Laptop disk failure

[chalkwellstu]

So the computer reboots when you plug the USB hard drive in or does it just try to auto run it? If it is auto run then it is just looking for instructions and content on the disk. If it is at this stage it should allow you to see the files on it.

 

mmmmmmmmm not sure as there is a lapse of around 1min before anything happens. i get as far as seeing the disk (via DOS cant see it through windows) and then i hear the click and it reboots. if it is an autorun feature how do i turn it off? i dont think i can get at it through the registry can i? if it doesnt have a drive letter.

[SYNACK]

then i hear the click and it reboots. if it is an autorun feature how do i turn it off? i dont think i can get at it through the registry can i? if it doesnt have a drive letter.

 

Just clarifying it actually reboots, with the whole screen going blank then the bios then the windows loading screen. If this is the case I think that there may be something wrong with your laptop.

 

Switching off booting from a USB device should just be a case of going into the bios and putting 'USB Device' or 'USB Mass storage Device' at the end of the list after the hard drive.

 

If it is fully rebooting you may want to try this on a different computer and maybe make sure that your virus checker is up to date.

[Geoff]

USB rebooting the machine is usually due to an IRQ conflict. Try disabling your COM ports in the BIOS, that'll usually free up enough spare IRQ lines to make the machine behave.

[chalkwellstu]

Just clarifying it actually reboots, with the whole screen going blank then the bios then the windows loading screen. If this is the case I think that there may be something wrong with your laptop.

 

Switching off booting from a USB device should just be a case of going into the bios and putting 'USB Device' or 'USB Mass storage Device' at the end of the list after the hard drive.

 

If it is fully rebooting you may want to try this on a different computer and maybe make sure that your virus checker is up to date.

 

I appreciate your time Synack. tried it on a desktop and it did reboot but just once. then i couldn't see it at all. i'll try the bios thing and see what that does. failing that i think i could end up in an asylum .... again

[Midget]

if the disk is clicking, well no offence, but you are f***ed

[chalkwellstu]

USB rebooting the machine is usually due to an IRQ conflict. Try disabling your COM ports in the BIOS, that'll usually free up enough spare IRQ lines to make the machine behave.

 

tried that Geoff to no avail.

[DMcCoy]

If your desktop reboots when you plug the usb drive in, either its the usb driver thats at fault or windows simply can't cope with the corrupt file system. Turn auto reboot off (system properties, advanced, startup and recovery. Untick automatically restart). See if it is really just rebooting or if you get a blue screen of death - if you do get a blue screen write down the error message.

[chalkwellstu]

If your desktop reboots when you plug the usb drive in, either its the usb driver thats at fault or windows simply can't cope with the corrupt file system. Turn auto reboot off (system properties, advanced, startup and recovery. Untick automatically restart). See if it is really just rebooting or if you get a blue screen of death - if you do get a blue screen write down the error message.

 

Hey thanks 'Bones' i gave that a try and got the BSOD, and it was basically a memory dump. HOWEVER, it didnt blow until i'd managed to get the files off it i needed

 

Many thanks to you, Synack,Flashsnaps and Geoff for bearing with me while i had a tantrum.