What the heck does this Windows message mean??

[lynx]

The system is trying to create a restore point, not restore from one.

However, if the system thinks there should be a "System Volume Information" folder on the drive (because system restore is marked as active for that drive) but the folder does not exist it may explain the situation.

Try right clicking on "My Computer" and select properties, then select the "System Restore" tab. Turn off "System Restore" for that drive, then turn it back on again (if you wish). Hopefully that may cure the problem.

[peat moss]

Well empty yes just system files ? I'v only seen that when I had to force a reboot. Mabye Ariel , has a good idea. Or try Norton windoctor.

[Skiz]

If I attempt to save something to the drive or even open it, I get this:

[peat moss]

I would still run the chdsk . Have you tryed arials suggestion ?

[Ariel_001]

If I attempt to save something to the drive or even open it, I get this:

That is not good. It is a sign that your hard drive is about die.

[Skiz]

Y/N?

[lynx]

Y.

Have you checked to see if the disk is write protected? You can do that with a jumper on some drives.

[Skiz]

Y.

Have you checked to see if the disk is write protected? You can do that with a jumper on some drives.

I feel like such a n00b asking so many questions but I am a n00b with this problem. Could you elaborate a little more?

[lynx]

I feel like such a n00b asking so many questions but I am a n00b with this problem. Could you elaborate a little more?

Some drives have a couple of pins (like the ones for master or slave) which make the drive write-protected when shorted (with a small tag called a jumper).

It varies a lot though, so I can't tell you which pins to check. If it is a drive you've used before I suppose you would know if you write-protected it. If you aren't sure though, then you can always try to find the pin assignments on the manufacturers site. Or post the make and model and I'll try to find out for you.

There's another possibility now that I think about it. Did you re-partition the disk after you put it into this pc? The reason I ask is that there are 2 different possible disk layouts. If the disk was partitioned with one layout and your system is using the other layout this could be the cause of the problem - you may be trying to access sectors which don't actually exist.

If that's the case there are two alternatives:
1) go into the bios and select the layout used in the original pc if you know it.
2) use disk management to delete the partition(s), then recreate and reformat it/them.