eMachines Windows Vista FAQ

eMachines recommends Windows Vista® Home Premium.

Windows Vista - Hard Disk Drive - Read/Write Errors

1. Run the memory diagnostic from the operating System DVD.

2. Run the Startup Repair from the operating system DVD.

3. If you can boot into Windows, attempt to backup your data.

4. Run GWSCAN to check for hard drive errors:
   
   1. Run the GWSCAN extended test to check for drive errors.
   2. At the prompt Quick Test runs first, followed by a Full Media Scan, press the R key.
   3. If the Quick Test completes without errors, press the C key to start the Full Media Scan.
   4. When the scan completes, note any error messages.
   5. Press the ESC key to return to the main menu.
   6. If errors were detected, select Print the Test Results. If printing the test results is not an option, select View the Test Results and note any errors detected. If GWSCAN detects an uncorrectable error, contact Gateway Technical Support.
   7. Select Quit to exit the GWSCAN program.

5. If hardware or software was added immediately before the problem started, turn off computer and follow the steps below to remove added hardware/software.

   Note: Remove any programs that are associated with the hardware.
   

   1. Click Start. In the Start Search dialog box, type: Device, and then press the ENTER key.
   2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Continue.
   3. In Device Manager, in the list of devices, right-click the device name, and then click Uninstall.
   4. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click OK.
   5. Turn the computer off.
   6. Remove the hardware that was added to the computer.
   
   Remove Added Software
   
   1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   2. In Control Panel, double-click Programs and Features.
   3. In the Uninstall or Change a Program dialog box, verify that the newly added program is listed. If the program is listed, follow these steps:
      
      • Click the program name.
      • Click Uninstall.
      • Follow all dialog boxes that may appear during the removal.
      • Close all open windows.

6. Remove any duplicate devices.

   Note: Before removing a "duplicate" hard disk drive, check the amount of physical drives in the system.

   1. Restart the computer.
   2. Press the F8 key after the Gateway BIOS logo appears until the Windows Advanced Boot Options menu screen appears.
   3. From the menu, select Safe Mode, and then press the ENTER key.
   4. Click Start. In the Start Search box, type: Device. From the displayed list, click Device Manager.
   5. In Device Manager, check for any duplicate devices.
   6. If any duplicate devices are found, right-click the duplicate device.
   7. From the menu, click Uninstall, and then follow any screen prompts.
   8. Turn the computer off.
   9. Remove the hardware that was added to the computer.

7. Check Event Viewer for any error or warning events.
   1. Click Start. In the Start Search box, type: event. From the displayed list, click Event Viewer.
   2. In the Event Viewer window, click the arrow in front of Windows Logs, and then check the Application and System Logs for error or warning events. If there are any found, refer to Microsoft TechNet for additional information related to the error or warning.
   3. After you are finished viewing the Event Viewer, click File, and then click Exit.

8. Run MSConfig to clean up Windows Startup.

If following the above procedures did not resolve your problem, please contact Gateway through one of the following methods:

• Free chat support
• Free email support
• Technical support by telephone
• Fee-based support with Answers By Gateway
• International support