by Chris Devers

Question by : HP media center - windows XP freezes / windows recovery fails.?
HP m7680n
HP direct info: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00739902&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
Windows XP Media Center (assumed patch 3, but unknown).
2x250GB SATA HDDs in an unknown RAID configuration.
The computer is 2.5-3 years old.

This computer has recently stopped working properly. Windows freezes up shortly after booting. I tried using the windows XP CD to recover the data, but it said something along the lines of HDD failure, and gave me the following error:
Stop: 0x0000007b (0xf78d2524, 0xc0000035, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

I then attempted logging into windows recovery in safe modem and attempted Windows Recovery from a previous working date from two weeks ago. It gave me the message that an attempt to write ove read-over memory failed refering to win32k.sys. I didn't take note of the following error code.

I then just attempted to start windows normally but I got the same error with code:
0x000000BE (0xBF801269, 0x13584021, 0xB9D1BA14, 0x0000000C)
Win32k.sys -address BF977557 base at BF800000

If you need any more information, I'd attempt to collect it. The computer is currently running from a Ubuntu LIVE CD. The computer also is not my own. I can assume it's some type of HDD failure, due to the age and use of no-name HDDs in RAID. I don't know what informatio is stored on the HDDs, so I don't intend to reformat unless needed. I simply want to upgrade to Vista, but I don't have a license to do this with at the moment and I'd rather stay legit on a computer I don't own. I can't get any information from the owner of the computer because she is currently hospitialized.
The computer would Vista just fine, as long as aero is turned off.

I've run check disk twice, and it came off perfect both times, apparantly!?

I can't even access safe mode anymore after attempting to use windows recovery.
Trying to use a XP live CD failed before even loading. Disk itself is fine, tried 2 different ones.

No new software.
A nasty lil virus possibly in the cache or something is what I'm thinking, and I don't like that thought.
Thank you.
I'll try updating the HDD controller drivers, and hopefully don't lose information upon the raid. I don't know if valuable information is on the raid or not sadly.

If it's a boot sector virus, I got a lot of research to do. From my quick research, it seems that most fixes are for systems that can still run, while this one cannot start at this moment (though I never did try a bios reset just realising). My PSU doesn't have 3 SATA pins either to support hokking up my HDD to the array to attempt a fix from my OS, but I can try a LIVE CD or USB boot (already have what I need for it anyways).


Best answer:

Answer by KirbyApple
If it's HDD failure, then you have to fix your Hard Drive, replace it!

And, if you want to upgrade to Vista.. im afraid the computer will not work well though you have new Hard Disk, because the computer is 2.5-3 years already. Vista requires a lot, as in high specs.

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