Computer Hope
Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: viperx45 on August 06, 2011, 12:25:26 PM
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I'm thinking the boot drive in my computer is failing, so i figured I'd make a post here real quick just to be sure
PC specs real quick----
windows 7 Intel core 2 quad Q9450, O.C. to 3GHz
4GB of ram Geforce GTX 260
all SATA HDDs 3 HDDs total, C being the smallest and oldest
750 watt PSU ASUS formula rampage MOBO
My computer suddenly became much slower this morning and quickly became much slower throughout the day, while i was trying to find the problem. I first noticed that the hard drive was always in use, even while idling. no programs running, no updates going, the programs in the task bar doing background tasks. I have NOD32 antivirus and it had not reported anything yet. so used msconfig.exe to stop all startup programs and restart. still slower. uninstalled many programs that i've temporary stopped using. still slower. checked to see what was using the hard drive using resource monitor, mostly windows programs at the top of the list. noticed that only C drive was being active.
I've opened up the case, and i don't hear any unusual noises from the HDDs, if anything the HDDs don't seem to be making much noise at all compared to what the HDD light on the case is doing. programs were taking a long time to startup from boot. taking may minutes to appear on screen. examples: firefox, google chrome, minecraft, all took a long time to start.
I've booted my computer into safe mode now, which took more than 10 minutes to do, finally started coping important files off the C drive in hopes the HDD doesn't crash too soon. It's taking a very long time to copy the data. The computer is responding very slowly. I feel like I'm using an old windows xp computer that only has a 20GB hard drive and no space left. I'm currently on my much older laptop. because I can't get my computer to do much of anything. The hard drive has calmed down a bit in safe mode after quite a long time.
The hard drive in particular is a seagate 320GB sata drive. I've had it for about 5 years or more now. I'm almost possitive its the drive now, if so is there anyway to speed up the back up process, im almost afraid to shut it down now. I have a slightly older backup, but i don't want to what files that still need to be backed up, that cannot be recovered. some photos, videos, documents. those documents are on the failing drive, which is also the boot drive.
I have an older computer at my disposal with a windows xp on it.
Do you think i should throw the drive in there and backup the data using that computer instead?
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Bottom line is, hard drive is more than likely failing. Is there anything I can do to keep it alive longer while I attempt to copy some stuff off of it?
Or anything I should do now while there is still time.... other than get a new drive
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Test it with drive manufacturer's diagnostic software: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
I see embedded in the post, it's a Seagate. Get the SeaTools software for Windows or the iso to create a CD boot disk. SeaTools works on most other brands, too.
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I'll give that a shot. See what i get... just taking awhile to work with the computer
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It passed the SMART test
Quickly failed the "short drive self test"
It recommended to use a dos version of seatools and try to fix it that way. possible bad sectors... blah blah blah
I'll give it a shot after i back up what i can.
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The HDD is failing...
Services will be held Thursday at 2 PM...
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The HDD is failing...
Services will be held Thursday at 2 PM...
lol, well at least I know for sure now.
The drive also failed the long test and the dos program was unable to fix it.
I have a new HDD on the way already. I'll just continue backing up what i can.
Thanks for the help everyone
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I've only found 1 tool which is able to repair a hard drive when the manufacturer's tools won't: Spinrite. It's not free.
Some on this forum don't like the author, but that's their problem. In my experience, his software does work.