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Author Topic: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing  (Read 5286 times)

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Offline Eupher

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Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« on: January 26, 2011, 08:06:44 PM »
Pretty clear warning - backup the hard drive (to do that I need an external hard drive which I don't have, of course).

How dire is this warning? Should I run to my nearest Newegg and order up a 1TB screamer?

This particular hard drive is an Hitachi at about 500GB. It's a little over 3 years old and it's been running pretty much full time - as many hard drives as I've seen die at work, it's about time for this one to go.

Comments? Suggestions? Bitchslaps are ALWAYS welcome!
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2011, 08:17:12 PM »
Exactly what Win7 errors are you getting?  Run a diagnostic test from the BIOS first, and possibly a third-party tester next (you can get them from download.com).  There's a small possibility that it is a software issue.  I would update the Windows drivers and do a file-integrity check (from a command window, run chkdsk /f).

Any new drive you buy should come with mirroring software that with clone your existing drive, so there is that for good news.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2011, 08:18:28 PM »
Oh, and get a screen shot.  It might be malware. :tinfoil2:
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2011, 08:19:59 PM »
Quote from: chris_ on January 26, 2011, 08:17:12 PM
Exactly what Win7 errors are you getting?  Run a diagnostic test from the BIOS first, and possibly a third-party tester next (you can get them from download.com).  There's a small possibility that it is a software issue.  I would update the Windows drivers and do a file-integrity check (from a command window, run chkdsk /f).

Any new drive you buy should come with mirroring software that with clone your existing drive, so there is that for good news.

All it says is that the hard drive is having "hard disk errors". It doesn't say any more than that, really.

As I had upgraded to a whizbang video card and put in another GB of RAM, I'd say my drivers are all as new as they're going to get. I can run chkdsk /f and report back what happens.
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2011, 08:51:08 PM »
I ran chkdsk and while the gist of it zipped by so fast I couldn't read it all, I did catch:

0 KB in bad sectors

I didn't see your post about catching a screen shot - will do that the next time it pops up.
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Fender Precision Bass Guitar, built ?
Mouthpiece data provided on request.

Offline Chris_

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2011, 08:53:48 PM »
Did you include the /f flag?

I don't suppose it would have made a difference if it didn't actually find anything to repair.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2011, 10:34:46 PM »
Quote from: chris_ on January 26, 2011, 08:17:12 PM
Exactly what Win7 errors are you getting?  Run a diagnostic test from the BIOS first, and possibly a third-party tester next (you can get them from download.com).  There's a small possibility that it is a software issue.  I would update the Windows drivers and do a file-integrity check (from a command window, run chkdsk /f).

Any new drive you buy should come with mirroring software that with clone your existing drive, so there is that for good news.

Not if you buy an OEM drive...
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2011, 10:40:17 PM »
Not sure what you mean by OEM, but every drive I've ever bought off the shelf came with mirroring software.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2011, 10:42:34 PM »
OEM (Bare, no cables, cds, etc)  drives are normally sold by Tiger Direct, Newegg, etc at a lower price. Maxtor (which is now Seagate) has those utilities available on their site, though.
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2011, 05:16:48 AM »
Overnight did a full scan using Malwarebytes - nothing was found.
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2011, 05:17:56 AM »
Quote from: chris_ on January 26, 2011, 08:53:48 PM
Did you include the /f flag?

I don't suppose it would have made a difference if it didn't actually find anything to repair.

Yes. I remember this old DOS command from the good ol' days. The /f means to repair, IIRC.
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Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2011, 05:25:32 AM »
Quote from: Thor on January 26, 2011, 10:42:34 PM
OEM (Bare, no cables, cds, etc)  drives are normally sold by Tiger Direct, Newegg, etc at a lower price. Maxtor (which is now Seagate) has those utilities available on their site, though.

With the ridiculously cheap prices for hard drives any more, I'm just going to order a 1TB drive. Just a quick look at Newegg tells me that Western Digital SATA drives are going for about $75.

The original Hitachi drive is over 3 years old. It formats at about 400GB and I've got about 100GB on it. Plenty of room left over, but I think it's time to go to a bigger drive because of some home inventory stuff I want to do (photos, etc.)

Thor, you know my equipment - is there anything I should be watchful for when I order this drive?
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Kanstul 33-T BBb tuba, built 2011
Fender Precision Bass Guitar, built ?
Mouthpiece data provided on request.

Offline Thor

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2011, 07:07:46 AM »
Quote from: Eupher on January 27, 2011, 05:25:32 AM
With the ridiculously cheap prices for hard drives any more, I'm just going to order a 1TB drive. Just a quick look at Newegg tells me that Western Digital SATA drives are going for about $75.

The original Hitachi drive is over 3 years old. It formats at about 400GB and I've got about 100GB on it. Plenty of room left over, but I think it's time to go to a bigger drive because of some home inventory stuff I want to do (photos, etc.)

Thor, you know my equipment - is there anything I should be watchful for when I order this drive?

BEFORE you order a new drive, let me look, OK??
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

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"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2011, 07:16:10 AM »
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Fender Precision Bass Guitar, built ?
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Offline Thor

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2011, 07:34:30 AM »
OK, you can get this one for $80: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148413&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-22-148-413-_-Product

Another Hitachi for $55: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145304 

A Samsung  for $60: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=14&name=Internal-Hard-Drives&Order=PRICE&Page=3

A Western Digital Caviar Green for $65: http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=14&name=Internal-Hard-Drives&Order=PRICE&Page=4

The WD Caviar Blue for $70: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136534

All of these EXCEPT the Samsung have hard drive utilities on their site to "ghost" a drive.

You'll also need: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812816015&cm_re=SATA_Drive_cable-_-12-816-015-_-Product

and this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812816062&cm_re=SATA_Drive_cable-_-12-816-062-_-Product

I'd probably recommend the 2 TB drive since you're going to spend the money. One of the things I like to do is keep a separate, smaller drive for my OS and Programs and use a different drive for storage. That way your storage drive typically stays safe. Think about that.
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Eupher

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Re: Win7 Says My Hard Drive is Failing
« Reply #15 on: January 27, 2011, 08:33:28 AM »
I went over to Tiger Direct and ordered two drives, both of them Western Digital.

1 TB, 64MB cache, SATA drive for $60
250 GB, 32MB cache, SATA drive for $40
and a SATA cable for $5

Everything should be here Monday.
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Adams E2 Euphonium, built in 2017
Boosey & Co. Imperial Euphonium, built in 1941
Edwards B454 bass trombone, built 2012
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Kanstul 33-T BBb tuba, built 2011
Fender Precision Bass Guitar, built ?
Mouthpiece data provided on request.
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