Fred, how could you not make sure that the system’s hard drive was A-OK before doing any updates or upgrades? Ground Zero for any computer that shows up here is to make sure the hardware is in solid operating condition before mucking around with software. It’s unlikely that the Dell’s memory had gone bad, so I would have eschewed running MEMTEST-86+.
But at a bare, bare minimum, download and run Piriform’s Defraggler and use it to examine the SMART data on the drive. If the drive has even one reallocated sector or at least one sector pending reallocation, replace the drive. I do not let a computer out of here with a hard drive having bad sectors. Yes, the drive may run OK for many years, but a reallocated sector is a symptom of something gone wrong with the drive: a read-write head touching down on a disc surface for an instant or a defective disk surface. And it can only get worse, especially if some of the drive surface coating has flaked off. Then you have debris floating around in a hermetically sealed space.
You could also run the drive manufacturer’s diagnostics, a free download from any drive manufacturer except Toshiba, who have never offered a free drive diagnostic.
… Ben Myers
