1 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

Hard Disk Drive

Prepared by msi NB FAE Team︱Version: 3.0 ︱Date: 2010/3/1

2 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

Document History

Version Issued by Issue Date Comments

1.0 Jefferson Chu 2010/12/22 First release

2.0 Jefferson Chu 2010/12/29 Description’s modification

3.0 Jefferson Chu 2011/3/1 Flowchart revision

3 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

FLOW CHART: HDD Trouble Shooting Guide for MSI Notebook

Press “Click ME” for high quality

4 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

FLOWCHART WALKTHROUGH

A. Information Gathering Gather as much information from the customer as you can, including symptoms, error messages, computer history, and the user’s actions at the time of the failure.

B. Update Bios and EC Firmware Majority of the bugs are being solved by updating bios or ec firmware, therefore please guide users to flash BIOS and EC using the SOP provided below. Then, check whether the issue has been resolved, if not process to the next step.

Requirements:

- Bootable flash drive

- System bios (check MSI official website www.msi.com and download the corresponding bios for

your system

For Example:

1. Go to www.msi.com

2. On the upper right side, you can see a search bar, and then type in model name like GT729

3. Go to bios tab download the bios

4. Verify the current version of your system bios, perhaps you already have the latest one.

Step 1: Press “DEL” key upon boot up Step 2: Go to “Main” tab Step 3: Select “System Information”

5 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

Bios flashing procedure Note: Please make sure that your system is plugged in (running AC mode) Step 1: Unpack the download bios compressed file to your bootable flash drive. Step 2: Upon boot up press function key “F11” continuously until you enter the boot device option:

Step 3: When system enters DOS mode, look for the bios file (where it is located), and then run “flash.bat” (Without the quotes) Step 4: Shut down after flashing process is complete. Some bios has their command with auto shutdown. Step 5: Unplug both battery and AC adapter. Step 6: Wait for 10 seconds or longer. Step 7: Plug in battery or AC adapter to power on system. Step 8: Load BIOS default value, then press F10 to save it and exit.

6 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

C. Issue Validation Normally, if the problem is the HDD itself, the system will not recognize the HDD or there’s very evident of “clicking

sound” can be heard directly from the HDD itself which indicates that the HDD is in its failing stage.

How to verify if the HDD can be detected?

Majority of MSI notebook systems, its system BIOS can automatically detect the hard disk inside and will show its

manufacturer name and part number, therefore the best and easiest way to verify if the system can detect the HDD

is through bios verification. You may use the following procedures in non-sequential manner.

Note: In order to enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY menu, you need to press “DEL” key upon system boot up. By Boot Device Priority Verification Under Boot tab, select Boot Device Priority.

By Boot Device Option “F11” Verification Press function key “F11” continuously upon boot up, and then check if your system HDD is available.

Checking BIOS setup (IDE only) In most modern systems, the BIOS can automatically detect your hard disk, so no special BIOS setup is required. However, if you are working with an older or quirky BIOS, you might need to enter the BIOS

7 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

HDD NOT Detected

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

HDD Detected

HDD Detected HDD NOT Detected

By Serial ATA Information Verification Under Main tab, check the status stated under Serial ATA if [Hard Disk] or [Not Detected].

In addition, as you select Serial ATA, you may also check mode detailed information about the HDD device In addition, as you select Serial ATA, you may also check mode detailed information about the HDD device installed.

Hardware Issue Verification

After verification, if customer user experience has significant and defined hardware related issue such as

“clicking” sound or Resonance related experience, then please ask user to prepare unit for RMA.

Hard drive “Click Click Click” or “Click of Death” sound

These are some typical sounds we can hear from the HDD known as the continuous “click” sounds that

may indicate hard drive failure (minor or major). If end user’s hard drive makes noises like these and is still

able to access their files, asks them to backup immediately. To verify the “click” sound, you may provide

8 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

the link shown below to the customer to help them clarify if the clicking sound is similar to the ones

provided in the list.

http://datacent.com/hard_drive_sounds.php

The lists provided in the website datacent.com are as follows (tested according to different hard drive manufacturers): Western Digital Western Digital desktop drive with bad heads clunking. Western Digital 500GB desktop drive with bad heads slowly clicks a few times and spins down. Western Digital 250GB desktop drive with head crash clicks a few times, then spins down. Western Digital 250GB desktop drive with stuck spindle can't spin up, chatters. Western Digital laptop drive with bad heads making clicking sound. Western Digital 200GB desktop drive with bad preamplifier chip (located on the headstack) clicks a few times, spins down. Western Digital desktop drive with unstable heads clicks a few times and stops spinning. Western Digital laptop hard drive with stuck spindle trying to spin up with siren. Western Digital 500GB desktop hard drive with bad bearings can't gain full rotational speed. Seagate Seagate desktop drive with failing heads making thrashing, then clicking sound. Seagate desktop drive with bad heads slowly clicks and beeps on spin up. Seagate laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/knocking sound. Seagate desktop drive with seized spindle trying to spin up. Seagate Momentus laptop drive with bad heads making nasty drilling noise. Samsung Samsung 80GB desktop hard drive with bad heads making fast clicking sound. Samsung desktop hard drive with bad heads clicks, then spins down. Samsung 40GB desktop hard drive with bad head knocks a few times. Samsung desktop drive with degraded media making scratching sound when hitting bad sectors. Hitachi/IBM Hitachi laptop drive with bad heads clicks once on spin up, then beeps. IBM desktop drive with degraded media making scratching sound when hitting area with bad sectors. Hitachi/IBM laptop drive with bad heads making clicking sound. IBM 40GB desktop hard drive with degraded media/heads rattles and squeals on spin up. Hitachi 60GB laptop drive with stuck spindle can't spin up, makes humming/buzzing noise. Toshiba Toshiba laptop hard drive with stuck spindle trying to spin up(heard if taken close to your ear). Toshiba laptop drive with failing bearings making grinding sound. Toshiba laptop drive with bad bearings making loud grinding sound. Toshiba laptop drive with bad bearings making nasty drilling/screaming sound. Toshiba laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/sweeping sound on boot up.

9 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

Fujitsu Fujitsu laptop drive with bad heads making clicking/knocking noise. Fujitsu laptop hard drive with bad heads making sweeping sound. Fujitsu 40gb desktop drive with bad media making scratching noise. Note: If the HDD cannot be detected nor has evident clicking sound, kindly ask customer to prepare the unit for RMA. Otherwise, ask them to do back up and then perform F3 recovery or clean install of OS if issue will be resolved.

D. Inform user to prepare system for RMA Inform user to prepare the system for RMA when all the above recommendation cannot resolve the problem.

E. RMA Database Verification Verify if the issue experienced can be found in the RMA website www.rmagcs.com.tw , then apply repair solution if necessary.

F. Swap HDD Swap HDD to ensure that the defect is with the HDD. If symptom persists, change the system’s motherboard.

G. Swap MB Change the system’s motherboard as last resort. If problem continue to persist, report issue to FAE.

H. Report to FAE Report issue to your corresponding FAE if issue still remain unsolved. Provide full description as much as possible.

10 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

SCOPE & LIMITATIONS No SSD related issue due to insufficient data gathered

Resonance related Issues needed to be added and defined its symptom

RMA trouble shooting procedures are not defined in detailed such as installation of

HDD due to availability of the tools found in www.rmagcs.com.tw

11 | HDD Trouble Shooting Procedure

REFERENCES http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/Boot_Configuration_Data.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4836283_repair-mbr-windows.html

http://healthymethod.blogspot.com/2010/12/ntldr-is-missing.html

http://fixingmycomputer.com/

http://www.vistaclues.com/computer-wont-start-how-to-fix-startup-problems/

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

http://peterkellner.net/2010/02/09/fix-windows7-bootloader/

http://www.sysdigg.com/fix-ntldr-is-missing-in-windows-vista