Explorer.exe crash, C drive disappearing (raptor)

[ianc1990]

Hi, i have vista installed on my 150Gb WD raptor,

Sometimes i get an explorer.exe crash and told that somethings up with memory :S

The hardisk stops working completely as i can hear it when it works as its quite loud.
Its like it shuts down and the only way i can use my computer agen is by restarting it!

Sometimes the pc also freezes where nothing happens and everything stops respoding (cant hear hard disk working either) but after around 30 seconds everything is perfect again!

Been having this problem since i built this pc about 5 months ago!

Recently i realised that sometimes C drive dissappears ant i cannot open anything up, but what already is open, such as an msn conversation, works perfectly fine!

Does anyone know why this happens!?

It is my hard disk or my ram?

Ran memtest before but no errors have shown up :/


Anyone have a clue?

[DDY]

Have you scanned your hard drive for errors? I had the similar problem a while ago, I could hear the HDD click and spin down while Vista freezes, sometimes it would spin up again and windows would work for a few mins before BSOD'ing and restarting.

Ran CHKDSK /r and recovered some errors but Vista came out corrupted so re-installed Vista, everything was fine until the HDD died 6 months later.

[ianc1990]

Tried running checkdisk but no errors were found!

The message i get is ...
explorer.exe - Application Error
The instruction at 0x765aa531 referenced memory at 0x2bd0000. The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status of 0xc000000e
Click on OK to terminate the program

I heard this is a hard disk problem?

Baught this WD 150GB raptor from scan, only been about 4-5 months.

If it is the hard disk, will it be replacable?

Thanks!!

Ian

[Viper81]

Sounds to me like it's all related to explorer (as, if you say, other apps are running ok on their own). The quick and dirty way of trying to fix it would probably be a repair install of Windows (with all the associated caveats) or possibly just a SP2 re-install.

[ianc1990]

Well, at first i tought it was that so i tried fully reinstalling vista, but still, after several attempts, no luck!

I think this is my 4th install of vista but still always get the same error!

Other programs are also constantly freezing but sometimes they recover or i just get the explorer.exe application error!

On rare occasions, i also get BSOD'd.

When my pc freezes, the hard disk seems to stop working (no noise) and NOTHING can be done, no ctrl + alt + del, no closing programs, not even a force shutdown!

But if my computer recovers, all the things i do whilst its frozen happen after recovering!

If i use the restart button, my comp doesnt go past the screen with the motherboard logo when starting up and iv got to hold down the power button till it goes off, then start up.

Thats why i dont think its to do with windows but hardware related!

Lost in this situation!

[Paul Adams]

Symptoms are definitely hardware (the clincher being the "system freezes on the BIOS logo screen after pressing the reset button").

If Windows loses sight of its boot volume then it cannot load system DLLs on demand, and page faults will fail (reading virtual memory contents back in from the page file).

Now as to whether it is the disk itself or the controller to which it is connected, or specific to the mode in which the drive is being used by the BIO (IDE vs AHCI) - that is the problem to determine.

[ianc1990]

That sounds like a pretty good theory!!

Does any1 know how to determine what part is causing this error?
So this could either be the mobo or the hard disk!?
Is it possible to test both parts seperatly to determine whats causing this?

The mobo is an IP-35 pro and as i previousely said, the hard drive is a WD 150gb raptor!

I have a WD 750gb SATA 2 as a secondary storage drive.

Thanks for ur help people!

[Big.Wayne]

Search out *Ultimate Boot Disk* and download the .ISO version and create a bootable diagnostics CD, from there you will be able to run memtest and a western-digital hard disk diagnostics tool.

[ianc1990]

Ok, downloading that now!

By the way its set up in IDE mode as AHCI doesnt load up windows and just restarts the computer when the windows logo, (with the moving bar at the bottom) appears upon startup.

Will the hard disk diagnostics tool detemine if its the hard disk or the hard disk controller though?

I recently had my computer in bits but still running and i accidentaly nocked out the hard disk sata cable...

The EXACT same normal crash happend to my pc so im pretty sure its either the hard disk or its controller!!

Narrowed it down abit!

Thanks pps!

[ianc1990]

Right, ran the Full WD diagnostics test aand an error was found but was apparently repaired.

No errors were found in memtest.

Iv had the computer open for the last few days with the hard disk outside for air and i havent got this error since!

Is it possible that my hard disk or mobo is overheatin or maybie the cable is faulty?

Thanks

Ian

[d3fiant]

raptors can get a tad warm, remember its a 10k RPM drive so good airflow around it is highly advisable.

If ur still using the nexa case then ensure that the fan next the drives is working, isnt clogged with dirt etc, that should provide a good level of airflow. Also dont put the drives right next to each other, leave a slot inbetween to allow airflow

Hope that helps

[ianc1990]

well, i took it the front apart n cleaned out the air filter on it, wasnt too bad.
But still, cant work with it in the case!

In the setup, i have the drives 2 slots apart and another under the raptor so its got plenty of air gettin to it.

Im usin it with the drive sat on the 120mm fan and works perfect!

Dno what else i cn do really!

The case is set up with a 120mm fan in the front pushin inwards, a 120 on the side also pushin in (directly to hard drive) a 120 on the back pushin out, then a 60 on the bottom pushin in and a 60 on top pushin out.
Theres also the PSU fan!

But still, temps are quite high!

Should i go for watercooling?

U reckon it will solve this problem?

Thanks guys!

[ianc1990]

Just updated system specs for a better view!