Kinda like telling a 60yr old it's time for a heart transplant because he's not feeling well and based on his age!@

Hi Shaun

Actually, an external USB drive with its own AC adapter is exactly what i had in mind (i use them myself for backups)

Running and using Knoppix should be fairly straight-forward (refer to the link back in my earlier post). But should you have any question/issue certainly feel free to ask.

So go ahead and try the data copy/backup. We should just talk a bit more before you're ready to do the reformat/reinstall

Thanks again LookinAround

As of yet i have not managed to download the knoppix application, i have tried for nearly 7 hrs today and each time it has finished it's download and verified that no bugs exsist and informs me that the download has finished. My first attempt lasted around 25 mins and downloaded 175ish mb, the download was supposed to be around 700 mb, i dont know if i did the right thing but i thought i would try the disk anyway (just in case) of course i got the start of the app but then followed by lots of error messages, since then i have been booted off 5 times at varying time's. I have not tried to use the disk again.

I will try and continue to download, but frankly i dont think it will happen, Its probably down to my wife's laptop which is old and slow and pretty much devoid of RAM (256mb i think) i have tried it on a freinds desktop with no luck as well

Are you confident that a seagate drive will be able to communicate with the knoppix OS?

I had a look at the Seagate website and they were saying that their drive's are not configured to work with Knoppis. I'm just a little hesitant as i want to make sure that i get the right drive

I will post again when i have the drive and iv'e tried the slipstreaming and the Knoppix download.

Have a good weekend everyone


Regards


Shaun

Let's review a couple things regarding the Knoppix download (re: the steps found in How to recover your folders/files when Windows won’t boot)

1. The download is rather large so it might take your computer a long time (time also depending on how fast you can download)
2. You should be downloading the .iso file (as indicated in the directions) PLUS
3. You should also be downloading the MD5 file (this is pretty small and quick. Also per directions) AND
4. Use the HashTab tool (per directions) to verify the file was downloaded correctly. (Compare the MD5 hash values between the download using HashTab to calculate it vs. the MD5 value in the MD5 file you download. Numbers should be an exact match meaning the download was successful and the .iso file is correct)
5. AFTER verifying the MD5 hash value, you can burn .iso file to a CD and using the CD to boot your computer

It sounds like you may have tried to run the download file itself??? You need to burn the .iso file to CD, not try to run it.

Hint: If your computer is having problems downloading the file, it might be an issue with your network connection settings.
1. Open Device Manager. Click Start->Run, enter: devmgmt.msc
2. Look under the Network Adapters category for your network adapter device
3. Rt click Properties. Is there a Power Management tab?
> If yes, click it. Then uncheck the box so not to "Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power"
4. Also check Control Panel->Power Options to make sure your power settings set to Never for everything (so they don't go to sleep)

How much free space does your HDD have? I recommended Puppy Linux 4.3 because its leaner 105Mb compared to Knoppix. I don't have an extenal USB drive so my practice is to create a partition on the HDD provided there is enough free space. But if you like Knoppix its your call.

To LookinAround, I get your point that what's simple for me doesn't mean it's simple for others. I'll take that into consideration on my next post. Thanks.

Hi WinXPert

I think you you might have missed the goal here....

The goal isn't to provide a Linux-like OS for someone to use.. rather, the goal is simply providing an easy UI for them to boot into in order to backup their files/folders when Windows won't boot into normal or safe mode. Knoppix only purpose here is providing an easy and convenient "rescue CD" type environment....

see this post See How to recover your folders/files when Windows won’t boot

HI Shaun

Forgot to mention before re: your question about Seagate / Knoppix

The Seagate will be an external USB hard drive, right? As a USB drive, to my knowledge there should not be any issue connecting to Knoppix (no special drivers for USB support on Knoppix).

1) If you still want to be "super-cautious" buy it from a local retailer? you can always return it then, yes?
2) You can provide me the link where you thought you read it's a problem. I can take a look at what was said

Ok but I don't know any bootable Win CD iso you an download that has a free partitioning program. DiskInternals has but on demo only.

Hi LookinAround

Well again your help has moved me on a pace, i managed to download and install Knoppix on my broken pc, wow i like this operating system really cool !!

ok my first problem is that Knoppix can see my faulty hard drive but i can not mount it!! i have gone back through your instructions on recovering files and i didn't see any advise on mounting the drive ( if in fact you can actually mount the drive at all)

There are no problems with the seagate drive, knoppix recognises it, which is great.

Knoppix can see the size of my ailing hard drive but when i click to explore i get this error message

Error org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.Volume.UnknownFailure

would you be so kind as to give me some advice as to where i go from here.

Thanks one again


Shaun

Hmm.... normally, if chkdsk runs OK to fix the filesystem, the hard drive should be mounted automatically... seems to imply there might still be an issue with your hard drive.

I'll have to look further at your specific problem/error message... Maybe WinXPert might also have an idea.... So will have to get back to you later

In the meantime, it couldn't hurt if you tried running chkdsk /r one more time just to see if it completes/reports anything

just running the chkdsk /r and i noticed that the drive was at 75% completed and then went back to 50% is this normal?

chkdsk /r runs in 5 passes.. I'd guess you noticed % complete in 2 different passes

Code:

Phase 1: Checking files
During its first pass, Chkdsk examines each file record segment in the volume's master file table (MFT) and examines it for internal consistency. At the end of this phase, Chkdsk has identified the space that is in use and the space that is available, both within the MFT and on the volume as a whole.
Phase 2: Checking indexes (directories)

During this pass, Chkdsk examines each directory that is on the volume, checking for internal consistency and verifying that every file and directory that is represented by a file record segment in the MFT is referenced by at least one directory. Chkdsk confirms that every file or subdirectory that is referenced in a directory actually exists as a valid file record segment in the MFT and also checks for circular directory references. Finally, Chkdsk confirms that the time stamps and file size information for the files are up-to-date in the directory listings for those files.
Phase 3: Checking security descriptors

During this phase, Chkdsk examines each security descriptor that is associated with files or directories on the volume. Security descriptors contain information about ownership of a file or directory, about NTFS permissions for the file or directory, and about auditing for the file or directory.
Phases 4 and 5: Checking sectors (optional)

If the /R switch is in effect, Chkdsk runs two more passes to look for bad sectors. During stage 4, Chkdsk verifies all clusters in use; during stage 5, Chkdsk verifies unused clusters. Note that this process can be quite lengthy. taking many hours. 

TY LookinAround

right the chkdsk /r has finished and it declared that it had "found and fixed one or more errors on the volume" ?

Do you think i should boot up knoppix again and see if the hard drive can get mounted?

Regards


Shaun

Hi LookinForward

i have been able to get my hard drive mounted in knoppix, so thanks to you retrieval of some of my files does at last seem possible, thankyou, thankyou very much.

I still have a few problems though, when i tried to copy some files to my new external hard drive i get an input output error, having perused the knoppix tech sites i figure it might be because i didn't download the corect md5 file ( sorry) i used the link that you supplied in your tutorial but the hash codes didn't match. would you please send me a link so that i could download the correct one.

Typical ludite that i am i thought it didn't appear to matter, (again sorry)

i will try tonight to get the correct one, to be honest Linux script scares me a little ! I go on to these linux tech sites and i'm more confused !

could you tell me what i need to do with the MD5 file, in your tutorial you mention burning the ISO file should i have included the MD5 file with it ?

I'm not sure what the file does, if i try to open it windows asks me what programe to use to open it, i'm afraid i don't have a clue !

Anyway you have helped me out loads and i would have no way got this ar if it wasn't for you i really appreciate you giving your time and expertise, there are not enough people in the world doing that.

Regards


Shaun

Well done! :grinthumb
What did you do to get your drive mounted? (now i'm curious to know myself as well as to tell others should they have the same problem)

You mean you have been able to copy some file but not others??? What is the error message you get when copying the files??

As for MD5, a brief explanation:
> Checksums (sometimes called hash values) were invented to help guarantee data file integrity.
> A numerical calculation is applied to a block of data to produce the checksum.
> Anytime one downloads the same data file it should calculate to the same checksum (giving assurance the file is complete and OK).
> MD5 is the name of a method of calculation
> The MD5 file should have opened upon download (don't know why it didn't). It contains the checksum value and the filename of the download it belongs to

Code:

[B]d642d524dd2187834a418710001bbf82[/B] *KNOPPIX_V6.0.1CD-2009-02-08-EN.iso

> Use the HashTab tool to verify the MD5 value of the .iso downloaded file = d642d524dd2187834a418710001bbf82
> Note you can simply select the calculated MD5 value in HashTab, copy/paste the expected (and cryptic looking!) value into the tool and click the Compare a File button to let HashTab do the compare for you

and btw (by the way..)
1. yes, knoppix is pretty cool! (and usually pretty easy to use!) and
2. curious if the power management changes helped you complete the download?
I also ask as your input will also help me modify the instructions to help others in the future.. so thanks for the feedback as well!

But a new drive to install... then use your current drive in an external USB encloser where there is less chance of error.
But really, for anything you do, you should create a backup of all your important files and data.

Hiya LookinAround


Thanks for the lesson on MD5 files, from what I can work out, is the file then just for making sure that you have downloaded correctly and that all the file has downloaded?

I took your advise yesterday and ran chkdsk /r again on the hard drive and it came back with errors found and errors fixed, I then rebooted Knoppix and it mounted the drive right away! i can only assume that there must have been some errors on the disk and once they had been fixed everything was ok!

The Power management controls you told me to change worked perfectly (your'e good:approve the file downloaded non stop the first time !

The input/output errors that i have been getting do not give me any other information then that, it says input/output error and i have a little OK button to press then it stops and does not load any more files. As i said at the start of this thread, I compressed and then deleted some files in error ( i was trying to make more room on my hard drive ) when i realised what i had done i tried to retrieve them via an application to restore them ( i cant remember the name of the app but i'm sure i will find it on my recovered data ) it did retrieve lots of files but some of them appeared to be smaller and the file names had changed to very long numbers! maybe this might be the problem?
I have since started to transfer the files in smaller batches and it appears to be ok, i have had a couple of input/output errors but i cant see any connection, ie: duplicate files etc!
I dont know what else i can say as i dont really understand what has been going on !

well i am now ready to format the hard drive and re-install XP, I have seen alot of information about this on the web and it looks straight forward but i would love to hear your advise on this

Well i thought i would never retrieve my data but thanks to you i have, i don't very often use this word but LookinAround , AWSOME work !!!!

Note : i have not restored the windows files as a presume that when i re-install XP all that i need wil be there, is this right?

Thankyou


Shaun

Hiya LookinAround

I decided that i would try and format the hard drive earlier this afternoon and true to form it didn't work I followed the instructions from the dell website using the recovery disk.

The problem is that when i reach the very final screen where the "set up is formatting ... " box is, the % does not move, there are no lights from the front of the PC and the hard drive appears dead, with out any sound! i left it for 2 hours and still the % hadn't changed it was still on zero ... this is the part where i'm a bit scared ... i turned the PC off by holding in the power button, i then repeated the process,

Load recovery disk, at set up press enter to install XP, then choose a partition ( there was only one on my PC) delete it, then create a new partition, this time i used the quick NFTS option and the disk started .... and then stopped on 20% for another hour !!!

This is pretty much where i am, if i start the PC now there is no operating system, obviously! i also reset the bios configuration to the default settings and use F12 to access the boot schedule and choose to boot from CD ROM.

at the moment the screen reads .......

Please wait while setup formats the partition
C: partition1 [new (raw)] 76285 MB ( 76285 MB free)
on 76294 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on Bus 0 on atapi [MBR]


Setup is formatting ........ 0%

this is another attempt on the un-quick format, as i said on my earler post, this seemed a straight forward process but again it appears that nothing to do with trying to fix your own PC is EVER straight forward.

what have i done wrong LookinAround ? i hope i havent ruined the hard drive with my ineptitude!!!

Thankyou


Regards


Shaun

Regards

Either a failed hard drive, or a failed power supply, or a failed motherboard... Assuming you have verified your memory is good...

Hi Shaun

Seems your computer is putting you through the paces with some crash training courses!!!

Not sure just why the current problem... But might first click here to download a diagnostic tool from Dell (its another iso so just burn it and boot from it) I don't know how extensive their diagnostics are but you can try it before or after steps below, is up to you

So some next steps for now...
1) First check if Dell might have put Recovery software on your computer. Look at this link and and jump to Step 2.
2) If above fails, still be sure to remove all non-essentials devices (USB drive, printers, etc.) before trying to reformat/ reinstall so you basically just have your screen, mouse, keyboard.
3) You can also try each of the following commands in the Code boxes below (while in the Recovery Console)

Code:

[B]chkdsk /r[/B]

> Does chkdsk still run and still report it found and fixed errors?
4) Then these commands in this order

Code:

[B]map[/B]
[B]fixmbr[/B]
[B]fixboot[/B]
[B]format c: /fs:ntfs[/B] 

> map will indicate the partions found (if any)
> fixmbr and fixboot should simply return (they fix a couple things that might need repair)
> format will invoke the full disk format again. Note the blank before and after c:

We might just find real evidence of a hard drive problem. Maybe not. But will cross that bridge when we get there

and btw.. re: MD5, yes, the MD5 is only needed to help one verify that big long Knoppix download before burning and using it