Quads
Malware Removalists
In New Zealand
Posts: 9,387
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Post by Quads on Sept 7, 2014 10:13:36 GMT -8
In terms of Mslware / PUP's we are finished.
Your Hard Drive cannot be fixed over the internet if it is by the sounds of it physically dying. Depending on what is the actual physical problem (from the heads, controller, platters or read errors)
A) you may be able to clone the whole disc (all partitions and boot sectors etc) to a portable Hard Drive and them when a new Hard Drive is installed then clone all the data back onto the new Hard Drive. This can be hard to do depending on the state of the Hard Drive and if read errors exist. For OEM Desktops and Notebooks (Acer, HP, Compaq etc) the OS on the system should only be tied to the Motherboard not the Hard Drive so that clonning Disk to disk all the data onto the new installed Hard Drive, everything should load OK, Like Windows and the activation and Drivers for hardware as the Motherboard is the same.
B) Real time AV and other scanners may struggle to install or run correctly on a failing Hard Drive as realtime products place extra pressure on drives, this is not seen unless there is a problem, The same occurs with the Startup and Shutdown of a system.
Quads
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Post by markburrows on Sept 7, 2014 23:06:56 GMT -8
Hi Quads,
Given that I have copied all my valuable data onto a portable drive, is it better to take it to a repair shop for this too be done, as you cant help over internet, I dont feel confident to try that myself. I note your point re the AV and the struggling hard drive, is it worth trying to reinstall Norton or i was thinking ESET instead. If it struggles to install properly i can unistall it again. At the moment i dont have the spare cash for a new HDD or my preferred option ipad air ! So i have to try to struggle on with the current unit. After all your work it is working much faster than before with no more buzzing or grating sounds, startup and shut down is a quick as ever ......... Any advice gratefully received and thanks so much for cleaning it up
Mark
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Post by markburrows on Sept 12, 2014 18:49:46 GMT -8
HI Quads,
Guess you must be busy, is there anything else to do with this or should i try installing av again... i know the HD is dying and am trying to source a new one and a friend who can swap it out
all the best
Mark
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Quads
Malware Removalists
In New Zealand
Posts: 9,387
|
Post by Quads on Sept 12, 2014 19:27:44 GMT -8
make sure your Friend has all the gear for "best practice" with Computer Components, Anti static gear etc. I have the straps and mats so that I am earthed and the mat the system is on is also earthed. As the components don't like any static electricity (even tiny zaps you don't feel) and if best practice is not followed hardware manufacturers generally don't honour any warranty. Even with all the earthing connected to me I still go slowly and gingerly. You may not have bad sectors but have another type of problem with the disc, but it may mean you can clone the disk, (all partitions) to be cloned back onto the new HDD so that all the Partitions, Boot sectors and data etc. are copied over identically.
Your system is an Acer with a 640GB HDD (due to the bit (byte) scale reads 596.2 GB) so possible a WD Blue drive. 640GB HDD's are gone from sale (new) I have found in New Zealand anyway, so like I do you will have to go up to 750GB HDD. If you get a 1TB or bigger drive careful if a Notebook / Laptop, as the drive bay may only take drives of 9.5mm height the the drives of the same capacity but of a 12.5mm height may not or will not fit.
As As for Installing a AV it is up to you which one, and if all AV's are struggling or some won't install, especially using the full installer the AV's could be struggling on a hurting HDD. Not goo when a HDD is making grinding / scratching noises.
Quads
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Post by markburrows on Sept 13, 2014 18:52:18 GMT -8
HI quads,
Getting scarier by the minute !! Can you help with cloning over the internet?? or advise on tests i can do on the HDD to identify excatly what the problem is with the HDD ?
thanks
Mark
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Quads
Malware Removalists
In New Zealand
Posts: 9,387
|
Post by Quads on Sept 13, 2014 20:32:33 GMT -8
It is like these free versions of software. www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software-features.htmwww.backup-utility.com/free-backup-software.htmlFor todo backup free they say "Sector-by-sector backup - Store an exact copy of your disk or volume, including unused space, sector-by-sector backup assures you a 100% identical copy to the original." "Disk Clone Migrate or copy all the data on a hard disk partition,or GPT disk to another to upgrade hard drive without re-installing operating systems and applications." I don't have that software, mine has more power and get around sector errors without the program stopping allowing me to get every piece of data available, a lot of backup and cloning programs as soon as they hit an error, Bang error message and the program stops. I am unsure if the above programs stop at disk errors. The better programs for problem drives can be slow (In days in terms of scanning)but they get every piece of data available so that only the file(s) where the sector errors were are stuffed, hopefully a Windows file so that a backup copy can be found and replaced the damaged file(s). Good PC techs (not saying I am any where near the best) have extra drives so that even if Windows won't boot we can copy data off the drive on to a second, third or forth drive (even if only a USB portable drive, but not the drive that already has your backed up personal files) then New HDD gets installed and the boot CD copies the clone from the second, third or forth drive on to the newly installed drive Old stuffed drive === cloned to ==> second, third or forth drive == cloned to ==> New installed Drive Here is example screenshots, www.todo-backup.com/products/features/disk-clone-guide.htm From the Server version and not the Free version but I wouldn't think it would look too much different (as the Free Version states Cloning also. But you can see closely in the screenshot how you can tick the whole disk to clone or just one of the partitions and a box to tick for asking the program to Sector by Sector I Just can't see a option in the pics to ignore sector errors, which could be a problem. Quads
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Post by markburrows on Sept 14, 2014 18:44:19 GMT -8
HI Quads, Interseting........think i should create some new recovery discs ( the originals are somewhere in the UK inbetween various house moves..or possibly on a rig where Ive been working at some point!) from the facility on the windows then see what i can do re a new drive.
If i installed AV and it doesnt work will the reinstall function clean it out properly? system seems to be working fine at the moment but not using internet wothout any protection so need to put something on..however I think as soon as i do the HDD will start acting up again !
thanks
MArk
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Quads
Malware Removalists
In New Zealand
Posts: 9,387
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Post by Quads on Sept 14, 2014 19:11:27 GMT -8
You can create recovery discs if you like.
For the AV you can try and install Norton if you like, can't find the download link for the full installer quickly at the moment.
Quads
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Post by markburrows on Sept 18, 2014 1:06:39 GMT -8
Hi Quads,
Recovery disc made, Norton reinstalled with no issus, all appears fine and no graing buzzing sounds so far !!
Thanks for all your brilliant help, hopefully there will be no further issues, but if there is I know the expert to come and ask !!
Thanks again
Mark
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Quads
Malware Removalists
In New Zealand
Posts: 9,387
|
Post by Quads on Sept 18, 2014 10:24:01 GMT -8
Your HDD may be a start of a very slooooooowww failure compared to a hard (sudden, gone in a couple of days) failure, I have had one of those on my system in the past, before I did HDD training. The HDD was very slowly going down hill with only noises now and then with the odd symptom, but not much to alarm about, until approx 9 months later Boom HDD died.
Good Luck over there.
Quads
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