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Author Topic: Hard Drive Trouble - Read towards the end.  (Read 6626 times)

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stringo0

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    Hard Drive Trouble - Read towards the end.
    « on: April 11, 2008, 08:24:23 AM »
    Hi,

    I just finished repairing windows and ran a full system scan with definitions updated since 7/4/2008, a problem fixed with your help here - http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,54876.0.html

    After the repair, things worked fine, but the computer would freeze for a second or so every now and then - so I'm playing Call of Duty 4, and a sudden freeze every now and then, almost not noticeable.

    So I figure might as well run a defrag - I analyze the drive, windows recommends a defrag, so I defrag overnight (500gb drive). I come back in the morning, defrag is completed. I click view report, nothing. I can move the mouse, but not click anything.

    So I reboot. The initial bios screen listing components takes MUCH longer that usual - listing the dvd drive and hard drive. Then it goes to the next screen, and gives a message along the lines of please attach/insert a boot drive and press a key.

    I turn it off, come back after an hour or so, and now the BIOS screen loads sooner, but nothing after.

    Few other concerns:
    1. The freezing also happened the same night after which I had to repair windows.
    2. Windows update failed to install the latest update, which was the new windows update manager (3.1?)
    3. The internet connection kept resetting every 30 minutes or so - as in it would be gone for less than a second, but it was long enough to disconnect me from Lord of the rings online. - This did not happen before the windows repair. Internet provided by Rogers cable, through a DLink router.

    System Specs:
    Windows XP Professional SP2 with all updates. [Legal Tongue]
    3 GB of DDR 333 RAM (2x512 and 2x1gb in dual channel mode)
    500 GB Seagate hard drive (about half way used)
    Asrock 939Dual - http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=939Dual-SATA2&s=n
    AMD Athlon 3800+ Dual Core (FX?)
    Geforce 8800 GTO 512MB from BFG
    Generic DVD writer.

    Latest Update:
    I ran the Seagate diagnostics which I ran 2 times before, and this time during the short test I got an error message saying failure detected, please run the long test - so I'm running the long test atm, will keep this thread updated.

    Any and all help is appreciated, thanks!
    « Last Edit: April 12, 2008, 01:33:18 AM by stringo0 »

    stringo0

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      Beginner

      Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
      « Reply #1 on: April 11, 2008, 08:31:29 AM »
      The Seagate long test came up with lots of errors this time - only 2 before - atleast 90- errors this time, with block numbers from 6169220 to 6195829

      CORRECTION: I was able to repair 90ish errors, going through the test again to repair the rest.

      Do I assume it's the hd then? What do you guys think/suggest

      It's a SATA II drive. It has some options in BIOS, like Turbo Drive/Normal Drive, run in IDE mode etc.

      Deerpark



        Egghead
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        Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
        « Reply #2 on: April 11, 2008, 08:35:34 AM »
        So what is the current situation?
        IS SeaTools still reporting errors for the drive?
        Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
        Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

        stringo0

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          Beginner

          Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
          « Reply #3 on: April 11, 2008, 08:37:30 AM »
          So what is the current situation?
          IS SeaTools still reporting errors for the drive?

          Right after trying those errors, I'm unable to use the tools properly for some reason - it goes to the exit screen after I agree to the agreement, retrying after reboot :|

          Update: Able to run it after reboot, running long test now - will keep you all updated.

          stringo0

            Topic Starter


            Beginner

            Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
            « Reply #4 on: April 11, 2008, 08:43:29 AM »
            With the long test at 0%, I get a lot of errors (91 to repair right now, still at 0%).

            I'm thinking something is wrong with then hd, or the motherboard.

            This is weird - yesterday when I ran the HD test, 2 errors popped up after 100% of the long test which took hours to complete. I ran the long test twice, and both times only 2 errors popped up.

            Any ideas based on this?

            stringo0

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              Beginner

              Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
              « Reply #5 on: April 11, 2008, 08:47:14 AM »
              While trying to repair the errors the second time, I did the same as before - repair each one by one (Couldn't select repair all), and after 90 or so were repaired, it automatically exited the seatools graphical interface to the seagate boot Dos prompt - this is what happened before as well, when I fixed the other errors earlier.

              Update: Running long test again, now past 0% at one percent - 5 errors so far. I'm thinking it might have been just a cluster between 6million and 7 million (LBA). Right now it's at 13million something, no errors since the 7million ones.

              Will keep this thread updated.

              patio

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              Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
              « Reply #6 on: April 11, 2008, 08:56:41 AM »
              That drive definitely has issues...check your purchase date. Some Seagate drives carry a 5 year warranty.
              Start backing up your data.
              " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

              stringo0

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                Beginner

                Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                « Reply #7 on: April 11, 2008, 09:00:40 AM »
                That drive definitely has issues...check your purchase date. Some Seagate drives carry a 5 year warranty.
                Start backing up your data.

                I'm going to wait till the long test completes, unless you recommend otherwise.

                I bought this drive recently, so I'm sure it's under warranty still.

                Would you suggest the same if I'm able to fix all the errors? Only bumped into 5 after fixing those other ones, at 3% now.

                Deerpark



                  Egghead
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                  Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                  « Reply #8 on: April 11, 2008, 09:02:57 AM »
                  A new drive shouldn't have a single error, I would return it.
                  Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
                  Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

                  stringo0

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                    Beginner

                    Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                    « Reply #9 on: April 11, 2008, 09:05:25 AM »
                    A new drive shouldn't have a single error, I would return it.

                    It's been a few months, not sure exactly how many - but definitely less than a year has been completed. I'd rather not return it until I'm sure it's gone or definitely going to be dead, as I probably have to ship it to Seagate or something like that :[

                    Correction: I think it's definitely been more than 8 months.

                    If this helps any, the Drive Information from Seatools says "SMART Has NOT Been Tripped"
                    « Last Edit: April 11, 2008, 09:19:46 AM by stringo0 »

                    Deerpark



                      Egghead
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                      Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                      « Reply #10 on: April 11, 2008, 09:31:47 AM »
                      In the end it is your choice to replace or not. I'm just saying I wouldn't trust a drive that SeaTools can't give a clean bill of health.
                      Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
                      Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

                      stringo0

                        Topic Starter


                        Beginner

                        Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                        « Reply #11 on: April 11, 2008, 09:43:46 AM »
                        In the end it is your choice to replace or not. I'm just saying I wouldn't trust a drive that SeaTools can't give a clean bill of health.

                        Roger that - can a faulty drive cause the freezes? I'm going to try to fix all these errors, and try to call Seagate about this.

                        Will keep this thread posted, thanks for the help and tips.

                        patio

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                        Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                        « Reply #12 on: April 11, 2008, 11:02:32 AM »
                        Yes.
                        A faulty/failing HDD can cause all kinds of issues.
                        I'd get an imaging program such as DriveImage or Acronis and create an image of the Data and burn it to CD/DVD.
                        I'd then format the drive and send it back for replacement.
                        But as Deerpark says that is your choice...
                        " Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

                        stringo0

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                          Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                          « Reply #13 on: April 11, 2008, 03:05:19 PM »
                          If this helps any, I was running the SATA 2 Drive under IDE mode, not SATA mode - this was during the entire repair process.

                          I forgot to reset it after.

                          Also, before the repair/defrag, there were only 2 errors. After I fixed the 180 errors that popped up after, only 7 errors showed up after a full long test.

                          Could the symptoms be caused by anything else?

                          What is Turbo driving for the Hard Disk? In the BIOS there's an option for Normal or Turbo driving - it's currently at Normal.

                          Thanks again.

                          stringo0

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                            Re: Frequent PC Freezes, now refuses to boot
                            « Reply #14 on: April 11, 2008, 03:10:51 PM »
                            Where can I check jumper settings for the hard drive? The diagnostics tool said no hard drive recognized, check cables etc. and jumper settings.