Windows 7 - Unexpected I/O error has occurred?

My Acer 3820T won't boot up any more. Getting a Boot Manager error, 0xc00000e9, "An unexpected I/O error has occurred" black screen.

I'm guessing it's a Seagate Momentus XT Drive failure? I can't seem to boot the computer up at all. I've even tried with the ACER Recovery Disks I made, but it gets me past the Windows 7 screen, then just says "Please wait a moment" or something along those lines and never makes it off of that screen (have waited at least 40 minutes if not longer, mouse pointer moves around, but nothing happens).

I'm trying to download some new Win 7 Media onto a USB drive to try a reinstall, but does anyone have any other ideas?

I've tried the "Launch Startup Repair (recommended)" option, but it gives me the same error.

 

Oh, and another thing. I have a Blac-X Thermaltake hard disk drive reader. But for some reason when I put my Seagate in there it won't read any of the partitions and just shows one disk that shows something like 78gb free on 100gb (think I did a 100gb partition) but when I click on it says "disk is empty"?

 

Do not try the USB first. Try some a new Windows DVD to see if that works.

1. Are you connecting the Blac-X to another another computer to check the drive?

2. Did you originally fill the Seagate drive? How many partitions did it have?

3. Try to format the Seagate drive from another computer and then run a check disk on it.

4. Look at the SMART data for the drive.

 

1. Yes (can't even boot up the 3820T)

2. I can't recall, but I think 4.

3. Problem is I need to get some of the data on that disk before I format (hence why I went the partition route thinking if Windows failed I'd just have to reinstall).

4. What is the "SMART" data?

Thanks...

 

BTW, just tried the "Launch Startup Repair (recommended)" again, this time it actually took me to a Windows screen, but again seems to have hanged. Mouse works, has that blue Windows 7 screen background, but doesn't seem to be doing anything...

 

Wait ... I just remembered that when I turned the laptop off this morning (last time I used it) it asked if I wanted to install updates then shutdown, I clicked "yes" and left.

I wonder if it installed Windows 7 SP1 and that is causing the issues?

 

Well, have now tried to reinstall Windows 7 from a USB drive, but even that freezes (after I've clicked on Install Windows it goes to a "Preparing for setup" screen or something along those lines and just freezes).

So I decided to try and use Testdisk ( TestDisk Step By Step - CGSecurity) to see if I can recover the drive. I can see one of my partitions using the BlacX drive dock(my own directory), but can't see my wife's partition for some reason (it just shows up as a blank drive).

Trying to run Testdisk isn't working either, I keep getting some strange error that "the program can't start because libiconv-2.dll is missing from your computer". I'm using the original drive that came with the Acer 3820T to run this.

Good lord this is frustrating!! Help!

 

Every time you try something that is writing to the disk, like reinstalling the OS, you are one step further away from ever recovering the data on the drive. The last thing you want is ANYTHING being done to that drive until you get your important data from it.

You need to stick with the drive in the external dock and use some data/disk recovery tools first. Although it may already be too late. The recovery disk you used may have already wiped out your wife's partition. However there are recovery tools that can even deal with that sort of issue, provided the data itself has not been over written.

Gary

 

There is nothing on the main partition that I want to recover, only my wife's partition at this point.

In any event, is there a program you'd recco?

 

testdisk is usually the best program for recovering data from kiboshed partitions.

It is not an easy program to use, though.

When it found your one partition but not the other, did you do the deep search for partitions, or just the standard?

 

I have used iCare data recovery to recover some data for a client from a drive that had its partition structure destroyed. There are lots of others out there as well. I used it only because I had jut gotten a free copy of it thru Download Of The Day.

Gary

 

I couldn't even get the program to load due to that "the program can't start because libiconv-2.dll is missing from your computer" error I noted above.

 

I thought you had it running since you note you can see one partition.

It sounds likeyou may have downloaded the wrong version of testdisk.

Which version did you download?

TestDisk Download - CGSecurity

 

I'm trying Pandora File Recovery right now, however, it appears it will take 12hours to scan the 200gb (or so) partition.

I downloaded the free trial version of iCare, here's what it's telling me I have on the 500gb Momentus Drive:



Ignore the C:Acer drive as that is simply the drive I'm using with the laptop right now (its original drive that was later replaced by the Momentus).

Looks like for some reason I did 4 partitions. I'm guessing the 50gb partition was the one I installed windows on, though I'm surprised it doesn't show up as the first partition? Neither D or E are accessable (both say "must format drive to see it if I click on them to view properties).

The "G" partition is the one I had my files on and appears to be fine. So I'd guess my wife's files are on H or D.

 

The Windows 64 bit one as I'm on a 64 bit OS...though maybe I did the beta one... will try the other...

 

Yup, must have been the beta one as the 6.11 version seems to work. Thanks, will muck around with that for a bit ...

 

This is what Testdisk found, will now run the "quick search" tool.

 

Next step ... not sure what this is telling me?

 

depends on what your goal is...in this case, the safest best solution is touse your cursor keys to navigate to the desired partition

click P to LIST FILES

use your cursor key to navigate to the USER > WIFE's NAME directory and click C to copy

choose the desired location (you can leave it as the testdisk/win directory to make things easier) and press C to copy.

Testdisk will copy EVERY file from your wife's user profile to the testdisk directory. You can then go in and get what you need and toss the rest

 

Question, it appears to show the System Reserved partition as the primary bootable, is this typically the case?

 

yes. that is normal

 

This just gets weirder and weirder by the hour. I had to turn off the computer for a bit (after saving my wife's "user" directory files) and wanted to see if I could locate other files on the various partitions. So started up Testdisk again.

However, now after selecting Create Log (or whatever the option is called right off the bat), the thing just says "Please wait ..." and hangs forever.

What the heck!?

 

Physical failure, possibly?

What does the SMART information tell you.

Download HDTUNE and check under the health tab

HD Tune website

 

Nope, ended up having to reboot the computer a couple times, delete and reload the Testdisk software and managed to get back in.

Think I've recovered all the files I could. Now I would like to delete everything on the drive (all partitions) and format it to see if it fixes any errors on the disk.

Will see if I can figure out how to delete partitions...

 

Load your dvd to start windows install, choose advanced and select and delete the partitions

 

Yeah, ended up figuring that out. Of course, just to cap the day, the Windows 7 USB drive I made crashed on me! So I'm now going back to the Acer Recovery DVD's I made when I first bought the computer. I'll just remove the bloatware manually once done.

Will give that HDTune a go once I'm done to check the drive.

Thanks for all your help today Gerry!

 

Somebody up there is laughing at me ... got an "Image Failed" error when trying to use the Recovery Disks. Maybe the drive is just doomed!

 

You are having what I would call "a bad day"

Restore DVDs are not always reliable...especially when you've had partition problems since they will look for the partition structure as it was when the PC was made.

There is a thread on windows 7 downloadable images. Download the appropriate image for your computer and then install with that using the sticker on the bottom of your pc.

You will be happier with that in the long run...

 

Tell me about it.

Ran HD Tune, looks like the Momentus has a few bad sectors. Thinking of just returning it (depending on how much of a PIA that is given I purchased the unit off of newegg).

 

you may also consider rma'ing it straight to seagate...

bad sectors means you want nothing to do with this drive. I've had drives with 4kb of bad sectors that lasted for 10 years, but I would not trust it as a primary drive (use them as extra backup drives)

 

Yes, that's what I meant by returning it (sorry, guess I made it a tad confusing by mentioning Newegg)...