Hard drive failing

First I got a message saying a file on the HD could not be read. I ran CCleaner and defraggler, rebooted. Now the desktop and icons show up but instantly there's a screen saying Windows Explorer has crashed (or words to that effect) immediately followed by a screen saying Windows Explorer is restarting. These two messages keep cycling one after the other and I can't get anything else to open or run.

Yesterday I chose the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option at start-up and was pleased to find a DOS-like screen (cmd.exe). Wracked my brains for a bit to recall commands then texted my youngest for some brainstorming and successfully navigated to some docs I want to save and copied them to a memory card (pulled out of my digital camera) reading as the F drive. *applause*

Will look for more memory cards tomorrow and grab some more files.

Anyone have thoughts on what else to do? The laptop is 6.5 years old so I suppose that's it for expected life span. I don't like the thought of losing installed programs, but if I have to reinstall on the next laptop (if and when I can get one), so be it.

I'm using my daughter's PC now and it's dreadfully slow. Whatever I type takes several seconds to show up and clicking links is even slower.

Re: Hard drive failing

Silly, silly silly, silly girl

The only thing as sure as death and taxes is that a hard drive will fail, it might be tomorrow or next year but it will fail.

With 1TB usb hard drives so cheap there is no excuse for not backing up all your documents and files. There are plenty of free programs that will do it automatically for you on a daily or at least regular basis.

No more excuses... BACK IT UP!

Re: Hard drive failing

Wise words Bruce, wise words..

Re: Hard drive failing

I'm having similar worries, bought an external hard drive but won't work, won't burn anything to disk either. Only need to save photos as I don't mind about the rest. No idea how you "back things up"......etc......

Re: Hard drive failing

Here is a program that does it for you ARECA its free. I don't use it so I don't know how good it is but if you look in the sourceforge web site you will find heaps, all free

I am afraid I am one of those dinosaurs that still use batch files and DOS for such matters.

Re: Hard drive failing

Batch files? DOS? Where do you learn this stuff. I shout at my laptop " I'm gonna throw you out the effin window in a minute!" that's about as technical as I get, works sometimes!

Re: Hard drive failing

Just get a 12 yr old to help!!!! They're not always cheap but they are fast!!!!

Re: Hard drive failing

I've got a teenager, she's tried everything she knows (won't explain to me) still can't get it to work properly, I can be writing on here & it just vanishes or goes blue or freezes. May have get new device (whispering in case it hears me)

Re: Hard drive failing

Wot O/S are you running XP ?? have you tried a system restore you have you done a defrag & disc clean, virus malware and adware check etc ..if you have a restore disc you can 'repair' the windows O/S windows without losing data

Re: Hard drive failing

When I bought my first computer that was all there was. Way before Windows.

I wouldn't want anybody to learn DOS commands now but it is really useful if you already know it and it is very simple.