RE: Dsk Boot failure
It can be caused by a number of issues. Loose connections, bad cables, BIOS not recognizing the drive, failure of HD motor or embedded controller, failure of motherboard(MB) controller, missing or corrupt MBR, etc.
I would also recommend first unplugging and repluggin in the power and data cables to and from your HD and MB. If nothing, try swapping both the data cable and a different power cable known to be working, i.e. from DVD drive.
If not working, boot into BIOS and make sure the drive is recognized.
If still not working, I'd make a self booting Linux based HD utility to check the condition of the drive and/or MBR.
Mike:
Have you checked the time/date showing on the monitor? Is it loosing time when shut down for a day or two? With a computer using Vista, your battery may be close 10 years old.
If you are going to waste money replacing drive and reformatting the computer you had better replace the Bios battery. The dying battery can cause an old computer to mention odd reasons for cause of a booting error. The Bios memory may be missing information due to battery being too weak to retain information during computer "off" time.
The dying battery may be the reason you have been getting the error report for drive but having it still survive for the last two years.
ps: Are you a member of the Telephone Pioneers camping group?
I am going to jump into it and work with the cables, and if that doesn't do it, it was Best Buy that had that HP tower for under $300. I may make a trip. I do not belong to the Telephone Pioneers, I got my name from the first company that I got hooked up to with the computer.
Mike
RE: Dsk Boot failure
From what everyone has been saying, the starting place is to take it apart to see what is in there, then decide if I want to try to fix or replace it. I appreciate all the answers. Being retired, maybe this is just a way to give me something to do. Thanks.
Mike
RE: Dsk Boot failure
On a slimline PC it's not as simple as it has been made out to be. Sometimes working on slimline PCs can be a pain. Sometime's just figuring out how to open a slimline can be a pain :). Remove the cover and see how much trouble it may be. Generally a hard drive is secured with 2 or 4 screws or it may have rails or a caddy to keep it secure. There will be 2 cables on the hard drive. Unless it is over 8 years old, it will most likely be SATA and have two small, thin connectors. The larger connector is the power while the smaller connector is the data.
It could be a bad hard drive or a bad controller. Since the computer has been telling you for years that the hard drive might fail, I'd be worried the problem is with the controller. Generally, a hard drive fails shortly after it starts showing signs of failure. If the hard drive really is the problem, getting data off it might not be possible.
Most likely the slimline computer will not have additional connections available for a second hard drive, so you will need a way to connect it to the computer, most likely USB. You can purchase an external hard drive enclosure like this or you can get a hard drive dock like this. Both of these connect to the computer using USB and will let you access your data.
If you don't want to have to start over from scratch on the new hard drive (using the restore DVDs and then copy all your data over), get a copy of this so you can clone your old hard drive to the new hard drive. One caveat though, if the old hard drive is bad, cloning may not be possible. If the old hard drive is bad, but can be cloned, if the bad hard drive has corrupted system files, cloning the hard drive will not fix the corrupted files.
Edited to add: if the problem is with the controller, you are probably out of luck and will need to replace the computer. The controller is part of the motherboard. If you can find a new or recertified motherboard it would be possible to repair your computer, but it's probably not something you could do yourself.
-Michael
Thanks for the answer. I talked to my son, and he told me that my computer had a lot of lap top parts in it, so I would have to check to see what it needed. I do have the external hard drive on it for backup. I hate to jump into a new computer, but that is beginning to sound like the best bet. Staples had a new tower that sounded better than what I have for under $300. I have some programs on here that I hate to loose or have to buy new. The new one has Windows 8 on it, and I have Vista on here. These toys are expensive. Thanks.
Mike
RE: Dsk Boot failure
I just have to ask..since you typed it twice, does it say "dsk" or "disk" ?
It did it again this AM, and the top of it is too high to tell for sure on my monitor, but it actually looks like TSK boot failure. When I google that it comes back to DSK boot failure, and won't show the TSK boot failure. So, you got me.
Mike
Dsk Boot failure
I have a HP Pavilion Slimline PC that the HP monthly checks have been telling me for several years that I have problems with my hard drive and that it could die at any time. Over the last few months when I start up the computer it will begin as normal, then quit and a message comes up at the top of the monitor " Dsk Boot Failure Insert System Disk and press enter". I can usually press control-alt-delete, and it will start. That isn't always working now, and I have to do a hard shutdown and start over. From what I can find, this means that the hard drive is saying goodbye. I am not real computer savvy, how hard is it to put in a new hard drive and transfer everything over to it. I have recovery disc's that were made when the computer was new, and an external hard drive that keeps everything backed up. Is this doable with out a lot of complicated stuff? It has a 320 gig hard drive in it now, and most of what I have seen close to that has been 500. Should I try to stay with the same thing, or would it be of any advantage to go higher than the 500? It has Windows Vista Home Premium on it, and that would be in the original 3 recovery disc's wouldn't it? Thanks.
Mike
RE: Bal X chock question
I wonder why the manufacturers don't just offer a parking brake for trailers? seems like that would be easy enough to do. So much conversation about chocks and seems to me its only because an obvious feature is missing.
I was wondering that myself while I was looking at all the chocks.
The main problem with that for most, if you aren't hooked up to power, the brakes would wear your battery down in nothing flat. I try to get away from the rat race, that requires conservation of power.
Mike
RE: Fishing poles
I carry over 20 rods in my basement storage. I want to be ready for any kind of fish that bites, and have rods and reels for anyone that might need one.;)
Mike
RE: Did you install your own fifth wheel hitch?
Not complicated if you just follow instructions. I put one in on one of my trucks, so if I can do it, I would say that anyone that can chew gum and walk can do it. The better tools you have the easier it is. I ended up having to borrow some good tools. Just follow the directions.
Mike
RE: Nevada 140 from N of Winnemucca NV to Klamath Falls, OR
There are no problems, I think it is beautiful desert country with wild antelope, horses, deer, burrows along the way. As they say, no fuel to speak of between Winnemucca and Lakeview. Enjoy the trip, the slide area is just part of the scenic trip.
Mike
RE: Desert camping near Lake Havasu City
If I remember right, it is just north of the airport, across the highway from the town side. (east of) You will see other rigs in there, and you can go back in on the road aways. Lots of room.
Mike
RE: New Batteries ????
I am getting wet cell to replace the same 12 volt deep cycle Wally World batteries that I had in there. Three batteries that are 6 1/2 years for two, and 5 1/2 years for the last. They just wouldn't hold the charge as well anymore, and on the 5 1/2 year battery after charging, reconditioning, charging, and equalizing, the cells were 5 on the line between good and fair, and the last was between fair and poor on my specific gravity tester. So I figure it is time. Thanks for the answers.
Mike
New Batteries ????
A friend of mine just got new batteries for his home solar outfit, and he was told to equalize them before using. I have never done this before, and am getting new batteries shortly for my fifth wheel, is that a good thing to do?
Mike
RE: Front mounted hitch
Most of the front mounted hitches are only rated for 500# vertical pressure. So you have to make sure your tongue weight isn't over the hitch capacity.
Mike
RE: Vodka saves puppy's life!
I had a cat that got into antifreeze 30 years ago and kept it alive by orally squirting Vodka in it's mouth over a couple of days every few hours. I was lucky that it didn't cause vomiting, but she was totally looped for awhile. I didn't know of anything else to use at the time that it happened. Worked.
Mike
RE: Who uses CAT heaters?
I have had the Olympians in several units for over 20 years, and love them. I put in a ProCom Blue Flame before heading to Alaska in 2008, and it was pretty, having what looked like a fire place, and it had a thermostat. The only problem was it produced so much condensation that it was almost like rain inside the trailer. I thought the roof had started leaking because of the rough roads we were traveling until on the way home the water was running down the wall one night, and it hadn't rained in 4 days. Yes I did keep the window cracked. I have not had that problem much with the Olympians.
Mike
RE: What are Oregon must-sees?
With all that has been put in here, they have just scratched the surface. Oregon is a state that you can never see all the sights. My wife and I had 10 days vacation each year before I retired, and we went to a different area of the state every year for close to 30 years. Now we still find things or areas that we have missed. Of course, with our age, we can see the same thing each year and think it is new.:?
Mike
