HD Controller Failure?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

I have a Gateway 700 XL with Windows XP SP2.

There is a RAID 1 (mirror) main HD (250 Gig).

I have been having a shutdown problem, checked for virus & malware - neg

Recently the system has started running CHKDSK at startup:

In Stage 2 of 3 it gives repeated message....

"Correcting error in index $I30 for file 188981"
After a long period it boots with the notation, "an unspecified error
occurred"

Then when boots thru this

"CTHELPER.exe - Application Error"

The instruction at "0x73dd3190" referenced memory at "0x11d13ea7". The
memory could not be read.

This pattern occurred when one of the disks was starting to fail, is this
happening again?

This computer arrived DOA with a failed HD (23 months ago)
A second HD failed about 12 months ago.
A further major system failure seems to have been associated with a bad
memory module.

I have run GWSCAN 5.07 & both disks in the RAID array report "Test Completed
with Read Element Failure"


Please advise........

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

T. Brox,

CTHELPER is a program which is part of your Soundblaster card and loads
at bootup. It is not a file necessary for the operation of your sound
card. However, the "memory could not be read" message that appears when
it tries to load would suggest that you might have problem with a memory
module. Try running from a single stick and see if that changes things.
In my experience, most of the problems related to memory are from
misaligned installations.

Try another IDE ribbon and make sure it is blue to the board. If you
are using 18" or 24" rounded cables, replace them with shorter ones.
Some folks have had problems with crosstalk on the long cables. I'd
also figure out what brand of drive(s) you have and try running their
diagnostic software. Your mirror drives are a matched pair right? Try
each of the drives alone on the main controller.

Lastly, power may also be an issue. Those big drives take quite a bit
of juice and since you are running a mirror array, they are both
spinning up at the same time. Have you noticed any problems with brown
outs? Also don't run from a long extension cord and try another socket.
Old or problematic wiring can cause all kinds of strange behavior.

Good luck,

Mort



T Brox wrote:

> I have a Gateway 700 XL with Windows XP SP2.
>
> There is a RAID 1 (mirror) main HD (250 Gig).
>
> I have been having a shutdown problem, checked for virus & malware - neg
>
> Recently the system has started running CHKDSK at startup:
>
> In Stage 2 of 3 it gives repeated message....
>
> "Correcting error in index $I30 for file 188981"
> After a long period it boots with the notation, "an unspecified error
> occurred"
>
> Then when boots thru this
>
> "CTHELPER.exe - Application Error"
>
> The instruction at "0x73dd3190" referenced memory at "0x11d13ea7". The
> memory could not be read.
>
> This pattern occurred when one of the disks was starting to fail, is this
> happening again?
>
> This computer arrived DOA with a failed HD (23 months ago)
> A second HD failed about 12 months ago.
> A further major system failure seems to have been associated with a bad
> memory module.
>
> I have run GWSCAN 5.07 & both disks in the RAID array report "Test Completed
> with Read Element Failure"
>
>
> Please advise........
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.gateway2000 (More info?)

I Googled "GWSCAN read element error" and found this forum. T Brox,
I'd love to hear more about the problems you're having. I too have a
Gateway 700 XL computer with the same problem. My computer is 23
months old now and has been through 4 hard drives and is currently
working on it's 5th. With the last failure, my computer started
running chkdsk on every boot, then it stopped doing it after it
"fixed" the errors, I guess. About 3 days later, it was dead and the
computer wouldn't boot.


I'm so frustrated. Gateway just keeps sending me hard drives and
won't even look at anything else. They just said I've been unlucky
with my 4 bad hard drives in a row.