Auto Update to 1.2.3 lead to corrupt HDD

[Cabbage]

Hey all. I left the DCS world auto updater running when I went to work yesterday and when I came home my PC had blue screened... Went to restart it and now it blue screens whenever pc boots to desktop. Have done a run through and it seems as though I have some corrupt files in HDD. Tried loading a restore point (one had been auto created when I was at work, so I presume this was the point at which the patch started to install itself) but no joy. Looking like a reinstall windows job.

 

Anyone else come across this?

 

Windows 7 64 bit,

Q6600

Gefore 560Ti

blah blah.

 

PS. I have World/FC3/BS2/A10/CA/P51 installed. All at 1.2.2 prior to this.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Cabbage
Further detail

[c0ff]

Autoupdater code is the most verified and tested one. It's designed to touch only files in DCS temp and installation directories.

 

Moreover, no application program can blue-screen a PC. It's either a hardware or driver fault.

 

The coincidence of the blue screen with DCS autoupdater could happen because updater quite intensively writes files to disk (as any installation program will). So, most likely it's a fault in the chain HDD->cable->controller->RAM.

[Der_Fred]

It probably trashed the registry..

[c0ff]

Autoupdater does not touch the registry at all.

[BRooDJeRo]

It's known too that SSD defragmentation without proper cooling can overheat it resulting in what you have now.

 

Windows has autodefrag on by default, but can ruin SSD's when not properly cooled. This is a common reason why SSD's fail. Specialy when it's an earlier generation. A simple 10 euro fan solves it pretty much. The more expensive and newer generation SSD's have better heatprotection. An SSD is nothing more than series of EEPROM's with a fast interface. An USB stick on steroids. How warm does your USB stick get when you use it to lets say watch a movie? An SSd has no moving mechanical parts so its only enemy is heat. A decent fan on your SSD also doubles the SSD's lifespan.

 

Is the scedualed defragtime during the period you were gone?

Edited February 28, 2013 by BRooDJeRo

[HiJack]

You should never defragment a SSD drive!

[neverminded]

It's known too that SSD defragmentation without proper cooling can overheat it resulting in what you have now.

 

It is known that SSD defragmentation is a no-go.

I guess you have corrupt files because of your BSOD and not the other way.

[EagleEye]

Does the OP said he have a SSD drive?

 

@Cabbage: Does it boot in safe mode? If not, there is a repair option on the Win7 disc(just boot from disc). You should use that before doing a fresh install.

Edited February 28, 2013 by EagleEye

[BRooDJeRo]

Hmm, good one.... i'm reading things that aren't there. Awesome! I'm going nuts finaly.

[Cabbage]

It's a 500Gb HDD, not SSD.

 

It also will not boot in safe mode. I have tried the windows recovery options by going "repair my pc" from the f8 boot up menu then using "Startup recovery" but it says it cannot automatically repair it.

 

Bummer.

 

The blue screen said something about a BAD_POOL_HEADER. Another time it said something about fltmgr.exe or something. I'll confirm tonight.

[BRooDJeRo]

Does the drive make extra sexy noise?

[Cabbage]

@c0ff - I did clear the temp folder using hard disk cleanup while the auto updater was mid download, could that have caused issues?

[Cabbage]

The hard drive sounds normal/sexy.

[c0ff]

@c0ff - I did clear the temp folder using hard disk cleanup while the auto updater was mid download, could that have caused issues?

 

Nope. It just won't update saying "Can't find file xxxxx", but that's all.

Even DCS will continue to work normally, just not updated.

[Sanch0]

Probably your HDD is dying. Check SMART on your HDD, it could say something.

[EagleEye]

It also will not boot in safe mode. I have tried the windows recovery options by going "repair my pc" from the f8 boot up menu then using "Startup recovery" but it says it cannot automatically repair it.

Don`t know if "Startup Recovery" does the same like the repair function from the W7 disc, but it`s worth a try in my eyes.

Which Antivir program do you use?

[tintifaxl]

Probably your HDD is dying. Check SMART on your HDD, it could say something.

 

+1.

 

Very weird things happen, when either the drive or the sata controller starts dying.

 

Remember the defective batch of intel chips that were put on the very first sandy bridge motherboards around 01/2011? I got one of these - strange things happened when this chip slowly died ...

[Cabbage]

I will give that a try EagleEye.

 

I run spyware S&D and adaware plus the windows firewall but no specific AV tbh.

[Cabbage]

+1.

 

Very weird things happen, when either the drive or the sata controller starts dying.

 

Remember the defective batch of intel chips that were put on the very first sandy bridge motherboards around 01/2011? I got one of these - strange things happened when this chip slowly died ...

 

I'll look into this... but the HDD has never showed any signs of skipping a beat before, it just seems a little too convenient timing wise for it to be a random hardware failure.

 

I'm gona try repairing off windows 7 disk and if that doesn't work I'll just have to reinstall windows 7 and salvage what I can off the HDD first.

[zaelu]

You should try to understand the difference between coincidence and causality... it will improve at least quality of your threads titles... maybe it will save you from some superstitions and wrong beliefs... but that's not mandatory.

[Dejjvid]

It's rare to get a warning when your HDD's go BOOM!

 

This is just an unlucky coincidence.

 

If your BIOS supports it go into the S.M.A.R.T. utility and run a diagnose, otherwise install a S.M.A.R.T. diagnose software on a USB-stick and boot the diagnose.

[SkateZilla]

Hey all. I left the DCS world auto updater running when I went to work yesterday and when I came home my PC had blue screened... Went to restart it and now it blue screens whenever pc boots to desktop. Have done a run through and it seems as though I have some corrupt files in HDD. Tried loading a restore point (one had been auto created when I was at work, so I presume this was the point at which the patch started to install itself) but no joy. Looking like a reinstall windows job.

 

Anyone else come across this?

 

Windows 7 64 bit,

Q6600

Gefore 560Ti

blah blah.

 

PS. I have World/FC3/BS2/A10/CA/P51 installed. All at 1.2.2 prior to this.

 

 

Looks Like your harddrive went on a permanent vacation, which has nothing to do with DCS or the Updater, Coincidence.

 

Boot Linux Live USB/DVD and i bet you the first thing it does after getting to the desktop os pop up saying one of your harddisks is failing.

 

Turn on SMART and run the HDD Diagnostics for you manufacturer (WD, Seagate, whoever, they all have bootable programs to test and format).

[SkateZilla]

It's known too that SSD defragmentation without proper cooling can overheat it resulting in what you have now.

 

Windows has autodefrag on by default, but can ruin SSD's when not properly cooled. This is a common reason why SSD's fail. Specialy when it's an earlier generation. A simple 10 euro fan solves it pretty much. The more expensive and newer generation SSD's have better heatprotection. An SSD is nothing more than series of EEPROM's with a fast interface. An USB stick on steroids. How warm does your USB stick get when you use it to lets say watch a movie? An SSd has no moving mechanical parts so its only enemy is heat. A decent fan on your SSD also doubles the SSD's lifespan.

 

Is the scedualed defragtime during the period you were gone?

 

Windows 7 and Windows 8 should disable Defrag and other HDD pre-cache routines when a SSD is installed.

 

You dont Defrag a SSD, you ALIGN it ONCE, and your done.

[cichlidfan]

I'll look into this... but the HDD has never showed any signs of skipping a beat before, it just seems a little too convenient timing wise for it to be a random hardware failure.

 

 

I just replaced a hard disk in my backup drive set due to a 'random hardware failure'. Considering that I just rebuilt the server the timing was 'odd' as well, but stuff happens. ;)

[Cabbage]

I will try the SMART or LINUX jobby when I get home.

 

Will report back with whatever it says.

 

Cheers chaps