My laptop has a MAJOR problem.
It will run for a while, but then turns off without warning.
The amount of time it works depends on when you last used it.
(longer left alone=longer it works)
Whenever I start up, I get a screen saying something like "Checking file system on disc C" Press any key to cancel. Every time I don't cancel, it finds new errors. That screen started coming up about a week before it started shutting off.

Thanks!

My laptop has a MAJOR problem.
It will run for a while, but then turns off without warning.
The amount of time it works depends on when you last used it.
(longer left alone=longer it works)
Whenever I start up, I get a screen saying something like "Checking file system on disc C" Press any key to cancel. Every time I don't cancel, it finds new errors. That screen started coming up about a week before it started shutting off. I tried the built-in reforrmatting, which formats C: and reinstalls windows from a hidden part of the hard drive. A friend said that it looked like a boot sector virus. Is he right?
Thanks!

actually, the built-in system recovery

NOTE-I tried the built-in auto-recovery, which formats C: and reinstalls windows from a hidden part of the hard drive.

What is the make and model of the laptop?

I would run the manufacturer's diagnostic on the hard drive.

Also does it get noticeably hotter than usual? Have you ever cleaned it?

Also see how this command comes out: start Run... cmd

Then type: fsutil dirty query C:

it said

volume - C: is dirty

Originally Posted by jephree

What is the make and model of the laptop?

I would run the manufacturer's diagnostic on the hard drive.

Also does it get noticeably hotter than usual? Have you ever cleaned it?

As C: is dirty check disk will run.

Please answer my previous questions and also go back to cmd and type:

chkdsk /r

You will be told the volume is in use do you want to run chkdsk on next boot.

Choose Y and reboot.

This chkdsk will take considerably longer than what you are used to as per the /r flag.

Along with the make and model please include the hard drive manufacturer. You can find this via the Device Manager > right click My Computer then click Manage then Device Manager. Then click the + next to Disk drives. What is listed?

Also does this laptop have a floppy drive?

Something like that happened to me. I asked earlier on this forum. Mine didn't check for errors-though. Try removing your battery

1- the laptop is an Acer Aspire 3624WXMi
2-it doesn't get hotter than usual, as far as I know
3- I have never cleaned it
4- The disk drive is HTS421280H9ATOO
5- It doesn't have a floppy
6- Removing the battery makes no difference

Did chkdsk /r help?

That is a Hitachi hard drive. Their diagnostic is here:

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Scroll down to: Drive Fitness Test

You will need to burn the ISO disk image in order to create a bootable CD.

Let us know if you are unfamiliar with that process and we can give more detail.