Gaming Is it a failing HDD?

[Splych]

Lately I've been experiencing much longer boot times than usual for when I restart my computer. Today, I restarted my computer, and then it would go from the BIOS to some screen with a blinking line and then it would normally go to the Windows 7 Startup screen. For some reason though, instead of it going to the Windows 7 startup screen, it would just be stuck on the screen with the blinking line. I pressed the power button [since there is no restart button], and it shut down. I started it up, and same thing. Oddly enough... I try it again for the third time and it boots.

In addition to this, I have also experiened BSoD a few times. Unknown of the cause, so I decided to copy the minidumps and am posting here hoping to find an answer. Here is the link to the minidumps: http://www.mediafire.../?p91rd6963hc2b

Also, one more thing, my mouse cursor became distorted. I should've take a screenshot of it, but did not. Before it wasn't, but then I installed HoN, and suddenly it started being weird. Rught now, it's fine, but if it re-occurs, I will post a screenshot.

I am on a Dell Precision 370 w/ a Radeon HD 5770.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I am also using a WDD Caviar Black 500GB as my primary drive, a WDD Caviar Blue 640GB as my secondary/back-up drive and my dad is letting me borrow a spare Seagate 1TB as my back-up of a back-up [to back-up both drives essentially]

 

[Jugarina]

If It was the harddrive failing you would hear noises emitting like clicking sounds. Based on the information provided I would say you have a virus or trojan horse or multiple ones. I would also run a checkdisk to correct and test the operating system intregrity, (the files that could have been changed or corrupted that make Windows not load right all the time).

If all these things don't produce results It could also be you RAM chip(s) starting to fail. Might want to change your CMOS battery as well or at least test It for proper power.

 

[Critica1]

Jugarina is 100% correct here. I'd run malwarebtyes and then a type of virus scanner like Norton, Kapersky, Windows Essentials, etc.

If anything, or if the virus is serious enough, you might have to do a HDD swipe and reinstall the OS.

 

[Sicklyboy]

I wouldn't think it's the hard drive.

But I would lie to know exactly how the hell the cursor is getting distorted... that just sounds plain weird.

Personally, I'd download memtest86 and boot into that. The long boot times/bsods could be caused by faulty memory, and I haven't looked at the minidump you posted. But the distorting cursor... maybe your graphics card? o_o

 

[Click This]

I wouldn't think it's the hard drive.

But I would lie to know exactly how the hell the cursor is getting distorted... that just sounds plain weird.

Personally, I'd download memtest86 and boot into that. The long boot times/bsods could be caused by faulty memory, and I haven't looked at the minidump you posted. But the distorting cursor... maybe your graphics card? o_o

I think know what he's talking about. It happens once every few months to me, and only when my cursor transitions across my second monitor. Nothing a good flailing of the cursor can't fix.

 

[Originality]

Try booting with only the primary drive plugged in and see if it happens again. It could be that one of your secondary drives is choking and it's struggling with the drive indexing.

 

[Splych]

I installed Avast + Malware Bytes. Did a scan last night, nothing appeared except for 1 malware which Malware Bytes found in my AppData folder I believe. Removed it, and restarted computer. Once again the blinking screen. However this time, I decided to restart w/o my Seagate HDD connected [considering it's the only new addition I've added to my computer]. Restarts fine, and I learned to deal with the slow boot time which isn't much of a problem since this computer is pretty old [still running that good ol' Pentium 4].

I am open to still thinking the HDD may be failing, but I am still wondering why my computer didn't boot. I forgot to mention this, but my Seagate HDD is docked on an Eagle Consus which connects by USB to the computer. I turned it off, so that it wouldn't be on during boot and it boots fine. Clearly, this may be a possibility for why it won't boot so I just need to remember to turn it off on boot.

In terms of my mouse cursour distortion, my situation is a little different. If any of you have Windows 7, you should be familiar with the loading circle. Now imagine it to be changed in a way where the loading circle is missing parts and is cut into 2 parts. It's hard to describe, and after restarting the computer, it is normal. I did some of my own research, and people running Windows 7 x64 are experiencing similar problems and one of the solutions were to update the driver.

 

[Pado]

Download HD Tune (free version) http://www.hdtune.com/download.html and check the S.M.A.R.T. status of your hdd, if you think there's something wrong with it?

 

[Originality]

Based on what I've heard, its most likely the Seagate drive (no surprise to me). Either its failing, or the USB interface greatly slows down the indexing process. Or both.

 

[Splych]

At around 7:00am to 5:00pm is the time I let my computer restart before I went to school and it was still on that blinking screen. I will test it out later with another HDD and see how it goes. Hopefully it isn't the HDD since it's brand new and never been used until my dad let me borrow it to back up my files.