Checking For Hard Disk Drive Errors; Understanding Hard Disk Drive Space; Keeping The Computer Free Of Dust And Dirt - HP Media Center,Pavilion Media Center m8150 Troubleshooting Manual

1 Save your work and close all open programs.
2 Press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys simultaneously.
3 Click Start Task Manager.
4 On the Applications tab, select all the programs
that are listed, and then click End Task. Close the
Task Manager.
5 Click the Windows Start Button, All
Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and
then click Disk Defragmenter.
6 Click Defragment Now.
If Disk Defragmenter repeatedly starts, a background
program is still accessing the hard disk drive. Restart
the computer in Safe Mode, and then run the Disk
Defragmenter program again:
1 Click the Windows Start
Button, click the Arrow
button next to the Lock button,
and then click Restart.
2 Press the F8 key as soon as the first logo screen
appears.
3 In the Windows Advanced Options menu, use the
arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press
Enter.
4 After Windows Vista starts, use the procedure
above to run the Disk Defragmenter program.
5 To turn off Safe Mode, repeat step 1.
Checking for Hard Disk Drive
Errors
Perform the following procedure to check the integrity
of the hard disk drive in Windows Vista. Close all
open programs before beginning the disk check.
1 Click the Windows Start Button, and then
Computer.
2 Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to
check, and click Properties.
3 Click the Tools tab.
4 Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
5 If desired, place a checkmark in the
Automatically fix file system errors and
Scan for and attempt recovery of bad
sectors checkboxes.
6 Click Start. If prompted to restart the computer,
click Yes.
The computer will restart and check the hard disk
drive for errors.
Understanding Hard Disk Drive
Space
The hard disk drive on the Hewlett-Packard and
Compaq computers with the Windows Vista operating
system preinstalled may appear to be smaller than
what is stated in the product specifications, in the
documentation, or on the box. Hard disk drives are
described and advertised by manufacturers in terms of
decimal (base 10) capacity. Windows Vista and other
programs, such as FDISK, use the binary (base 2)
numbering system.
In decimal notation, one megabyte (MB) is equal to
1,000,000 bytes, and one gigabyte (GB) is equal to
1,000,000,000 bytes. In the binary numbering
system, one megabyte is equal to 1,048,576 bytes,
and one gigabyte is equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes.
Because of the different measuring systems, you may
see a difference between the size reported by
Windows Vista and the size advertised. The storage
capacity of the hard disk drive is as advertised.
Windows Vista reports smaller capacity in the
Windows Explorer tool and in the Computer window
because it shows information about one partition on
the hard disk drive at a time. One of the partitions
contains the system recovery information.
Keeping the Computer Free of
Dust and Dirt
Keeping your computer system free of dust and dirt will
prolong its life. Dust, pet hair, and other particles can
build up, creating a blanket effect; as a result,
components can overheat, or, in the case of the
keyboard and mouse, not work as smoothly and
effectively. Check your system once a month for visible
signs of dust and debris, and clean it about once every
three months.
3
Maintenance