The Pennypincher & Tightwad Tidbits Daily   More than Just Money!         The General Store Outlets, Bargain Basement Items, Sales and Specials             This is my web host.  I have been very pleased with their service.
	FRUGAL ARTICLES to help you in every area of your life.    Full Frugal Library Index containing hundreds of articles,  is at the bottom of  the page  Search All Things Frugal by Keyword Below   Web www.allthingsfrugal.com  Category:  Computers Computer Repair Tips  Seven Early Warning Signs of a Hard Drive Crash By Chancer Reese If your hard drive is having any of these seven symptoms then you must take immediate action to backup your files... "I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them." ~ Isaac Asimov Like the late, great Mr. Asimov said, we shouldn't worry about computers taking over but be more concerned when they fail us and take all our important files with them. A computer's hard drive is the central storage within the system and its failure will bring all practical functions to a complete halt. If your PC is experiencing any of the following signs of impeding doom then you must run (not walk) and grab CDs to burn backups of all your essential data. Sign 1 - You hear high-pitched whining, loud clicking or grinding noises coming from the drive A normally operating drive will make a smooth "whirling" sound as is spins up or down. But if a drive has a grinding or clicking sounds (the Read/Write heads scraping too close to the magnetic platters), then your drive is sick and is on the way out. Sign 2 - You see the infamous "Blue Screen of Death", repeatedly BSODs (Blue Screens of Death) are actually called "Stop" errors and they only appear when your Windows system is experiencing severe software or hardware issues. Often BSODs can cured with a careful "Repair Install" of the Windows operating system or by removal of a bad device driver. But if these software fast fixes don't seem stick, then your hard drive is usually on its last legs Sign 3 - Your computer keeps re-booting on its own I admit, I have only seen this problem a few times in my 18+ year career and in all instances it was due to hardware issues. Once it was a dust covered motherboard, and another time an overheating processor. But all the other times it was due to bad drives. Sign 4 - Your system keeps having frequent freezes or hang ups You are working along just fine, and then suddenly everything comes to a halt. The program freezes up on you. Your mouse and keyboard seem to stop responding. The only solution is to reboot. Sign 5 - Error message: hard drive is not formatted This a fun message that you will get when you start up your machine. You maybe able to restart and get it to boot into Windows a few more times but this error is "fur-sure" sign that you drive is very close to death. And by the way don't try to format the drive! You will lose all your data. Sign 6 - Error message: boot drive or device not found or drive cannot be accessed This is another favorite of mine. You can check the CD/DVD trays or the floppy drive to make sure no stray disks are stuck inside. You can also check the BIOS to make sure the system is booting from the hard drive first. If all these tests are no-good, then the drive is a goner. Sign 7 - Errors: Operating system not found or Missing Operating System This is a bad one. Even the Microsoft technical support knowledgebase has only got a few causes for this error message. Basically your PC can no longer detect the hard drive or the drive is too severely damaged to read (DOA). What to do if your drive has any of these symptoms: 1) First, listen up, if possible, BACKUP YOUR FILES NOW! 2) Create a boot disk and run Windows Scandisk and set it to automatically fix errors. If it finds more than a few bad sectors then see the point above 3) If possible download and use a hard drive diagnostic program. All the major hard drive manufacturers have free utilities on their websites. Repair what you can and see point 1. About the Author: Sick of computer headaches? Tired of wasting money on that "computer guy"? To learn more fast and free fixes for your problem PC, visit http://www.fixcomputerproblemsguide.com. Hard Drive Crashed? Repair or Rescue Any Hard Drive. From Chancer Reese, your Small Office Tech Diva.   Whether you are looking for CASH BACK , AIRLINE MILES , a BALANCE TRANSFER or even have BAD CREDIT , you can find the perfect credit card for your family. Click on the links below to search the best cards  in each category.   Airline Credit Cards Balance Transfer Credit Cards Cash Back Credit Cards Credit Cards for Bad Credit Instant Approval Credit Cards Low Interest Credit Cards Prepaid Debit Cards Reward Credit Cards Student Credit Cards     Hundreds of Categorized Frugal Living, Penny Pinching,  Money Saving Articles and More! Appliances and Electronics Savings Automobile Savings Children -      Activities & Frugal Fun Children -      Frugal Baby Care Children -     Challenges Children -      Parenting Children -      School Savings Children -      Stories Cleaning -     Frugal Techniques Cleaning -     Frugal Clutter Control Computers -  Frugal Use Decorating -  Frugal and Basics Decorating -  Budget & Small Spaces Decorating -  Accessories Decorating -  Frugal Furniture Savings Decorating -  Room by Room Decorating -  Saving with Style Decorating -  Seasonal Decor Savings Decorating -  Wall Deco Savings Decorating -  Windows Frugal -  Beauty Frugal-   Clothing Frugal -  Family Fun Frugal -  Favorite Money Savers Frugal -  Favorite Tips Frugal -  Odds and Ends Frugal -  Pets Frugal -  Quilting Frugal -  Romance Frugal -  Saving on Utilities Frugal -  Shopping Help Frugal -  Truly Frugal Tips Frugal  - Vacations Gardening and Landscaping Healthy Living Healthy Living - Emotional Well-Being Healthy Living - Cutting Medical Costs Healthy Living - Stress Healthy Living - Weight Control Hobbies and Crafts Hobbies and Crafts - Scrapbooking Holidays -  Christmas  Holidays-    Frugal Celebrations Holidays -   Frugal Gifts Holidays -   Halloween Savings Homes -     Buying Savings Homes -     Mortgages and Saving Money Homes -     Selling and Making Money Homes -     Improvement Savings Homes -     Maintenance Savings/Inside Homes -     Maintenance Savings/Outside Inspirational -  Articles Misc Inspirational -  Attitude and Gratitude Inspirational -  Courage/Determination/Hope Inspirational -  Goal Setting Inspirational -  Happiness Inspirational -  Self Esteem/Success Inspirational -  Frugal Quotes Jobs and Careers Kitchen -   Frugal Tips and Frugal Help Kitchen -   Frugal Barbecue Tips Kitchen -   Frugal Desserts Kitchen -   Frugal Fruit Tips Kitchen -   Frugal Homemade Savings Kitchen  -  Frugal Meal Planning / Leftovers Kitchen -   Frugal Meat Tips Kitchen -   Frugal Organization and Tools Kitchen -   Frugal Sauces and Condiments Kitchen -   Frugal Veggies and Salads Money  -   Budgeting for the Frugal Money  -   Credit & Credit Cards Money  -   Debt Advice for the Frugal Money -    Identity Theft and Fraud Money -    Investing and Taxes Money -    Retirement and Wills Preparing for Emergencies Recipes, Favorite and Frugal Simple LIving -    Frugal Living Simple Living -    Priorities | Back to Top |  Category:Computers Related Links:  |  Computers |  Computer Humor | Speeding Up a Slow PC | | Home |