1720 HD Detects Imminent Failure

"Ernie" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1aae01c46f75$7359ac90$a501280a@phx.gbl...

> I have a Compaq Presario 7000 with an 80GB hard drive
> running Windows XP.
> Starting to-day,
> whenever I turn on my computer I get the following
> message:"1720 - HD
> detects imminent failure" along with "F1 Boot" and F10
> Computer Setup"
> options.
> How can this be rectified or am I heading for total
> disaster?

It's saying that the hard drive is likely to fail soon. Back up what you
can't afford to lose and get a replacement if it's under warranty or buy a
new one for yourself if it's not.

| "Ernie" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com>
| wrote in message news:1aae01c46f75$7359ac90$a501280a@phx.gbl
| I have a Compaq Presario 7000 with an 80GB hard drive
| running Windows XP. Starting to-day, whenever I turn on
| my computer I get the following message:"1720 - HD
| detects imminent failure" along with "F1 Boot" and F10
| Computer Setup" options. How can this be rectified or am I
| heading for total disaster?

I agree with the others... And as a matter of fact, back in May
of this year the same thing happened to an old Compaq
Presario 4784 of mine.

Furthermore, all of my diagnostics and research pointed to the
same conclusion... Backup immediately (do not power cycle
the computer), and replace the failing hard drive. Here is
some information saved from my experience:

--- The relevant part of the DIAG.LOG (created using
Compaq's proprietary PC Diagnostics software):

Device: Hard Drive(s)
Error Number: 1704-02
Count: 1
Pass Error Occurred: 1
Description:
Drive Controller 1, Hard Drive 1
Hard Drive - Failed Random Seek Test
Exceeded hard error limit
A repeatable error has been detected. Backup of user data
followed by Surface Analysis is recommended.

For information about Compaq's proprietary PC Diagnostics
software try searching the following Web Site:

HP Customer Care
Compaq Presario Desktop PCs
FAQs Compaq Presario Desktop PCs
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...&product=89327

--- The 1720 Compaq POST Startup Error Message according to:

UK Technical Support
Compaq Post Error Messages
http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/compaq/faq/comppost.htm

<SNIP>
MESSAGE: 1720 - Intellisafe Hard Disk Detects Imminent Failure
BEEPS: None
PROBABLE CAUSE: Hard Disk is About to Fail
ACTION: Backup Data and Replace Hard Disk
<SNIP>

--- BTW, after you have created your backup you may
want to do some research. As it is, when it happened to
me I came across the following Web Site. It does not
appear to apply to your particular computer model, but
false 1720 errors are not unheard of...

HP Business Support Center
You may Receive a 1720 IntelliSafe Error when Booting
with some Western Digital Hard Drives
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport..._DH990309_CW01

<SNIP> description
The following error message may occur when booting any
Deskpro computers with certain Western Digital hard
drives (HDs) installed. <SNIP> 1720 IntelliSafe Error

<SNIP> resolution
Compaq has written a SoftPaq that updates the firmware of
certain Western Digital hard drives <SNIP> Use the following
links to download the SoftPaq and the SoftPaq Instructions for
Compaq Desktops.

Language: English (US)
SoftPaq: SP10200 Instructions
Link: ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/softpaq/sp1...00/sp10200.txt

And from the Compaq ftp site for the SoftPaq:

SOFTPAQ NUMBER: SP10200
PART NUMBER: N/A
FILE NAME: UPD116.EXE
TITLE: Firmware Update for Western Digital IDE Hard Drives
VERSION: 1.00 Rev A
LANGUAGE: US English

CATEGORY: ROMPaqs

DIVISIONS: Desktops

PRODUCTS AFFECTED: Deskpro 2000, Deskpro 2000MMX,
Deskpro 4000, Deskpro 4000MMX, Deskpro 6000,
Deskpro 6000MMX, Deskpro EN LFF, Deskpro EN SFF,
Deskpro EP
<SNIP>

DESCRIPTION: Creates a bootable diskette that updates particular
Western Digital hard drives to fix a SMART threshold issue. It
corrects false 1720 errors displayed when the computer is started.
<SNIP>

--- Also, after you have created your backup you may want to
run diagnostics tests using software from your disk manufacturer.

And lastly, after you have created your backup you may want to
post to the following newsgroup since they discuss hard drives,
diagnostics, etc., with great frequency.

Windows XP Hardware
AKA microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware

The following page has links you can click to access the newsgroup
with your Web browser, or with a Network News Transfer
Protocol (NNTP)-based newsreader such as Outlook Express.

Windows XP Expert Zone Community Newsgroups
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ewsgroups.mspx

And if you post to that newsgroup I suggest that you include
information such as:

- Any relevant information found in your Event Viewer
(eventvwr.msc) logs. For example, look in your System Event Log
for Event Source: dmio. And look through any unrecognizable
Error events (Red X).

- Details about your hard drive such as manufacturer, age, whether
or not it has suffered any physical abuse and/or runs in a harsh
environment (such as heat and dust), etc.

- Whether or not you have run any diagnostics tests using software
from your disk manufacturer. And if the answer is yes include the
relevant details.