Typically, error code 0141 appears when you start your Dell computer. The error occurs due to issues with the hard disk. For instance, when you boot your computer, an error code 2000-0141 may appear along with the following error message:
Drive 0 not found: Serial ATA, SATA-0
Alert Failed to Detect one or more drives during POST.
Strike the F1 key to continue. F2 to run the setup.
Press F5 to run onboard diagnostics.
To zero in on the exact problem with the hard disk, run the Dell Disk Self Test. This is a hard disk diagnostic tool that tests the hard disk in a Dell PC.
How to run Disk Self Test (DST) on Dell Desktop PCs
To start the Disk Self Test (DST) on Dell Desktop computers, press Ctrl + Alt + D at the Dell BIOS splash screen.
The amount of time the DST takes to finish depends on your system speed and the data on your hard drive. Typically DST takes about 3-5 minutes to complete.
How to run Disk Self Test on Dell Portable Computers
To start DST on Dell Portable Computers, power off your system and press Fn key and power button simultaneously to start your computer.
How to run Disk Self Test from the Resource CD
If your computer does not have Disk Self-Test tool in BIOS, you can run the tool from the Resource CD that came with your Dell computer. To do this, perform the following steps:
- Insert the Resource CD in your CD/DVD ROM.
- Next, in the Installation Screen, click OK to start the Installation and click Next in the InstallShield window
- Next, when the InstallShield Complete Screen appears, select Yes, I want to restart my computer now to reboot your system and click Finish.
- Remove the Resource CD from CD/DVD ROM.
- Reinsert the Resource CD in the CD/DVD ROM after your PC has restarted.
- Next, in the Welcome Dell System Owner window, click Next.
- On the Criteria page, under the System Criteria column, select option ALL for the operating system and the device type.
- Next, select Diagnostics under Topics.
- Finally, run the Disk Self Test on your computer.
Note: In case the diagnostic test reports an error, such as error code 0141, you can use the help of the Dell Troubleshooting Wizard to fix the error.
Hard drive-related errors are caused due to various reasons, among which malware infection is found to be the biggest cause. To prevent hard drive-related errors due to malware programs, such as viruses, it is important that you install robust antimalware software, such as STOPzilla Antivirus and Spyware Cease on your computer. Also, schedule regular virus/malware scans of your entire system and regularly update your protective tools with the latest security updates.
In addition to malware, a bloated and unstable Windows registry may also put a lot of load on the hard disk. To prevent this situation, use a good registry cleaner, such as RegServe to thoroughly scan and clean the registry on a regular basis.