Seagate HD died...

generator12

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...On my Asus Essentio desk unit. Six year of daily use, then one morning last week (leaving it on overnight) I found it locked in mid-boot. (So why did it try to boot itself..??) The Asus recovery disc loads, but the system can't read the HD (sees it as 0 MB in bios), so I am unable to recover the system, no matter how I approach it.

Okay, bought a new HP, set it up for my daily use, then settled down to work on the Asus. I have the key for the OEM software (Win 7), and thought I could get an install file (ISO) from MS for it. But so far, no good.

I've never installed a hard drive - not a computer geek by any means - and so I'm not sure what I'm facing with an OS install, assuming I can get the software somewhere. Your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance to a great group of people..!
 

tpenfield

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Cryptolocker virus on the ASUS perhaps?

You physically replace the HD then load the recovery disk. That should load the new HD with the base system as it came from ASUS. Then you get the joy of re-loading all of your stuff.

Do you have a back-up of your HD? Otherwise you may have lost your files from the original HD.

Also, I would google some to see if you can learn more about the problem with the original HD.
 
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generator12

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Yes, I intend to install a new HD. Yes, I had backed up all significant data just a week earlier.

tpenfield and southkogs, I've Googled it to death. Tried every description I could think of as well as the error messages I've gotten while trying to recover. I've seen nothing definitive. Saw two different forums in which the requester described the same problem (can't access the HD) and the same error messages. In each case the "expert" tried to guide the requester to a solution, and in each case the effort ended in failure.

tpenfield, I've thought it might be possible to do what you suggest, but I'm not sure the operating system will load on a new HD from the recovery disc. I'm willing to try this, but I'm looking for a certain option if it fails. Don't want to buy a new HD and find that I'm stumped on the OS. That would put me back where I am now minus the cost of the HD. I've seen a number of websites offering the Win 7 operating system on disc, but also a number of discussions in which the writer has tried to install and hung up.

southkogs, a failed update was my first thought when I saw it locked up. The problem is I can't boot the unit to apply any solutions. I'm unable to access the HD and the system won't start on the recovery disc. I get to a point where it says it's loading files, asks me to choose a partition, but then is unable to access (or even see) the hard drive. Thus I can't see a partition, so I choose the option to overwrite the entire drive and get "access violation at address 004070D in module PERecover.exe". The only option is gives me is to cancel and reboot. (Which loops me back through the same path.)

To date, I've replaced the power supply after the failure. Nothing else. I'm willing to invest in both the HD and an OS disc if I'm reasonably confident that I can get it running with these. Having never done this, I don't have that confidence - thus I'm hoping that someone on this forum who has done it can guide me.

Thanks much guys. Your comments are appreciated. I guess I'll probably pick up another HD and see if the recover disc sets me up. I'll get back if it does.
 

thumpar

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Just to clear it up, You have a new HP computer that your are using and want to put a new HD in the Asus?? For the Asus to recover you will need the factory discs or find an OEM version of what you had on it. A retail version will not work with your key on the sticker. A failed update would not cause the drive to show as 0 in the bios. It is a failed drive. One trick you can try is to put the hard drive in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Another is to see if it is spinning. If not do a quick smack on the edge. Those have both worked for me on drives. They are not permanent fixes but you may be able to clone the drive if you can get it up. Usually once you can get a drive to be recognized in a failure like this they will continue to run until you shut it off.

Just so you know I am not making this up, I have been doing this for 19 years in Sept for the same company.
 

southkogs

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southkogs, a failed update was my first thought when I saw it locked up. The problem is I can't boot the unit to apply any solutions. I'm unable to access the HD and the system won't start on the recovery disc. I get to a point where it says it's loading files, asks me to choose a partition, but then is unable to access (or even see) the hard drive. Thus I can't see a partition, so I choose the option to overwrite the entire drive and get "access violation at address 004070D in module PERecover.exe". The only option is gives me is to cancel and reboot. (Which loops me back through the same path.)
What I think I had to do was Option Two HERE - reboot and punch F8 until I got into a recovery DOS shell ... a pain, but saved me buying stuff and cracking machines open.
 

generator12

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southkogs, I'll try that with a frozen HD as suggested by thumpar. (I've seen that suggestion at least one other time on-line..!)

thumpar, does an OEM (Asus) recovery disc typically include the operating system? Or does it work off the OS on the hard disc. (i.e., can I load the OS onto a new HD from the recovery disc?)
 

thumpar

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The recovery disc doesn't use the partition on the drive to do a restore.
 

boatman37

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i have used the freezer trick before too. any OEM disc should recognize your license key and successfully install. i just replaced the HD in my sons Asus laptop the other day. i downloaded the Windows 10 media creation tool to a USB flash drive and reinstalled from there. there was one for Windows 8 also but not sure about Windows 7. his laptop came with Windows 8 on it when new
 

generator12

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Well guys, thanks again. I had never been down this road in the past and was making way too much of it.

I installed a new WD 1TB SATA and the recovery discs worked like a charm. The entire O.S. and all drivers went in without incident. Now I've got to set it up with all my stuff and I'll have a very capable "spare" computer.

Case closed!

(Now I've got to learn how to clone a drive...)
 
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