will a bad hard drive stop windows from starting up?

Answer 1

Definitely. Especially if Windows is installed where the hard drive has gone bad.

I know someone that had the exact same problem. We tried reinstalling everything to no avail. The solution? She had to buy a new hard drive. Worked like a champ after that.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes it will, a bad hard drive will ruin your day I'm afraid.

All the information and files needed to load up windows are stored on you hard drive.

It's never an easy thing to repair, I would suggest replacing the hard drive and re-installing windows. If there are important files on your bad drive I would suggest seeking professional help with the data recovery.

There are several other things that can stop windows loading up. Is the computer making it past the POST (Power On Self Test) and then getting to the windows loading screen and then stalling? If that's the case it may be an issue with windows, try booting from the windows and trying the repair option.

Other than that all i can recommend is to see a technician

Hope this helps

~®

Answer 3

A bad hard drive can keep a computer from starting up. But so kind a hundred other things. You will need to give more detail, list an errors you get it, tell us where in the start up everything stops, etc. before we can guess whether it is the hard drive, or one of the hundreds of other possible problems.

Answer 4

Potentially.

If it's bad as in won't work at all and any part of Windows is on it... or if you've got a boot loader and the boot loader has any files on the failed disk then yes, it will stop your PC from booting up.

If it's a second hard disk that you just use for games or films or music then no, it won't.

Answer 5

Yes, but are you asking because you think your hard drive may be the culprit? Or do you know for sure?

You could have a BIOS problem, which would be blamed on the mobo.

More specifics are needed to know for sure.

Answer 6

its possible, but even more than that it will keep it from running correctly which could be a bad problem too. Why dont you try stripping your computer down and starting over. I heard there is the website you can go to that can help you do that

Answer 7

Do you mean delay - take a long time, or not load at all?

Without more information, I would:
1. Go into Safe Mode
-----run your antivirus program

2. Go for a Windows repair.
-----WindowsXP System Restore – excellent link – explains with graphics
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx

WindowsXP Repair Explained
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/options_to_use_when_a_system_will_not_start.mspx?mfr=true

WindowsXP Repair Tools
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm#How%20to%20Repair%20Windows%20XP%20by%20Installing%20Over%20top%20of%20Existing%20Setup:

http://www.download-download-this.com/4.html?OVRAW=Windows%20Installer%20corrupted&OVKEY=window%20installer&OVMTC=advanced

Fix and/or Repair Windows
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm
http://www.onsitechicago.com/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=23&nav=0

3. Free up your memory.
-----
1. Set wallpaper and screensavers to blank or none — they run continuously in the background and use memory.
-----right-click on the desktop, select Properties
-----click the screensaver tab, on the left where it says "screensaver," select none.
-----click the desktop tab, for background, select none
2. Review your start menu – remove anything you don’t need on a daily basis — load games, etc. on an as-needed basis.
-----click Start, Settings, Taskbar and Start Menu
-----click the Start Menu tab
-----select a program you do not want to load at Startup, then click remove.
-----Caution -- do not touch anything you are not sure of or you will mess up your computer royally.
3. From Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options: delete cookies, delete files (offline), and clear history. (You can also set days to store history to 0.)
----- These actions will clear your computer’s cache. (For a description of cache, go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/ph/yahoo/mail/access/access-27210.html )
4. Run Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, Defrag at least every two weeks (the more frequently they are run, the less time they take).
-----These can be found in Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools.
5. Periodically, click Start, Programs, Run — then type ipconfig renew
(that’s ipconfig space renew).
6. Optional: Speed vs Goodies — in the Control Panel, System, Advanced, Performance, Settings — you can have visual effects or let Windows select the best options. I am using “Best Performance.” Your choice.
These things should increase speed and free up memory as much as possible.

Answer 8

yes of course it will, if it cannot get the required data off the hard drive in order to know what to do ... it wont know what to do (how to boot ect)
also failing memory and other hardware components could have the same effect.

you can run harddrive torture testing tools and such from the manufacturers site (wd has their own tool, maxtor has their own tool ect)

Answer 9

Yes, that is where windows is stored. If it dosn't work propertly then you need to see about getting another hardrive. Bare in mind - you will prolly not be able to save anything, if its in that bad of shape.