[stinger107]

My brother's computer is giving a disc read error when he tries to start it up.
I tried fixboot and chkdsk but that didn't work. I was going to try re-installing windows but it won't let me without formatting the drive and since the data on the drive isn't backed up I can't do that. I put the drive onto my computer and it seems to work but I can't find his My Documents folder and that is where all his stuff is that he needs backed up. Can anyone tell me how to find the My Documents folder, and is there a way to re-install windows without formatting the hard drive? When I look at the properties of the drive it says the total size is 114 GB with 5.54 GB free but when I add up the size of everything that shows inside the drive it comes to 68.5 GB. That is including all the hidden folders. The missing amount would be about right for the My Documents folder as that is where he keeps his multimedia stuff.
The hard drive is a SATA Maxtor 6Y120M0

[Nikronius]

Well, two things:

First it can be a hardware problem what you have, which means that probably installing windows wont solve completely your problem or if it does it can happen again.

And second
After formatting a hard drive you can still recover all your files (except when after formatting you start entering more files, it overwrites older files, or some other problems)

You can try this hard disk diagnostic tools (depending on your hdd vendor)

http://www.duxcw.com/faq/hd/diag.htm

They run before windows boot so you shouldnt have any troubles to execute them. (need floppy or cd activated in most of them, check their manual to verify the info)

There are other programs that works inside windows like:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/...st-Pilot.shtml

Good luck

[philthomas]

If you still have the drive hooked up to your PC, you can get to My Documents by :

C:\Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents

obviously you will have to substitute the drive letter and username, with your details.

You could try a Repair of XP, this will not format the disk.

HTH

[stinger107]

I tried getting to the My Documents as you suggested but it can't find it. It won't even give me an option to re-install windows. All it says is fresh install, and that only if I format the drive. Everything else that is on his drive is showing up, and I have access to it, but the Documents folder is still missing. I tried searching for specific things that are in the folder but it can't find them.

[philthomas]

Was your brother's PC using Vista or XP ?

If Vista the documents folder is at : C:\Users\Username\Documents

If the above doesn't help, what disk are you using .... i.e. is it an original XP or Vista Installation Disk or a Recovery Disk ?

[stinger107]

He is using XP. It is an original XP disc that I am using for the install. I ran chkdsk on it again and this time when I tried to redo windows it let me do it without a format but when the computer restarted after the install it still says disc read error. The drive still works fine when I hook it up to my computer and everything is there but My Documents.

[philthomas]

It might be a good idea to go to Maxtors website (now Seagate) and download the diagnostic utility, to check the drive for errors.

[Nikronius]

Originally Posted by philthomas It might be a good idea to go to Maxtors website (now Seagate) and download the diagnostic utility, to check the drive for errors.

as i mentioned in the beggining... it did sound as a hardware failure after all.

good luck.

[philthomas]

Originally Posted by Nikronius as i mentioned in the beggining... it did sound as a hardware failure after all. good luck.

It may well be .... we will soon know

[stinger107]

When I run the diagnostic tool is says fail.