Research computer doesn't reboot!

[halramin]

Hello,

So we have a research computer connected to a confocal microscope and used only for that purpose. As a result it has no internet connection. I occasionally use my USB drive to take files off of the hard drive. Yesterday, I copied file to my USB and double checked they were transferred successfully before I safely removed it and shutdown the computer. Today, when I tried to turn it on I got a message along the lines of "Hard disk can not be found" then this message "Reboot and select proper device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key".

I looked at the boot priority list in BIOS and found 3 in there 1-floppy 2-USB 3-CD-rom. I did not find a hard disk however.

I removed them all and tried rebooting but to no avail. I put them back, took out the USB (software license USB) and try rebooting, still to no avail.

What is more surprising is when I checked my USB on my computer I could not find the files I saved yesterday! this is really puzzling.

Could someone please shed some light on the cause of such an issue and provide any possible solutions?

Thanks you

[SuperSparks]

I think that if the BIOS isn't seeing the rive, then it has probably died But take the cover of the case and make sure that the cables are firmly plugged into it first of all. If it's still not seen in he BIOS, try changing the data cable.

[halramin]

I think that if the BIOS isn't seeing the rive, then it has probably died But take the cover of the case and make sure that the cables are firmly plugged into it first of all. If it's still not seen in he BIOS, try changing the data cable.

what would cause such a failure? the computer is only 1 years old. Also, before the shutdown it seemed to function fine.

Also, what is the extent of data loss to be expected here?

[halramin]

Another question, is it possible that the hard drive death has been caused by the USB drive I used? and how would that be?

[Train]

The USB did not affect the onboard hdd. Hdds will fail sooner or later , later is what we all want.
Go to the maker of the hdd website and get their diagnostic tool and run it against the hdd and see what the error is. You need that error message for warranty work.

[SuperSparks]

Though expect the diagnostic utility to not find the drive either, if they BIOS can't. It's always good to double check though. Download UBCD and burn it to CD, it has all the disk testing utilities on it plus many more useful tools besides, then just boot with the disc in the drive and select the utility that you want.

Ultimate Boot CD

[halramin]

Thanks, you have been very helpful.

About 2 weeks ago we had a power failure and there was a fear of power surge when it came back. Might such a surge have caused the HDD damage even though it was off at the time? also, could the effect be delayed by 2 weeks?

[Train]

Unless the power switch in the rear in turned off or the computer unplugged, then yes the power surge could damage components in a computer.

[halramin]

and would the effects be seen two weeks later? I mean, can you exclude the power surge as a cause just because it worked fine afterward?

[Train]

I would, but first, since I have had dead hdds right out of the box, die with in a few days, etc., run the diag for the drive.

One of the many reasons we tell folks to back up that you would hate to lose!!!
You never know when they will fail and fail they will do!

[Rodney M]

One thing I might try is to pull the HHD out and put it in another PC as a slave dive. Boot with it in the other PC and see if it's seen in the new one. If it is, do your backup/Saving of that HDD then.

If you do, don't use the old cables from the non working PC.
Once I was able to save all the data on a HDD by Ghosting a drive even though the PC didn't see anything on it. ((Once))

[SuperSparks]

A power surge can cause damage that manifests itself later, in particular it can cause insulation to partially break down in one or more of the chips. If that happens, complete insulation breakdown can happen some time after the initial surge.

[westom]

About 2 weeks ago we had a power failure and there was a fear of power surge when it came back. Might such a surge have caused the HDD damage even though it was off at the time?

What would cause failure? Most common source is manufacturing defects. Remember the flurry of bad electrolytics due to counterfeit materials? Those defective capacitors were failing years later - because that (and not power) is how manufacturing defects occur.

As others stated, get those diagnostics. Every answer will only be speculation until you provide those fundamental facts.

Neither power loss nor USB explains your symptoms. Disk drives are never told power will be lost or provided. To a disk drive, power loss from shutdown, yanking the power cord, or neighborhood power loss is exactly same. Power restoration is exactly same. In every case, due to functions routinely found in all power supplies.

A unique transistor failure can impede access to both disk drive loss and USB. But again, that is why nobody provides a useful answer until results from diagnostics are obtained.