'elp!

Having major dramas with PC.

Setup is Vista64 Ultimate, 4GB RAM.  4 year-old installation with zero prior issues. Have recently updated to SP2. 

Last night I started Company of Heroes and just as a level loaded the screen went mental (corrupt, multicolours) and it froze.  After a forced reboot, the system now runs CHKDSK every time and after bootup everything is extremely slow to start.  Each time I click on a new process/program it seems to hang for about a minute (everything locks up) before eventually working.

COMODO Internet Security refuses to start, stating: 'a bug has been found'.

Is the hard disk hosed?  A RAM problem? (RAM reports as 4Gb).

Any help appreciated.

usually when chkdsk runs on every bootup, its a knackered hdd - at least it used to be on older versions of windows

Hmm, well if it's that, at least it's not a major drama as I still have access to everything (backing up files now!).

Things is, everything runs fine and fast once it's actually booted and processes started for the first time...

a quick google about chkdsk running everytime most suggest doing this:
type cmd in run box
type:
fsutil dirty query C:

(C being your boot disk)

if it comes back that C is dirty then it is somthing to do with it having outstanding changes that wheren't done due to an unexpected shut down or somthing.

not sure what you can do to fix it but I'll keep searching

Sez: "C: is NOT Dirty"

My gut instinct is that the drive isn't knackered just, as you say, some "correction/fix" needing doing.  I've done a fair few hard resets in my time and none have ever caused problems like this.

Concurrently: Any recs for decent hard drives these days?  Running twin WD Caviars at the mo' 250/500Gb.

Every time update with sp2 on my wifes vista comes up, it fails, seems like she is lucky though if the update messes discs up

Yeah, I probably broke the golden rule: 'ain't broke - don't fix'...

Would a format/reinstall reveal any errors with the disk?

Maybe try something like this first
http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/Disk_Analysis_Utilities/Emsa_DiskCheck.html

MHDD is the daddy at saying if the drive is duff.
Spinrite can then kinda fix it.

Righty...

HD got slower and slower on reboot and now the system can't detect it. So... Im assuming it has actually died. 

What worries me is could be be a motherboard and/ or SATA/IDE issue?

CD drive isn't working now...

S'pose I'll have to throw money at this to find out...

Had to get a Spinpoint at PC Welt.

And now my car won't start...
FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

WTF I

Wait an hour for the guy to come out and the SOB starts...   

WTFII

I get home and the hard drive is recognised and starts without issue.

Did I just stagger through a temporal disturbance today or something?  I mean, seriously...

So, what do you think was wrong?  A temperature issue (PC was off for a while)?  Should I still replace the drive?

PEBKAC 


I'd still run MHDD (as it takes about 40 mins to scan) and see what it says.

BLAME IT ON EARTH DAY