[SOLVED] New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP

Tweave · 06-19-2008, 11:44 AM

Installed WD5000AAKS (3rd SATA drive) in Dell computer running Windows XP Pro. BIOS did not autodetect drive, so entered Setup and enabled drive manually. Then Windows did not autodetect drive, so entered Disk Management, chose drive letter, entered volume name, chose NTFS, and reformatted the entire 500GB. Much later, there was an error during formatting, and I rebooted.
Now the drive icon shows up in My Computer. But - any activity with it (mouse click, Disk Management Status, etc) IMMEDIATELY crashes Windows. The only way I can prevent Windows from crashing is to disable the drive in BIOS Setup. What should I do?

**eneles** · 06-19-2008, 09:38 PM

Welcome to TSF.

Sounds like an underpowered computer.
Please post the system specifications.

Also - if there was an error during drive formatting, you have to do it again.

Tweave · 06-20-2008, 08:15 AM

This drive is installed in a Dell XPS machine with 1Gig RAM, 160GB and 250GB SATA drives, Pentium 3.4Ghz, Windows XP Pro w/ SP3 -- hardly what I would call underpowered. (And there's one more socket and drive bay for a 4th SATA someday ...)
With new drive enabled in BIOS, Windows "sees" it. But ANY access, whether by Disk Management, WD Lifeguard, or clicking on the drive icon IMMEDIATELY crashes Windows. Thus I have no way of starting the reformatting.

**eneles** · 06-20-2008, 09:19 AM

Faulty drive???
Replace the SATA cable.

Run Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic Tools (extended test) - from a bootable CD.

Tweave · 06-20-2008, 11:54 AM

AHA! Don't know what made me decide to try Windows Safe Mode, but voila, now the software didn't crash, so I renamed the volume and did a full format with Disk Management running in Safe Mode. Once formatting completed, and drive declared healthy, returned to Normal Windows and everything is fine, at last. Sooo -- Windows XP had the initial error during formatting, didn't tell the user what to do. Then Windows XP crashes because of the formatting error, and doesn't insulate the operating system from whatever the heck was wrong. And you guys suspected bad cable, defective drive, hardware issue, too old BIOS, everything except what it was, a vulnerability in Windows. What a learning experience. I've posted this issue on 3 forums, and not ONE person suggested Safe Mode.

**eneles** · 06-20-2008, 05:43 PM

Good luck.

06-19-2008, 11:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tweave Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro / SP3	[SOLVED] New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP Installed WD5000AAKS (3rd SATA drive) in Dell computer running Windows XP Pro. BIOS did not autodetect drive, so entered Setup and enabled drive manually. Then Windows did not autodetect drive, so entered Disk Management, chose drive letter, entered volume name, chose NTFS, and reformatted the entire 500GB. Much later, there was an error during formatting, and I rebooted. Now the drive icon shows up in My Computer. But - any activity with it (mouse click, Disk Management Status, etc) IMMEDIATELY crashes Windows. The only way I can prevent Windows from crashing is to disable the drive in BIOS Setup. What should I do?

06-19-2008, 09:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
eneles Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,258 OS: 98SE/XP SP3/Vista SP1/Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP Welcome to TSF. Sounds like an underpowered computer. Please post the system specifications. Also - if there was an error during drive formatting, you have to do it again. __________________ Click the banner for links

06-20-2008, 08:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tweave Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro / SP3	Re: New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP This drive is installed in a Dell XPS machine with 1Gig RAM, 160GB and 250GB SATA drives, Pentium 3.4Ghz, Windows XP Pro w/ SP3 -- hardly what I would call underpowered. (And there's one more socket and drive bay for a 4th SATA someday ...) With new drive enabled in BIOS, Windows "sees" it. But ANY access, whether by Disk Management, WD Lifeguard, or clicking on the drive icon IMMEDIATELY crashes Windows. Thus I have no way of starting the reformatting.

06-20-2008, 09:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
eneles Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,258 OS: 98SE/XP SP3/Vista SP1/Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP Faulty drive??? Replace the SATA cable. Run Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic Tools (extended test) - from a bootable CD. __________________ Click the banner for links

06-20-2008, 11:54 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tweave Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Pro / SP3	Re: New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP AHA! Don't know what made me decide to try Windows Safe Mode, but voila, now the software didn't crash, so I renamed the volume and did a full format with Disk Management running in Safe Mode. Once formatting completed, and drive declared healthy, returned to Normal Windows and everything is fine, at last. Sooo -- Windows XP had the initial error during formatting, didn't tell the user what to do. Then Windows XP crashes because of the formatting error, and doesn't insulate the operating system from whatever the heck was wrong. And you guys suspected bad cable, defective drive, hardware issue, too old BIOS, everything except what it was, a vulnerability in Windows. What a learning experience. I've posted this issue on 3 forums, and not ONE person suggested Safe Mode.

06-20-2008, 05:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
eneles Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,258 OS: 98SE/XP SP3/Vista SP1/Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: New SATA Drive crashes Windows XP Good luck. __________________ Click the banner for links