HD Failure

[Vigge]

Can anyone help me ?
My HD sometimes Crash... Well not compleatly I`m still able to look at the files on it but half of them don`t work. Suddenly they take up 0 Byte of hd-space, but I don`t get any free space. I can`t delete or open them :( :( :( or anything.
I kind of hope they are still there... Can I recover them somehow.
My only other option is to format the whole drive. (I would rearly hate to do that)

(Bad English Sorry)

[Ramirez]

Try running Chkdsk/Scandisk on that drive then backup.

If your hard drive chronically causing a data corruption then as your last resort you might want to Low-Level format this drive (visit your hard drive manufacturer support section) there are chances that this drive contains a large amount of bad-blocks (or it's simply dying)

[ppera2]

Recovering files from dying drive is almost impossible.
Better buy new drive and save what you can...

[Tuning]

It's not upto topic......,but u can reduce crashing by using windows2k/XP.........former called to be most stable one.
If it is badsectors use any badsector marking tools like norton disk doctor...to mark them,making unavailable to windows.Thus preventing searching the bad area.

[Vigge]

I tried Scandisk with no luck. No bad Sectors or any errors.

I use WinXP :)

How do I make the drive Low-level? I never heard of this.

[communist]

You can get 'Low-level-format' tools from your drive manufacturers site - at least iBM offers such things.

Anyway you should save your stuff asap before it totally dies - you may also want to send it back to the manufacturer and let them check if its more than just bad sectors.

Bad hdds should be taken very seriously ;)

[Vigge]

Well There are no bad sectors !!!!:(

It`s a Maxtor HD and they got this Tool called Powermax. If u use this u can fix the drive (And lose all your data) and then it works perfect for a wery long time. But suddenly almost all of your files can`t be opened.

And because the hd can be fixed they won`t replace it with a new one :( Sucks :( even though it has happend 4 times now.:mad:

[Tuning]

Can u list the different softwares u are using...like HDD drivers,M/B drivers.....etc etc.Some times this can cause problems.

Tuning

[junglemike]

Hi all, i have a little experience of repairing bad hdd's. Maybe some of my methods will help you.
First of all tools like ndd, scandisk, format/c will only encrease amount of bad sectors where they are already present. I was experimentings withs this stuff and found some simple solution that generally helps. First you need to find WHERE are bad sectors on the drive, Usually they are on 1-2 places on hdd, not all over it. So you have split logical partiotion so, that they NOT ENCLUDE the blocks, where bad sectors are.For example we have 100 gb drive, bad sectors is between 40 and 50gb(from the beginnings.) you have to do a 30 gb disc, and than make 30gb unalocated, and than 40 last gb disk. Otherwise if you do just format or scandisk, a head will pass over the damaged place(s) and this will only encrease amount of bad secotrs. This is usually the way hdd's die. You can do all of this with Partition magic, and even in Disk management in 2k/XP.
I worked in some company, they gave me about 10-15 scsi hdds which used to be server storage. All of them were bad, they wanted to throw them to garbage, i took them and applied to them abovementioned method. All of them work fine till now. None is failed.

[Ramirez]

All modern hard drives has a designated number of sectors used as replacement for a bad sectors discovered during scanning of the disc surface, basically all information about bad sectors programmed into the HD logic and then an equivalent number of the good sectors are taken out of the extra "good sectors" reserves pool.

Now in a situation when a HD develops bad sectors there are two ways of remapping bad sectors and make them not available for reading/writing data. First method is just a plain disc surface scan, the O.S then creates a "bad sectors" table and will not use affected areas for data storage, this is only temporally solution and only effective until next format of the HD. Another (and permanent) method would be the Low Level Format or 'Zero filling', during LLF a HD itself is instructed to 1: record all bad sectors > 2: never use affected areas for data storage > 3: replace them with a reserved number of good sectors (as described above)

LLF can only be done by the tools provided by the HD manufacturer and only recommended when there are no other alternatives (like replacing the drive)

[balaku]

If you have problems with hdd bad sdectors there are some programs at <<more hard drive nonsense>>

[jeffy]

Vigge, PLEASE ANSWER
these questions:
1) Have you used the latest available PowerMax 4.23
the link for the latest CD-ROM ISO
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=PowerMax_4.23_Bootable_CD_.ISO_image_file&vgnextoid=d86e8b9c4a8ff010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

2) Have you run a full, not quick diagnostic test?
Advanced Test (Full Scan Test)

3) Do you have an overclocked CPU?

4) Have you tested your RAM?
http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
5) have you 32-bit data transfer enabled in BIOS?

Thank you.

3 and/or 4,5 might possibly cause data corruption. BTW, I have seen a system where 32-bit data transfers enabled in BIOS would do the SAME, but don't ask me why, I don't know.

If you want, you can also post the model of your motherboard and hard drive.

[Inventive Software]

This thread is around 3.5 years old. I think he may have solved the problem already. ;)

[jeffy]

This thread is around 3.5 years old. I think he may have solved the problem already. ;)

:eek: Thanks for pointing this out. I have just wasted the time for nothing as it was listed amongst the threads that have changed today. Inventive Software, thanks, :stupid:

[CWR03]

jeffy, it's not your fault, it's the fault of the spammer balaku, who has already been warned by foxyshadis for the same offense.

[foxyshadis]

Ugh. Sorry, if I'd noticed the thread was an old one I'd have just deleted the post; I thought it was the same one that came up last month. He seems to spam internet forums far and wide.

[Vigge]

Hello

I just received a mail that someone had replied to my post.
I must say that I totally forgot ever posting this...
I have not visited this forum in the last 3 years or so, and I guess I solved the problem years ago.
But thanks Jeffy for your advice. Maybe it will become valuable info later on.
I will be back another time when I need expert help!!!