Compaq Presario 5304 Hard Drive

[gblane]

Hi - I've put this up in the COmpaq forums several times, but only 1 response a few days ago.

I'm helping a friend who has had a Presario 5304 for about 1.5 years. In the fall it kept getting slower and slower, and the HD started clicking, so they replaced it with a Western Digital 20 gig. Now it's doing the same thing, getting slower and slower, and clicking all the time. I ran a Western Digital test program on it, and it gives an error message(0207 and 0212). The COmpaq Quick Restore CD runs for a while and gives an error message (#50).

Unfortunately, there's no interpretation of these error message! Too bad.

I tried swapping out the ide cable, and also tried a different power.

It still continually clicks, so maybe it's dead, and we can exchange it on the hd warranty.

But I'm concerned that it's a power supply or motherboard problem, and will just do it again. And the computer seems pretty ,uh, dependent on the quick restore cd. Strange.

I was thinking perhaps there was some way to determine what the problem is before trying yet another HD. ANy suggestions or insight? Thanks much -

[Rat]

what other programs are being used on that compaq?

rat...

[gblane]

Well, nothing right now It's just dead. I know they had MS WOrks, then there was Internet Explorer, and their son did a bunch of MP3 downloads. It was slow as a turtle when I got it, and then it died a slow death, clicking all the while.

GLoria

[Tube]

Is it that really annoying click that drives you mental whenever you hear it and you know it's cocking up?

I can here it now.....Your hard drive probably needs replacing...have you run scandisk?...if you havn't expect a very large family of clusters its cousins in-laws and the such. I have recently had the same problem. My laptop is in compaq intensive care having the hd replaced. Try scandisk first anyway in MSDOS mode. Good Luck!

[Tube]

posted thrice for some reason!

[This message has been edited by Tube (edited 02-23-2001).]

[Tube]

Is it that really annoying click that drives you mental whenever you hear it and you know it's cocking up?

I can here it now.....Your hard drive probably needs replacing...have you run scandisk?...if you havn't expect a very large family of clusters its cousins in-laws and the such. I have recently had the same problem. My laptop is in compaq intensive care having the hd replaced. Try scandisk first anyway in MSDOS mode. Good Luck!

[Tube]

Sorry...for some reason my message posted thrice then caused a Netscape fault and now I can't edit them. Anyway now you have it in stereo!

[gblane]

Thanks! I ran scandisk, and you're exactly right - drove me crazy stopping at every cluster. Ran Norton - it couldn't finish. Ran a Western Digital disgnostic, which gave an error code (but who knows what it means?) And I ran the Compaq quick restore (also an error). And based on what you and others have said, I assume the click-clunk means dying/dead HD.

I took it to the local Compaq diagnostic store today - they'll give a free diagnostic. I want to know if the MB is good, and the power supply. If so, THEN I can exchange the HD on warranty. If not, well, well then it's new MB and case time.

There just oughta be a way to know if you've got a good MB and/or power supply.

I appreciate finding this forum - helpful to get some feedback. Thanks - Gloria

[gblane]

AND I've learned to avoid Compaq.