Hard drive failure on HP G62-219WM Notebook PC with Windows 7 64-bit

I have HPG62 laptop since 10/1/10. I have had 3 hard drive failures since August. I also replaced the LCD monitor in October 2011. With last hard drive failure in November 2011, I also have "wireless module not working". I ran the diagnostics from laptop: Smart Check test, Run-in test, Hard Disk test, & Memory Module 1 ALL failed. Smart Check test provided ID: RK2A7S-53H5RS-XD002J-60FT03. Memory Module 1 provided ID: RK2A7S-53H5RP-XD002J-409F03. My question is what is causing the hard drive to fail so many times and why are there so many things going wrong with 14 month old laptop?

Hello @AmberNPilcher,
Welcome to the HP Support Forum and thank you for your post.
Now lets see what we can do about your red pixel issue.
First thing first. You are noticing the red pixels on black backgrounds this would most commonly be a stuck pixel. There are a few things that can be done to fix this and they will work in most cases.
If you can please. Post back with your model and product number so i can see what software and hardware you are working with. Here is a link to help you find this.
How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?
Please get back to me and i will see what we can do to fix you up.
Thank you again and have a great day.
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
D5GR
I work on behalf of HP

Similar Messages

Imminent hard drive failure detected ; product name : F2C07PA#ACJ ; operating system : windows 8.1

dear sir,
i need urgent help!! my laptop says that it has detected an imminent hardware failure although it hasn't even been 6 months since i bought it. i ran the system diagnosis for
system and component damage, as prompted by the system. the SMART test was passed but the test for hard drive 1, failed.
failure ID is : RU76X3-6RG733-MFPWXF-61UB03 .
product no. : F2C07PA#ACJ
i have had my data backed-up, in case things go worse and i am currently trying to defragment the hard drive. but it will only buy me some time.
may i please know, if there is any way i can get things back to normal without spending any money ( more preffered). and if 'no' then how much it would cost me to get a new hard drive..
thanking you in anticipation.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Contact HP.
As long as your notebook is in warranty you will be provided with a replacement hard disk at no additional cost. Having an active warranty is a good thing.
You will need the recovery media that you should have already created to recover your notebook to the state it was delivered in once you install the replacement hard disk.
****Please click on Accept As Solution if a suggestion solves your problem. It helps others facing the same problem to find a solution easily****
2015 Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience Consumer

Hard drive failure (why can't I start up with boot disk)?

Running OS 10.4.6. I was getting flashing question mark at startup. Tried starting with Disk Warrior holding down "C" key. Got Apple logo, but then screen frooze with horizontal lines across screen.
Rebooted, held mouse to eject disk. Tried TechTool Pro disk. Would not boot from that either (got circle with slash logo I think).
Finally was able to boot with Tiger install disk.
Ran disk utility from Tiger disk. My internal hard drive showed up in red letters and said "failing"
OK.....I can understand that.....I guess my hard drive crashed (on my 2 year old Powerbook...oh well)
But, why can't I start up with any of my boot disks (Disk Warrior, TechTool) only the Tiger install disk. Also the Panther and Jaguar disks will NOT start it...only the Tiger disk works. One more thing I'm wondering....I connected my external firewire drive that has a boot partition on it that I have started up with in the past....and it won't boot my laptop either.
Any ideas? Thanks for any insight. Guess I'll head to the genius bar tomorrow. At least my extended warranty is still good (I think).
Powerbook G4 17 1.5 ghz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Here is what the outcome was:
I took my Powerbook into Apple Genius bar (still under 3 yr. AppleCare), he determined that my hard drive had crashed. He shipped it for me to be repaired.
It came back with a message attached saying that the source of the problem was my 3rd party RAM, which was a 1 GB module. The note said that the memory had been removed...and that in some cases like this the removed memory will be sent back to the customer and will be in the box somewhere. I checked and it wasn't there. The "Get Info" for my system said I was now running on 512 mb instead of the usual 1.5 GB. The note said that this 3rd party RAM had caused the hard drive to fail, so the hard drive had been replaced.
I ordered a new 1GB RAM module from Apple for $300, didn't want to take a chance on 3rd party again. But....when it arrived, I went to install it....and my 1GB 3rd party module was in the slot....it just wasn't pushed all the way in I guess. I pushed it in firmly, closed up the computer, started it, and the "Info" read 1.5 GB again. I ended up removing the 512mb module and replacing that with the new 1GB one I bought from Apple. So now I have 2GB of memory and and extra 512 that I can't use. It has been running fine ever since (more than 2 months)
Can bad RAM really make a hard drive go bad?
I wonder why they said they had removed the RAM, but it actually had not been removed (at least not completely)
Powerbook G4 17 1.5 ghz Mac OS X (10.4.7)

HP Envy 7 interment hard drive failure on start up

Hello,
I have a HP Envy 7 with Windows 7. On start up, I get the "Interment Hard drive failure", I ran the hard drive test and the results were good. I didn't get an error message but the message comes up everytime I restart. Is there a way to turn the smart disk message off or should I get ready to purchase a new hard drive?

Hi
Can you help me with Product number & the complete model number off you unit. Please find the Link given Here how to find the details.
Most HP Notebook PCs have SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology System) capable hard drives. SMART is firmware that resides on the hard drive and continuously monitors drive parameters such as performance and error rates. SMART uses a technology known as predictive failure analysis to tell you when a hard drive failure is imminent.
Common SMART errors are:Hard disk failure is imminent.
A hard drive in the system reports that it may fail.
Smart failure imminent, back up your data
Error 1720 Imminent Hard Drive Failure
HP Hardware Diagnostic errors that start with HD521
The use of SMART does not prevent all hard drive failures, but it can give you the opportunity to back up your personal files and replace the hard drive before it fails.
Let us know how it goes!
"I work for HP."
****Click the (purple thumbs up icon in the lower right corner of a post) to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
Regards
Manjunath

Envy 14 - Hard Drive failure imminent

I have an Envy 14-1110NR laptop and am getting a Hard Drive failure imminent message every time I boot up. Having run the HP diagnostics, the hard drive check fails so I'm guessing I have to replace it.
The hard drive is a Samsung HM640JJ which has gone obsolete. Does anyone know what I need to do...?
Thanks so much...
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hi,
The error message would indicate that the Hard Drive is failing and needs to be replaced.
If your notebook is still under warranty, contact HP and arrange to have the drive replaced - you can check your warranty status Here.
If you live in the US, contact HP Here.
If you are in another part of the world, start Here.
If you are out of warranty and would like a guide on replacing the Hard Drive yourself, please let me know.
Regards,
DP-K
****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

Hard drive failure ID UBX4GK-520604-XD7U21-608203

hard drive failure ID UBX4GK-520604-XD7U21-608203

Hi,
Regardless of the failure ID Number, it will either relate to a Smart error detected on the Hard Drive or a failure of the Disk Self Test - both mean that you may need to replace the drive.
If your notebook is still under warranty, contact HP and arrange to have the drive replaced.
If you live in the US, contact HP Here.
If you are in another part of the world, start Here.
If you are out of warranty and would like a guide on replacing the Hard Drive yourself, please let me know - include the full Model No. and Product No. of the notebook ( from the service tag underneath your notebook ) - see Here for a further explanation.
Regards,
DP-K
****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

Hard Drive Failure on HP DV 6000 Pavilion laptop (dv6108nr) with Windows-XPsp3 OS - Need Data Recov

Hard Drive Failure on HP DV 6000 Pavilion laptop - Need Data Recovery Help
HP Pavilion DV 6108 NR, RG365UA, purchased in late 2006 at Best Buy, with Windows XP, upgraded to Service Pack 3. It has a Fujitsu hard disk, 60 gigabyte, partitioned into C: and a Recovery D:.
Windows tries to boot up, but goes to blue screen with the message: "Unmountable Boot Volume" for one second, then just keeps recycling until I force a shutdown.
BIOS Phoenix, hard drive test result: " #1-08 Fail "
I ran a disk analysis/recovery program on the Cdrive and it seemed to show the directory structure intact, and it was able to recover some files. I was using the free one from Seagate (which only recovers small files). The second pass didn't run so well, and during the third run the program said I should not proceed further, and I should contact a professional disk recovery company.
However, the D drive seems to be intact, so, I wonder if the disk is corrupted or just some aspect of the logical C drive is bad. Or does the disk have a mechanical failure, in which case, is a recovery disk even helpful at all?
How can I get the D: to run the recovery software on it? The recovery disks, made by Best Buy, only proceed to the R / F / Q option screen, and when I press R, I get a blue screen every time.
Tapping the F10 key during startup gets me nowhere. Ditto the F11 key.
I dont care about the hard disk; it is the data (files, docs, images, etc) that I want.
I contacted HP to order recovery disks but they are no longer available for my computer. (But see below, "UPDATE")
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Jon
===============================
UPDATE:
I found a website that offers the following:
www.computersurgeons.com/p-13442-recovery-kit-435422-001-for-hp-model-number-dv6108nr.aspx
Recovery Kit 435422-001 For HP Model Number dv6108nr
Price: $27.00
Recovery Kit Set (An Entire Image of the Computer hard drive when the computer was new)
But I wonder how useful it would be. Early XP , no doubt. And if my hard disk problem is a mechanical fault, would any recovery disk even work? The disks made by Best Buy when I bought mine new in 2006 don't do anything more than go to the R /F/ Q screen and then my computer goes to a blank blue screen when I press R (to recover the OS and apps and data files). And, as I wrote, it is the data that I want, not the disk drive.
Any help here would also be appreciated!
Jon

Hi @goshenguy
Thank you for your inquiry, I am happy to help.
I grasp you tested the hard drive from the bios and it failed. This tests the physical aspcects of the hard drive and when it fails it does require replacement. You were able to retrieve some of your files using recovery software but not all.
Your recovery partition is still intact and when you try to do a recovery with the disks from Best Buy you do not get past these options R / F / Q but will not proceed.
Here is a link to Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows XP, 2006 or Later) that may assist you in performing a recovery.
Here is a link to the Maintenance and Service Guide HP Pavilion dv6000 Notebook PC. Please note chapter 3 page 42 for a replacement hard drive part number.
HP Parts, HP Replacement Parts
If you are still unable to do the recovery, you could try contacting Best Buy for assistance with the recovery kit they provide.
I don't know if it is possible, but you may want to check cloning software to see if you could clone the D partion to the new drive or connect both drives and try a drive to drive copy of the D partition.
If you were able to successfully put the D partition on a new hard drive you should be able to do a recovery from the D partition to take it back to factory.
If none of the above has allowed you to successfully do a recovery, I suggest contacting Best Buy to see it they have options other then purchasing a third party recovery kit.
Good Luck!
Sparkles1
I work on behalf of HP
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Hard Drive Failure on Satellite A660

I bought a new Toshiba A series 9 months ago.
Within a week I had to return it because the sound card was not working. The store I bought it from did not have an identical replacement so the replacement model cost me an additional $150.
Now the hard drive has failed.
Any attempt to back up anything fails so I will lose everything including an important contract. Toshiba tell me that I should go and pay a computer store to save my files!!!
I would consider it just a coincidence except that a friend who purchased a Qosmio a month before I purchased my A660 has also had her hard drive fail. It has supposedly been repaired under warranty but is still not working.
So much for Toshiba stating "Toshiba believes that reliability is the single most important feature a laptop can have and understands that it must be built in and not something that can be bolted-on.
The result? Our laptops have a class-leading reputation for reliability." The technical support person said that its just bad luck - its electronic anything can fail at anytime - thats nothing to do with reliability.
So what is Toshiba reliability?

"When you bring your notebook there, they will check if the warranty data at first. If the warranty is valid every defective hardware component will be exchanged for free.
Maybe it sounds stupid not but I believe people who work in this store have utilized your situation to make more money and sell you new HDD for $150."
I think you misunderstood. The first time it was a sound card failure and the computer was less than 2 weeks old. It was TOSHIBA that told me to return it to the store (they gave me a specific number to give to the store when returning it) and exchange it for a new computer!!!! The store did not have the exact model to exchange it with. So I had two choices. Pay the $150 or take it home, spend a day dropping it off to Toshiba and then wait 21 days for them to repair a brand new computer that I had not even been able to use, or pay the additional $150 for a different model. Funnily as a consumer I dont expect to pay large amounts of money for something that has to be repaired before it can be used.
This second problem has now occurred, 9 months later, which is the hard drive failure.
I do realise that this is a user to user forum, but I am hoping to warn people that Toshiba is no longer a reliable brand. The Toshiba technician told me that the very first thing he expects to fail is the hard drive and I am simply lucky that in 16 years of owning my own home computers that I have never had a hard drive failure. Funny thing is none of my friends have ever had a hard drive failure before either....... My girlfriend and I must be the unluckiest people in the world to both buy brand new Toshiba computers at the same time and to have the hard drive fails at the same time........... Not a strong believer of coincidence I strongly suspect that Toshiba have a problem with a component(s) that they are using, its not just our "bad luck". This is the first time I have even had to use the warranty on a computer that I have purchased.
On the plus side Toshiba offered to send a courier to collect the computer, of course no replacement or loan computer. I did arrange for them to collect the computer Monday as I was not going to be home yesterday and need to find the correct box and packing materials to return it (they gave me VERY specific instructions on how it must be packed). But then I had a dozen phone calls yesterday from the courier trying to contact me to arrange to pick it up either yesterday or now today. I just hope that they are equally keen to return it as quickly!!!!
Sorry I am VERY annoyed. I am in a position where I NEED a computer. My son is disabled uses various bits and pieces of medical equipment to survive, (eg ventilators, monitors etc) and I use the computer to communicate with the hospital. If I cant get access to a computer he gets to spend the time I wait for its repair in hospital. I realise that my personal situation is not Toshiba's concern however I paid more and bought the Toshiba because of its reputation for reliability as that was VERY important to me. It has proven to be the most unreliable computer I have ever owned. I will now have to dust off a cheap Dell that is 6 years old, still works just fine, and use that while my expensive Toshiba gets fixed. And thats what is annoying, even my first 2 gig and now 16 year old computer still works, no hard drive failure..........

Imminent hard drive failure message

can i return my laptop to the store for a replacement.. it is less than 5 months old and i am getting an imminent hard drive failure message. totally unacceptable

HP will replace the hard drive under warranty. Not too many stores will permit a return after 5 mos. We can also assist with a hard drive replacement.

Data Recovery After Hard Drive Failure!

Ok, basically, I've got a 2 1/2 year old iBook G4 with a bombed hard drive, and unfortunately, the last time I backed up was around 3 months ago. Here's what happened right before the crash: some applications like Widgets and Safari were acting fluky, and it wouldn't let me open Word documents, so I restarted, because I thought it might have something to do with the fact that i had downloaded the new version of itunes not that long ago and hadn't restarted since. well, when i restarted, the gray screen with the wheel and the apple symbol went on for a really long time, and then the blue screen came up with the cursor, but nothing else happened, and the blue screen just stayed there. as far as i know, the hard drive wasn't making any unusual noises, just the usual occasional soft sounds that my hard drive has always made (there are usual sounds, right?) a piece of information that might be useful is that the hard drive was almost full (it only had about 5 GB left, which i understand is how much you should leave) could this have caused the failure maybe? anyway, i tried using the hard drive as a target and tried getting another computer to recognize it and pull the files off, but that didn't work. so, i brought it into the apple store, and they got it to boot up but using some external hard drive, i think. they tried disk utility, but that didn't see my hard drive. then the tried disk warrior, and that saw it and repaired it or something, but then it couldn't get the drive to mount. so, i'm assuming that because disk warrior didn't work and couldn't get it to mount, then other software like data rescue, etc... won't either. like all computer users, i've got some REALLY REALLY important data on there, and all the data recovery places i've gotten quotes from are pretty pricey. if the drive doesn't require physical data recovery, only non-physical, as i hope, the cheapest is still $350. even so, the person on the phone there didn't seem to know nearly as much as the people at the more pricier places. so, are there any other options besides expensive data recovery? i read something about using dd - a unix thing, but i don't know the first thing about it (http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050302225659382) so i'm not sure i want to risk messing it up even more. and, if worse comes to worst, then i'll use a data recovery place... but can anyone tell me if they've used any of the data recovery companies below, and which ones are good?
(first three do evaluation for free, and then you decide if you want to continue based on more accurate price idea)
MacintoshDataRecovery.com
$500 non physical
$1100-1600 physical
Heroic Efforts
http://www.heroicdata.com/data_recovery
$350 non physical
ships to another (very expensive) place if physical
ACS Data Recovery
http://www.acsdata.com/index.htm
$600-700 non physical
DriveSavers.com
(recommended by Apple, probably the best, but the most steep, too)
could cost anywhere from $500-$2700 and $200 evaluation fee even if data is unrecoverable
Since this is our fourth hard drive failure in four different iBooks in 2 1/2 years, i am starting to become seriously disillusioned about the quality of the hardware Apple uses...not that i would ever get a dell or anything, but still....
THANK YOU in advance for any tips you might be able to offer, and also for reading this extremely long post!
katie
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

I have read good reports concerning Data Rescue although I have not used it myself.
Once you get your data back, focus on a regular (even daily) backup routine, because as you know only so well, the question is not if a drive will fail, it's when.
My condolences, by the way.

Having hard drive failure every year

Trying to find out why the hard drives on our computer HP TouchSmart 310-1124F keeps failing. Purchased this computer new in 2011, in February of 2012 the hard drive failed, message was "Hard desk failure is imminent have it replaced" so I did. Now in 2013 I'm getting another message " we strongly recommend that you back up your computer to avoid potential data loss ... contact your computer manufacturer to determine if the disk with errors needs to be repaired or replaced." The computer is attached to a good battery backup, it's not used for extended Internet work, No new programs have been downloaded, it is not used to download or upload information and although it's not our main computer it is used daily. What is going on, is anyone having same issues. I feel the computer itself is a lemon. This will be the 3rd hard drive in 2 years on this machine! By- the- way I did contact the Tech. department telling them the error message but was only told this computer was "not in warranty now" and that ... "you'll need to purchase a new hard drive" No offer or indication as to a possible repair could be done. Yeah that dosen't make me feel that great about this product. I just want to find out why the hard drives installed on this machine only last one (1) year! Any advise would be appreciated, thank you.

WRI-Jupiter,
Your computer may not / most likely doesn't have anything to do with the hard drive failures you have experienced. Drive manufacturers have been reducing the warranty period on drives for years. Also, as drive density has gone up, it appears that quality control has gone down.
Was the first drive replaced under warranty by HP or did you do it yourself??? Have you kept the computer free of "dust bunnies"??? What is the average temperature where you live???
By the way, the "we strongly recommend that you back up your computer to avoid potential data loss ... contact your computer manufacturer to determine if the disk with errors needs to be repaired or replaced" message was primarily just for your information. Because the warranty has expired, HP will no longer repair the machine without you incurring additional costs.
Your best bet is to;
1) Follow the advice of the message above and back-up any and all data you wish to save before the computer encounters a major hard drive issue.
2) Run the hard drive diagnostics from the boot menu or DOWNLOAD and run the HP Vision Hardware Diagnostics CD Image.
3) Also consider downloading and running the hard drive manufacturuer's diagnostics routine and see if it generates an error code. If the drive is still under warranty and you receive an error code, contact the manufacturer for an RMA.
4) When replacing the drive make sure to blow all the dust out of the computer and continue this practice about every three months.
Please send KUDOs
Frank
{------------ Please click the "White Kudos" Thumbs Up to say THANKS for helping.
Please click the "Accept As Solution" on my post, if my assistance has solved your issue. ------------V
This is a user supported forum. I am a volunteer and I don't work for HP.
HP 15t-j100 (on loan from HP)
HP 13 Split x2 (on loan from HP)
HP Slate8 Pro (on loan from HP)
HP a1632x - Windows 7, 4GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6130y - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6320y - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 240
HP p7-1026 - Windows 7, 6GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6787c - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 240

Satellite A-35-S159 Hard Drive Failure

Hi,
I am getting a message that a hard drive failure is imminent. I am prepared to replace the hard drive. (I might need your help there, hope not!) Prior to this, I tried to upgrade the memory, and was having crash events. Do you think that the crash events were hard drive related and not memory upgrade related, as I originally thought? Do you think with the replacement of the hard drive that the memory upgrade might take?
Also, will I be able to get the drivers I need from here? i don't have a Toshiba recovery disk, i will have to install WXP on the new drive.
Thanks for any help!

Satellite A35-S159
All your Toshiba drivers and utilities are here.
But you are far better off ordering the recovery media from Toshiba by calling Customer Service at 800-457-7777. (Have the computer's serial number and a credit card handy.)
When you restore the hard drive from there, all the drivers and utilities have been preinstalled in the correct order.
-Jerry

"Imminent hard drive failure" on my Pavilion G4-1209AX which is brand new

Why do i get the message, "Imminent hard drive failure" on my Pavilion G4-1209AX which is brand new? Has Windows 7 Ultimate installed and used for one day only?
Says something about a "Sata" disk problem.

Hi,
"Imminent hard drive failure" do you get this message in a black screen (as in the BIOS) or in windows.
This could be a Hard drive failuer.
Please run a startup test by tapping F2 when the system is powered on.
More info
Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.

Multiple Hard Drive Failures

I purchased a MacBook Pro just before last Christmas and in late January or early February the hard drive failed and had to be replaced. I was told then that it was a fluke and not to worry about it that the chances of it happening again were very slim. Well, yesterday it happened once again.
That is now 2 hard drive failures within 4 months of each other, and within 6 months of being purchased new. This is simply unacceptable for a computer that costs nearly $3,000 with an extended warranty.
Until Macintosh figures out this problem, I would advise everyone to stay away from the MacBook Pro. From what I was told by the "Genius" at the Apple Store yesterday when I was having the hard drive replaced once again, "Apple knows about this problem". Well, they may know about it, but apparently they are not doing anything about it because the problem still exists.
I guess they assume its cheaper to just keep replacing hard drives every 2 or 3 months than to fix the problem and have a satisfied customer.
WARNING - Do not buy the MacBook Pro unless you do not mind spending several days reloading your software and files onto a new hard drive every 2 or 3 months.

Even with a backup, that does not reinstall all of the software onto the new hard drive, only the personal files and data. I have over $15,000 worth of software that I have to painstakingly reinstall each time this happens.
You are mistaken. If you've backed up by cloning the entire hard drive, everything on it is backed up and can simply be cloned onto a new hard drive. Nothing at all needs to be reinstalled from any other source. If you clone to a portable hard drive, you can take it with you on location. If your primary drive fails there, you'll be able to boot to your portable drive exactly as if it were the internal drive, and keep right on working without missing a beat. A 250GB Seagate FreeAgent To Go portable USB2 drive containing a clone of my MBP's internal drive goes everywhere I go, and is ready to step into the place of my internal drive in moments if ever it should go pear-shaped.
Believe me, I am not making this up, and there is no Catch-22. This is what cloning software is for, and it works beautifully. You may have good uses for other kinds of backups too, but a bootable clone of your primary internal hard drive would be invaluable to you as an additional protection against lost time and work in the field.
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
I've used both, and I prefer SuperDuper. It's simplicity itself to use, and costs under $30. Carbon Copy Cloner is free, offers more selective-copying options, and in the versions I've used, it presented more inscrutable messages that I didn't know how to interpret, leaving me wondering what had and hadn't happened. I'm told those rough edges have been polished off in recent versions, but I haven't tried them. SuperDuper works very, very well for me and never leaves me puzzled.

Hard Drive failure - various boot modes won't work, HELP!

Hello all,
First of all, sorry for the essay, but I didn't want to miss out on possible crucial details that could help!
A couple of weeks ago, my beloved 27" iMac had a hard drive failure. It won't boot, but instead goes to the grey 'no entry' sign when booting up. I tried holding Cmd + V on boot and this message repeated itself whilst failing to boot:
"rooting via boot-uuid from chosen/: D94DA2D5-DB38-3517-B05D-70A97AC6EE5B
Waiting on <dict ID="0"><key><IOProviderClass</key><string ID="1"> IOResorces</string><key>IOResourceMach</key><string ID= "2">boot-uuid-media</string></dict>
Got boot device = IOService:/AppleACPlatformExpert/PCI0@0/AppleACPIPCI/SATA@1F,2/AppleIntel5Serie sAHCI/PRT0@0/IOAHCIDiskDriver/IOAHCBlockStorageDevice/IOBLockStorageDriver/Hitac hi HDS722020ALA330 Media/IOGUIDPartitionScheme
BSD root: disk0s2, major 14, minor 2
jnl: unknown-dev: open: phys_blksz 4096 does not match journal header size 512, and journal is not empty!
hfs: late jnl init: failed to open/create the journal (retval 0)
cannot mount root, errno = 19"
I'm not sure how much of that is useful, but I thought I'd copy it all down anyway.
I googled error number = 19 and found articles on an invalid b-tree node and corrupt journals, leaving me to believe that because I recently deleted a Windows Vista partition and reformed the overall HD into a 2TB OSX volume, some windows data may have been left over and corrupted the journal?
So it fails to boot normaly, using Cmd V, and using the OSX install disk, as well as failing to boot from the DiskWarrior 4 DVD I purchased from my local Apple Reseller because I'd heard that it's very good at helping with issues such as what I think my HD is having. I tried Disk Utility whilst booting from the install disk, and tried to repair the drive, and each time I tried it said that invalid content was present in the journal but the disk repair had been successful.
Am I right in thinking that my data is on the drive, it's just that OSX won't register the drive's existence because of a corrupted journal? (the little I know of hard drives is shining brightly through at this point, I'm sure!)
I also tried to boot using target mode by connecting my iMac to a MacBook Pro also running Snow Leopard, but, whilst the iMac clearly went into target mode (bouncing firewire icon on screen), my HD never appeared on the desktop of the MacBook Pro, nor in Disk Utility.
Whilst I have AppleCare, I haven't tried taking it to a mac store yet because of two reasons; 1. The last time I did this I had HD failure on my old 2008 MBP and, whilst I told them to keep the data on it, the first thing they did was reformat the disk. Needless to say, it worked, but I lost all my valuable Data! The second reason is that it's bloody heavy, and I don't own a car!
Before people go on about the way I should have backed up my data, I did, and that's gone as well! D:
System Specs:
First generation of 27" iMacs
2.8Ghz Intel i7 quad core
2TB HD
ATi Radeon HD 4850 512mb VRAM
8GB DDR3 RAM
OS version: not the very latest snow leopard but the one before.
Thanks in advance, and once again sorry for the essay!
Westy

I'm not sure about the DW disk. Check that out at Alsoft's website. Apple doesn't provide data recovery services.
Apple has records of your iTunes purchases. However, the licensing for music only permits you to download it once. I'm surprised that you don't have backups.
If you get an external enclosure in which to put the drive then you might try accessing it from the MBP as an external drive. If you have an external drive you could try using recovery software:
General File Recovery
If you stop using the drive it's possible to recover deleted files that have not been overwritten by using recovery software such as Data Rescue II, File Salvage or TechTool Pro. Each of the preceding come on bootable CDs to enable usage without risk of writing more data to the hard drive. Two free alternatives are Disk Drill and TestDisk. Look for them and demos at MacUpdate or CNET Downloads.
The longer the hard drive remains in use and data are written to it, the greater the risk your deleted files will be overwritten.
Also visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on Data Recovery.
Beyond this you would need to send the drive off to a data recovery service which will be extremely expensive.

Hard drive failure on HP G62-219WM Notebook PC with Windows 7 64-bit

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for