Disk Write Error

[Networm]

I have a Windows ME. I downloaded this game for Win 95 and 98 and it worked for a while but about a week after i downloaded it started messing up. Expecially the sound to it. So i uninstalled it. A couple days after that i was surfing the web a 1 long beeping sound came from the tower. It froze and an blue error message popped up and said: Disk Write Error/ Unable to write to disk Data or files maybe lost. Then another message pops up and says: Could not write to c drive or something like that. This beeping sound usually accurrs when i start up my computer, before it scans the c drive and some just when im just surfing the web and on stuff like msn messenger and windows media player. Then it brung up this message when my computer started up: A required .dll, APPHELP.DLL was not found and my virus scanner has disappeared. If someone could help me i would apreciate the help very much. Thank You in advance

[John Prophet]

Welcome to the forum!

I hate to say it, but it sounds sort of like the hard drive is dying. Thats usually the culprit when you see those error messages.

If you have a cd burner you should burn any important data to cd right away....cuz usually when a drive starts going, it keeps getting worse.

You could run a scandisk with the "thorough" option so that it does a surface scan....it takes a while but it will tell you if you have bad sectors on the drive.


The BEST thing to do would be to make a clone of the hard drive using norton ghost.....do you have any spare hard drives? lol. Or you could use norton ghost to copy the hard drive to an "image" on cd's.

Cuz usually once you see the write error....that means the drive is on the way out....if it dies all the way, thats the end of your data altogether......thats why I say copy it now using ghost before it dies.

JP

[Dj-Icer]

Welcome To Techimo

Could be a networm... j/k

I think it was a virus and the missing file you somehow lost, the *.dll thingy, you might want to repair that one out or reinstall ur ME. I dont know much about using ME though, since ive ever experience using Win98 and XP only. So my suggestions could be a little bit different compare to urs.

Reinstalling ur OS (operating system) won't loose any data inside ur C: or harddisk. Unless if u decide to format ur C:, which is good but this would be ur last option i recomended. I'm also afraid that ur pc may have infected by a virus. Know that you really have to update ur virus definition too.

To check whether ur hard disk is out, have it checked for errors or scanned. But if u can still access into ur desktop, then I think ur hardisk would've been okay. Should also defrag, at least once in a month I never trust downloading games on the internet. Spyware stuff you know..

[John Prophet]

yeah...good to check for viruses..go to www.antivirus.com and run the free scan

also you say your antivirus dissappeared, hmmm.....sounds like a virus

also almost everyone on this sight swears by "adaware 6"..its a spyware remover.... www.lavasoftusa.com free also

[elroy]

I would try re-installing the virus scanner and run it. Also go to the website for the HD manufacturer and d/l a utility to test the integrity of the HD. You should be able to test the drive w/o losing data on it.

[Networm]

My virus scanner appeared again. I cant do no scans with the ad-aware or anything. But it did manage to find some infected files while it was working. I think it deleted them. Then i opened up my virus scanner and it froze so i got out of that and i found symbols where some letters were like on My Computer and ect. Also when i started it up programs: SPOLL32 and VSSTAT caused errors and were closed. I cant do nothing exept get on msn and search the web and even that will go down in a matter of minutes. Im also getting Script Errors too.

[Dj-Icer]

Lots of errors here and there. Reinstalling ur OS, do u have time for that? Coz usually, I really hate doing it

[TOAD6147]

You've got a virus. You will need to research and ID it and find a removal tool even if you have to do it from a friend's computer.

[no1_vern]

HI networm!
Welcome to TechIMO!

I agree with Prophet, I believe the hard drive is dying.

The reason you are having those problems(missing files, programs not running correctly or not at all) ALL are problems associated with a drive failing. Your best bet is to backup ALL your important information(not necessarily your OS) ASAP preferably to a second hard drive but to a cd is ok too. While It could be a virus or some other MalWare, if you have been running your virus scanner continuously and updating it regularly, you should be safe from such things(should be). In any case you should backup your important data FIRST then try to run the virus scanner again, if it doesnt work try trend micros' free virus scan -

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

Then run scandisk and defragger, then adaware. If this doesnt stop the errors then Im afraid that replacing your hard drive is the only solution.

Let us know what you do and what fixes your comp!
Vern

[Bill in SD, CA]

I had a WD drive that was giving me the same errors.

Drive finally died after a week.

RIP.

Bill