Disk Read Error

A Disk Read Error - This error makes people mad to find out what is the solution for this. Actually, there is no 100% solution found at this point. But, the major solution (more than 90%) for this problem is here.
Everyone complaining that when I am starting the system I can see the error A Disk Read Error. This error comes if there is a problem lies within the Hard disk. Yes!!, more than 90% is because of the bad sectors. If you are giving the hard disk for service while warranty, you will get rectified of bad sectors, but the bad sectors come again in the near future. When a drive got bad sectors it will be working when it was mounted as a slave.

Being a Moderate-level Techie, I got few Ideas and this worked for people who get same type error also, so I would like to share this.

#1** Assuming, you are having an 500 GB hard disk, Usually the bad sector lies in the starting point of the hard disk, which means the first 5 to 10 GB will be loaded with some Bad Sectors. After formatting the drive and created the partition C: to 10 GB and D: to 50 GB (as Needed). Install the OS directly into the D-drive, but still few boot-up files will be get created in C-drive.

Now try whether you got the problem Fixed Up. If still the problem persists, we are in to a bit tedious process. You need a Blank DVD and a burning software to right the ISO files to fix the problem. Need to download Hiren BootCD.iso. Check the given link for the info of all the softwares http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

#2** The files that automatically gets created in C-drive

boot.ini
CONFIG
IO
MSDOS

NTDETECT
ntldr

There are chances that these files may be get placed over the bad sectors. To get escape from this problem you need to do some process. First load the C-drive with some files may be like Movies or MP3, may be the unwanted files. Do not load with useful information, because as you know the C-drive is infected with Bad sectors, so just to fill the initial part of drive with some content and Defragment the drive.

Now Use Hiren BOOT CD.iso (you can google it, along with it you can get lot of testing tools too) and write the iso image to a DVD, which will be a bootable now. Boot with the use of DVD. you can boot windows MINI XP ( Mini Windows XP - Portable Windows Xp that runs from CD/USB/Ram Drive to repair/recover dead windows operating system.)

After loading Mini Windows XP, you can see the C-drive (defragmented). You can able to see those files.
boot.ini CONFIG IO MSDOS NTDETECT ntldr

Make a copy and paste of those files (Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V)

OLD FILES NEW FILES

boot.ini Copy of boot.ini
CONFIG Copy of CONFIG
IO Copy of IO
MSDOS Copy of MSDOS
NTDETECT Copy of NTDETECT
ntldr Copy of ntldr

Then change the old name of the - boot.ini, CONFIG, IO, MSDOS, NTDETECT,ntldr - i m adding "2" before all the name and Delete the "copy of" from the new file name.
Eg: 2boot.ini 2CONFIG 2IO 2MSDOS 2NTDETECT 2ntldr

OLD FILES NEW FILES (deleted the "copy of")

2boot.ini boot.ini
2CONFIG CONFIG
2IO IO
2MSDOS MSDOS
2NTDETECT NTDETECT
2ntldr ntldr

Now you have placed the booting files in a different place, which may not be a bad sector. Try now to load the OS.

If needed, I will post a video or a To-Do-snapshot soon.

Some more tips about this Error (From tomshardware site):

1. Run CHKDSK /R /P from the recovery console (it will typically find no error)
2. run FIXBOOT from recovery console (typically has no result)
3. run FIXMBR from recovery console (typically has no result)
4. Run the manufacturer's diagnostic utility, downloaded from their website (it will typically find no error)
5. Changing the drives from cable select to Master/Slave may fix it.
6. Replacing the data cable may fix it, but usually not.
7. Setting the BIOS to use defaults may fix it, but usually not.
8. Changing the BIOS drive settings from auto to user-specified, ensuring that LBA is selected may fix it.
9. Pulling the CMOS battery to let the BIOS lose it settings may work.

Source: http://www.tomshardware.com