PC'S ROCK!!!

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006

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Jan 10, 2005
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Not really...Last night I used my pc for what it is only worth using. Video games. I always play a little bit of Counter-Strike before going to bed, or if I can't sleep, it's fun and passes the time quickly. So I did that, and browsed myspace for new metal bands to look for, as usual, then I turned off the computer and went to bed. I get up this morning and go to turn it on like I always do before I head out to the studio, and all I get is a cycling of like 3 or 4 screens, over and over and over. The first screen is the Dell startup screen, normal so far, then I get the RAID screen, still normal, then I get a "start windows in safe mode" options screen, which isn't too normal, but it happens from time to time...then I get the Windows startup screen, again normal. Then, it flashes this blue screen with white text for like .75 seconds then goes right back to the Dell startup screen and it starts this all over again. I took the time to wait for that 3/4 of a second flash over and over again so I could see the message. It said something to the effect of:

Windows has shut down to prevent damage to the boot volume.

UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

And then some more crap that I just simply was NOT going to put anymore effort into trying to decipher.

First of all, let me just say this. I have had my PowerBook G4 for a very long time. And it is connected to the internet 24/7. Literally. It has Wi-Fi, so no matter where I go, it has an internet connection. I have never once had a single problem with it. I do everything that I do on that PC on here, and much more, and not one single problem from day 1. When I install my network card, and I have to re-install it constantly because every once in a while Windows just refuses to beleive it's there...not even 5 minutes goes by on my PC and I get a pop-up. I haven't even opened a web browser, opened AIM, used the internet in any way, shape, or form, I'm just connected to the router...and I get a pop-up. Before anyone asks, yes I have all of the current Windows updates regarding firewall issues, and yes I'm still getting rediculous problems like this. This little unmountable boot volume thing is just the latest of the problems I have had with this PC, which owns a laundry list of past rediculousness. When I bought this PC it was "state of the art" at the time. Intel Pentium IV 3.2gHz CPU w/800mHz FSB, 2gb Dual Channel DDR, Nvidia graphics card, SB Audigy 2 sound card, 160gb Western Digital 10k RPM hard-drive..I mean, the whole package cost a pretty penny. The first day I had it, and booted it up, I already had to look up fixes on the net for some problem it had OUT OF THE BOX. When this computer works, it does what it's suppose to. It's the randomness of fucking up that pisses me off. It literally happens out of nowhere, like this newest problem for instance. It was working perfectly fine last night, didn't make any noises, didn't bog down for anything, I mean...nothing was out of the ordinary. Then I turn it on this morning and BAM! f.u.b.a.r. Now I'm finding out that I can either put the drive into my friend's PC so that it will run chkdsk, or I can hunt down the recovery cd for mine and run it, or just reinstall Windows altogether and lose everything on the drive. Not an option.

Meanwhile, both my PowerBook G4 and PowerMac G5 at the studio work like champions after the repeated abuse that is put on them daily. Constant use of the laptop running multiple applications at a time, and the rigorous recording invironment that the G5 is nested in would make even a custom built PC cringe. Yet they wake up with us every morning and say "bring it on".

~006
Faithful Mac lover 4 ever
 
The first problem sounds like a boot sector fuckup. Common on ibm/hitachi discs. I've run through like 8 of them in _one_ year. That's why I split my main disc into C: (os), D: (programs) and E: (files). I never save any files on C: just on E:. When (if?) the os fuckup I just re-install the os on c: that's has been formated prior to doing that. You'll have to re-install the programs too, but this way you can save alot of the settings etc for the programs.

But as far as a boot sector crash, all you're left with is to get a new disc, install an os on it, put the old disc in as a slave and then copy what you need to the new disc. The old one can never be used as an OS disc again, but you can use it as a storage disc. I however never store anything too important on them, feels too risky.

I do agree on the mac thing. Love'em to death :)

EDIT: btw. windows is such a funny OS, has it ever worked really good? but then again, it's the os most hackers/crackers target to ruin :p
 
> The first problem sounds like a boot sector fuckup. Common on ibm/hitachi discs.

I seriously doubt that the boot sector going wrong is any more or less likely on different manufacturers disks. Certain models from certain manufacturers do have horrible records of failing, but if they die, the boot sector is no more or less likely to be corrupted than any other part of the disk. Boot sector corruption is almost certainly the result of a software ballsup (and is nearly always the result of incorrect user intervention) and is thus nearly always recoverable, even if it does mean reformatting the disk. If part of the boot sector is genuinely physically screwed on the disk then yes, you're screwed; but I can't remember the last time I saw that.

And don't forget that while Windows may well be not be the best OS there is (I for one don't really use it), decent PC hardware is of a noticeably higher quality than the often fairly cheap hardware Apple cram into Macintoshs. People buy Mac's for the OS, not the hardware. [Or, at least, they shouldn't buy them for the hardware ;)]
 
So what can I do? I simply CANNOT lose the files that are on the drive. I was thinking of plugging it into another PC so that it will run chkdsk...which is supposedly a way to fix the error. Any suggestions?

~006
 
Get another master drive and install the OS on it. Change the jumper on your old drive to "slave", then copy your files from the old drive to the new one. After that, perform a "low level" format of the old drive and it should be good to go.

I agree 100% with Itratt's first paragraph.
 
ltratt said:
> The first problem sounds like a boot sector fuckup. Common on ibm/hitachi discs.

I seriously doubt that the boot sector going wrong is any more or less likely on different manufacturers disks. Certain models from certain manufacturers do have horrible records of failing, but if they die, the boot sector is no more or less likely to be corrupted than any other part of the disk. Boot sector corruption is almost certainly the result of a software ballsup (and is nearly always the result of incorrect user intervention) and is thus nearly always recoverable, even if it does mean reformatting the disk. If part of the boot sector is genuinely physically screwed on the disk then yes, you're screwed; but I can't remember the last time I saw that.

And don't forget that while Windows may well be not be the best OS there is (I for one don't really use it), decent PC hardware is of a noticeably higher quality than the often fairly cheap hardware Apple cram into Macintoshs. People buy Mac's for the OS, not the hardware. [Or, at least, they shouldn't buy them for the hardware ;)]
Click to expand...

dude, just shuttup, we don't need anymore macs vs pc's bullshit.
 
> Get another master drive and install the OS on it. Change the jumper on your old drive to "slave",
> then copy your files from the old drive to the new one. After that, perform a "low level" format
> of the old drive and it should be good to go.

I agree, this is definitely the easiest way for the majority of people. As he's got a WD Raptor (at least that's what's implied), he's got a SATA system so there's no master / slave jumpers to set. Just put in another hard drive (or put it in a friends machine - same difference) and you've got a good chance of getting your stuff back. If you do install an OS on the new hard drive, unplug your old one while you're installing - there's no point risking accidentally wiping your hard drive.

If that doesn't work you will have to get more creative...
 
Well, I'm not saying you're wrong. But I've never seen a boot sector error on a seagate or western digital but alot on ibm/hitachi. Mostly the Deskstar or whatever it was called.

If it's a boot sector corruption, how to deal with it then. chkdsk?
 
Noumenon said:
Well, I'm not saying you're wrong. But I've never seen a boot sector error on a seagate or western digital but alot on ibm/hitachi. Mostly the Deskstar or whatever it was called.
Click to expand...

It's actually called the Deathstar. 60% failure. Ah, Hopkins beat me!

Get a decent HD. a WD Raptor. And don't blame the PC, my old G4 went through 3 HD's, lost all my data every time. Maxtor and IBM. I'll never buy those again.
 
I've had a Maxtor in this machine for an odd 4 years. Still running fine. Guess I got one from the 'good' batch.

I don't know if it's just me but I HATE it when people blame their own ineptitude on a platform, whether it be Mac or PC. I think before assigning blame, you really gotta suck it up, find out what was the cause and talk it over rationally.

I've yet to have a PC failure that cripples me, after a decade of use.
 
I wasn't blaming the PC really...moreso the fact that everytime something happens, it's after normal useage, literal routine usage...and out of nowhere. No warning signs, nothing. I was using that PC for the same exact things every time I used it. Operated it exactly the same every time. I turn it off before going to bed, and turn it on in the morning. It just frustrates the hell out of me that it comes from out of the blue with a problem here or a problem there. It's always SOMETHING with PC's in my experience. Even at the studio we use a PC with Vegas for projects, the owner KNOWS his shit when it comes to PCs, he built it himself, and there is absolutely NOTHING on that thing but Vegas and projects. XP Pro, and TWEAKED surgically all to hell to be a monster, and most of the time, it shows. 1,000+ tracks all armed and recording, it asks for more, no problem. Great machine. However...it will run so fantastic one day, then the next day, in the middle of a session it decides to pull some bullshit and cuts out audio or something. It's like...what the fuck? I repeat. What the fuck? Why does it have to happen out of nowhere? Can I at least get a warning of some kind...a noise, a pop-up window saying "bla bla bla you should check this out as soon as possible", smoke...anything? No, it'll just be chillin, doing it's thing as usual then BAM! You didn't expect it at all! HAHA! Eat it PC user! HAH! And I'm just sitting there like "...you have to be kidding me."

It's just so aggravating to have it work so superbly one minute, then the next it's dying on me. I mean, seriously, what the fuck. It's like it gets ill from working correctly for more than a day or something. As if because it was operating to standard actually caused it to think it was having glitches so it shuts it self down? What is that!? "I'm working so great right now...must be something wrong, I'll prevent the user from booting me up in the morning so he can make sure I'm running under par again." Ugh. I'm just getting so sick of problem after problem with PC's.

3.2gHz P4 w/ 800mHz FSB, 2gb DDR, and a fast hard drive. Tweaked for audio production. Tell me why it was having "sample rate" problems with ProTools LE running MBox. When my PowerBook G4 1.8gHz with 768mb DDR and slow internal drive ran it like a champ with ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS. Huge sessions with tons of plugs. Monster PC just couldn't even play back anything for more than 3 seconds before a little window popped up saying I should try changing the sample rate or something else. Then I change it to what it says, start playback again...3 seconds later, it tells me something completely contradicting what it just said. Mac....no problems.

I use to help my dad build custom PC's for people starting when I was young, and I stopped a few years ago. The problems were still there with custom built PC's. You can have the best of the best, but it's still Windows OS and all 3rd party parts. Nobody collaborated with another to make sure it wouldn't have any problems. So I highly doubt custom building my own PC would alleviate any problems. I've thought about it before as per people's recommendation after posting my problems with the PC running ProTools. But after seeing it happen to custom built PC's also...it seems pointless to me. I just don't understand it. Why can't it JUST WORK? I'm sick of having to replace hard drives, and upgrade the memory...just shelling out money and shelling out money and shelling out money for this peice of shit. If it weren't for video games, I would never touch a PC again.

~006
 
I've used PC's ever since I started using computers (playing DOS games when I was like 5), but it wasn't until the last year or so that I've become absolutely fucking sick of them - Windows in particular. I'm a computer engineering major, so I've always been able to troubleshoot pretty well, but it's not what I want to spend all my time doing. I'm buying one of the new macs over the summer. /rant
 
ltratt said:
And don't forget that while Windows may well be not be the best OS there is (I for one don't really use it), decent PC hardware is of a noticeably higher quality than the often fairly cheap hardware Apple cram into Macintoshs. People buy Mac's for the OS, not the hardware. [Or, at least, they shouldn't buy them for the hardware ;)]
Click to expand...
WHERE do you people come from???.. LOL, i'm gong to take pics of the inside of my mac when i get home from NAMM... "cheap hardware... crammed in"??? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... god, i'm going to puke at the idiocy of this. you have clearly not even looked inside a Mac, ever, in your life. if you have, then you are blind. sorry, you are making your comments on this forum to quite a few Mac users... and while you may fool some newbies, those of us that own macs and use them everyday can easily refute silly, uninformed claims like this.

i'm starting to get disgusted with the way these two threads are going (this one and the anti-mac video one) and it's making me think that andy's idea of sectioning off the forum is a great one.... will make it waaaay easier for me to just never even see posts like yours.
 
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