Computer made clicking sound and rebooted and gave me an error message (Reboot or insert boot media)

Sorry for long title.


I was writing my paper, and saved it. I picked up the laptop and accidentally knuckle tapped the bottom of edge of the computer, and it started to make clicking noises, the computer froze up and I couldn't do anything. After a few seconds later, it flashed me a blue screen with error message and the computer rebooted. Once it rebooted, it asked me to "reboot or insert boot media." I did not know what this meant so I just turned the computer off, then back on....now it's working perfectly fine.....what the hell was that? Anything I should be worried about?

I have an Asus ul30vt-x1

Was it my Hard Drive?! All my work is on this thing!

 

You better back it up sounds like your harddrive could be failing.

 

This. Back up.

Now.

 

Yeah, leave it off until you have an external drive ready to back up to.

Once you have all your files safe, do a full error check on the HD.

Right click on each partition, choose properties, Tools tab, Error Checking, make sure both boxes are checked and reboot the system.

If you're lucky, you may save your drive like this.

However, I would personally be looking for a new replacement HD now.

Good luck.

 

So if the error checking finds no errors, I should be fine?

The computer is working fine right now

 

If the error checking finds no errors what this means is that the data you backed up should be error free.

The fact that the system showed a BSOD is enough for me to distrust that HD completely. Why? Because the heads touched the platters somewhere on the disk's surface.

Like I said before I would be looking for a new HD now.

Just because it is working fine now doesn't mean much. As you fill/use the drive and it one day is forced to use the damaged surface area it hit, you will have these problems (and worse) all over again.

For $80 and a few hours to get your O/S, apps, data on a new drive, it is not worth tempting fate with.

Good luck.

 

I will contact Asus and tell them the problem. So, any external HDD will work to back everything up?

I cannot change the HDD since it is a laptop and I will void warranty if I try to open it....Asus should fix this. I will try that and I will ask more questions if I have them.

 

Yeah, any external should work fine.

You shouldn't need to void the warranty to change the HD (but something may be specific for your system...).

Also, know that ASUS will charge you for changing the HD (and you wil not get the exact same configuration back - hope you made your backup Restore disks when you bought it).

Unless the warranty also covers drops/misuse/etc.

Good luck.

 

it does, ASUS has a 2 year warranty, and first year has full accidental protection on 90% of their laptops ... the 30VT does.

I would just toss a new drive or SSD in it and call it an upgrade but thats just me.

 

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I just bought that drive. Yes, I know 1TB is overkill, but I've been meaning to buy one for multiple computers anyway.

So, I can change the HDD myself without even sending it to Asus? Looking at the bottom of the laptop, the thing that feels hot and is the size of a woman's hand is the hard drive? I just unscrew that and put in a new one after transferring files?

Sorry guys, I know about computers and how to deal with them, but I've never had a HDD crap out or dealt with unscrewing the laptop before.

 

I called Asus and scheduled for them to check he HDD. I will be laptopless for 10-14 days.

One thing that bothered me was that I will lose all my installed programs. Is there any way to transfer EVERYTHING from my old hard drive to the external one I am getting tomorrow, then transferring everything from the external to the new hard drive for the laptop?

Please tell me what I should prepare for and do before sending the laptop in, and if I can do anything to save the OS and all of the applications/programs onto the external HDD.....Thanks

 

Before you send in your notebook - clone your drive (if you've already done the error checking on it?) to your external.

I have used Acronis in the past with good results.

When you have a good clone of your machine (this will/should copy everything over: O/S, apps, data, and any hidden partitions that will let you do a clean install again), I would wipe the drive I'm sending in.

Download ccleaner and in the options do a 'wipe free space' after you have deleted all your data (after ensuring your data is safely on the external!!! - verify it on a different computer that all your data is accessible).

2 weeks with no system? Ahhhgg!

Good luck.

 

Would you mind telling me step by step once I get the HDD tomorrow?

You have been very helpful

 

I hope you know opening up a hard drive door or RAM and upgrading doesn't void your warranty. Only if you screw up (lol). Just remember if a replaced part fails it's not covered by ASUS warranty, or if it damages another part of your laptop, that won't be covered.

If you dropped your laptop, you might have done unseen damage to your motherboard. I would back up your data IF possible. You may not see damage immediately to your hard drive, but when you start getting read/write errors your drive may start failing. ASUS will replace your hard drive and you will never see it again.

Unless you live near an ASUS ASP site (very few and depends on where you live) I'd drop it off rather than ship it off to ASUS unless you've already submitted an RMA.

 

I did not drop the laptop. When I called Asus and ask if it would void warranty, she emphatically said yes. I was dissapointed, but regardless of that, I just got the WD 1TB external HDD.

Can someone please tell me if I can do the "AI Recovery" factory state on it?

Also, step by stel process of how to "clone" the HD, so that if Asus resets the drive, how I can transfer the OS, applications, etc from the HDD to the new one?

EDIT: I live in Fairfax, VA, so the DC area basically. I noticed you live in MD, so if you know of an "ASP" site, could you let me know?

 

Check out this article.

Best Free Drive Imaging Program

I've heard macrim reflect free edition is pretty decent. You can make a Linux based rescue CD so you won't have to even boot into windows to make a backup or restore your data.

 

i dunno if this will help but try using hdtune and checking the smart data for any errors.

 

I did error checking for both the DATA and OS partitions and both came out safe. Right now I will just clone the HDD to be safe.

Thanks for the article Pumpkin man, I have learned a great deal about cloning now, but what of Acronis? I heard that is the best software out there.

 

I would recommend utilizing the HDD as little as possible. I'd almost say boot into Windows Recovery Environment and run a chkdsk, or if you boot into windows do nothing else except check the disk for errors. Then I'd say backup your most important items (photos, critical documents, music that you can't redownload, etc, basically everything in your "documents" folder at least). Then do a system image.

Edit: I just responded same time as your post. Acronis is good, but there is no free version last I checked. If you're up for buying one, then Acronis is pretty good and decently featured. I bought it a few years ago, but probably time to buy the latest edition since it has some issues with AHCI and other newer tech. The latest edition (Drive Image 2011) should work great with anything at the moment.

 

See, my issue right now is that I ran the error checking twice, and both times it came up ok. Other than that first hiccup, my computer has been running perfectly, with no issues. But as people before have posted, they said I might encounter issues in the future.

So when I do the clone, and send my computer to Asus and they replace the HDD, how would I recover the clone? Just plug it into the computer or what? That's what I'm scared of. How will I recover the information with no OS?

 

Using Macrium Reflect.

So, right now I am making an image of the C and D drives to the external drive. Then I will make a Recovery CD.

Then, I'm set. Hopefully.

Even if my hard drive craps out on me, I can restore using the CD and recovery disc, and it will be like it never changed. Right.....?

 

Yes I live in the DC area, I live in North Potomac, MD.

If you've used your notebook for more than say a week and installed alot of crap, usually recovery CD's fail. You pretty much have to make it when it is brand new.

The closest ASUS ASP on the east coast is in somewhere upstate NY. Next is in Georgia.

Cloning the drive will save your data for now. What did ASUS say would void your warranty? If they said upgrading your laptop with aftermarket components, that is a lie, UNLESS those components caused a failure on the laptop (highly improbable). Unless you escalate to a Tier 3 tech, ignore what the first few people say.

 

It was a chick who sounded like she didn't know much about computers, but she told me if I tried replacing the drive myself, it would void the warranty.

What do you mean the recovery disc will fail? I thought making an image of this state and making a recovery disc to recognize the image in this state would be enough to set it so it was as if nothing ever happened. That's what I have been reading online. I thought if they gave me the back hard drive, I would use the image to overwrite the C drive that would be factory setting, with the settings I have now.

 

I meant using the ASUS recovery software. Usually manufacturers will give a pre-imaged hard drive.

 

Yeah, like the "AI Recovery Remind" that asks me to insert blank DVD's for recovery. Yeah, I don;t want to do that, the HDD clone will work.

But I honestly do not want to send my laptop in anymore. If replacing the HDD does NOT void my warranty, what is stopping me from just buying a 7200rpm hd and transferring my cloned data to that? I think my problem is that I have never done it before, so I am scared.

 

I would also make the Asus backup images as well. You will want these should you ever go to sell your computer, and revert the machine back to "factory state".

 

You do want to make recovery discs at some point. The easiest way to fix a corrupt OS is using the recovery partition on your laptop as that has all the drivers and crap to make it work, it's really effortless.

Now recovery discs are needed because if your hard drive fails then the recovery partition is toast. Then the recovery CDs are very useful as all the drivers are there and it activates Windows with GVL key by ASUS.

If ALL else fails you can use an OEM disc and install Windows manually but you need to download ASUS drivers (horrible experience, I'd rather be stabbed, shot and tortured than go through ASUS website for drivers) AND manually activate Windows with the provided OEM key on the bottom of your laptop PROVIDED it has not rub off yet.