[liunam]

I have just reformatted my drive C: three times today because, while I was downloading a show to my PC, I would suddenly get messages that files in drive C: are corrupted. When I reboot, I would get a "Missing operating system" error. Even the Windows installation disk shows drive C: as unformatted or damaged. I ran CHKDSK over the drive and it does not find any errors.


The first time it happened, I thought that I was hit by a virus or that my drive crashed. So I reformatted (using the installation CD option) and then loaded my other programs. When I fired up dvarchive and started downloading the shows, my drive C: was again corrupted. I tried it again twice (this time loading only the essential programs) and still my drive C: crashed during the download process.


Can somebody explain what is happening please? I have been running dvarchice without problems for weeks now. My setup consists of an AMD 2500XP, 512MB, 200GB+120GB+80GB WD hard disks, Win2K SP4. The main drive 200GB drive is split between a 10GB system partition as drive C:, another 10GB for programs and data, and the rest is one large partition for my video files. So dvarchive is running off drive D: and writing to drive E:. The rest of the hard drives are just used for backup.

 

[Slack]

Quote:

Originally posted by liunam I have been running dvarchice without problems for weeks now.

Then that would preclude DVArchive as the culprit would it not?


I suggest you visit your mobo manufacturers web site & check for an updated BIOS. It sounds like data corruption on writes to the HDD.


None of these drives are SATA raid arrays are they?


Also what version of Java are you running?

 

[xstrym]

I must say DVA has been taking some crazy hits lately... and I can hear Gerry now.


"DVA has nothing to do with it."


Thing is that he is always right.


Tell you what, for troubleshooting purposes... strip the mobo and run just one drive. Don't run everything all at once. Rule out DVA as the culprit by using this method first. This also includes CD/DVD drives, add on PCI cards, etc. Go bare minimum and work your way up to all of the other equipment.


My feeling is that it might be your power supply is either going bad or is inadequate for your needs.


Can you give a few more details about your setup and include the PCI and CD/removable drive type devices. This will help verify if your power supply might be failing.

 

[xstrym]

I'd like to add that one of your HDDs might be failing, too. Using the above procedure will help narrow that down, as well.


Good luck!

 

[kelliot]

I've noticed that large mpgs under Win98 don't move well. I had problems with a defrag and never did it again. BTW, I always keep my downloads on a separate partition other than drive c:.

 

[liunam]

My other two hard drives were connected to a Promise IDE controller (the one that came with my 200GB HD). As suggested, I flashed my BIOS to the most current. I also removed the PCI IDE controller and moved the 80GB HD as slave for my 200GB. There are no more PCI cards in the PC. Also, I checked the HD using WD's extended test and came out clean.


I didn't think it was a dvarchive problem and suspected a hardware or virus problem. Its just that dvarchive was the only application running on a newly formatted PC and it was supposed to be writing to drive E: (a separate partition on the same HD) but my drive C: consistently got trashed.


I downloaded a trial version of Trueimage and imaged my drive C: just in case. I will try to D/L all recorded shows again tonight to test.

 

[Slack]

Quote:

Originally posted by liunam I downloaded a trial version of Trueimage and imaged my drive C: just in case.

You'll be forking over the dough if 'in case' happens. The trial will not resotre an image.


It's a great peice of software BTW. Never thought anything would switch me from Powerquest, it did.