Is my harddrive dead??

It's difficult to understand what kind of noise it makes. Is it
something similar to these: http://datacent.com/hard_drive_sounds.php
?
Anyways, if the drive starts making some new sounds it's a good sign
to backup ASAP and toss it away.

On Oct 31, 2:27 pm, Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaud....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:
> When I start up my computer, the BIOS loads, and windows will start loading
> (or at least the Windows Loading screen shows up) and then I hear a loud
> grinding noise. I get a very rapid BSOD, and then it shuts down and starts
> up again in the DOS "Your computer did not shut down
> properly...bhlahblahblah".
>
> I have two harddrives on the computer, with windows on one, and my data on
> another harddrive. Will it be as simple as buying a new hardrive,
> installing windows and then I am good to go? (followed by updating all of
> my drivers)
>
> --
> Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Previously Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> When I start up my computer, the BIOS loads, and windows will start loading
> (or at least the Windows Loading screen shows up) and then I hear a loud
> grinding noise. I get a very rapid BSOD, and then it shuts down and starts
> up again in the DOS "Your computer did not shut down
> properly...bhlahblahblah".

> I have two harddrives on the computer, with windows on one, and my data on
> another harddrive. Will it be as simple as buying a new hardrive,
> installing windows and then I am good to go? (followed by updating all of
> my drivers)

Post the SMART data here. Wothout it it is basically impossible to
diagnise the drive. And typically it is not that simple.

Arno
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

in comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage, Marcel Beaudoin
<marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in
news:Xns9B4893102BC8marcelbeaudoingmailc@130.133.1.4:

> When I start up my computer, the BIOS loads, and windows will start
> loading (or at least the Windows Loading screen shows up) and then I
> hear a loud grinding noise. I get a very rapid BSOD, and then it shuts
> down and starts up again in the DOS "Your computer did not shut down
> properly...bhlahblahblah".
>
> I have two harddrives on the computer, with windows on one, and my
> data on another harddrive. Will it be as simple as buying a new
> hardrive, installing windows and then I am good to go? (followed by
> updating all of my drivers)


Update time

I spent some of the weekend, poking around inside my computer.

I took the sides off, and started it up, trying to figure out which of my
HDs the noise is coming from. Turns out it is not coming from my HDs, the
clicking/grinding is coming from one of my DVD players. When I put my hand
on it, I can feel it vibrating.

However, that still doesn't change the fact that my computer won't start
up. I tried putting my Windows Installation disk in the drive and set the
drive to be the start-up device, and there was no happiness. No real
difference in what happened.


--
Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote
> Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote

>> When I start up my computer, the BIOS loads, and windows will
>> start loading (or at least the Windows Loading screen shows up)
>> and then I hear a loud grinding noise. I get a very rapid BSOD,
>> and then it shuts down and starts up again in the DOS "Your
>> computer did not shut down properly...bhlahblahblah".

>> I have two harddrives on the computer, with windows on one,
>> and my data on another harddrive. Will it be as simple as
>> buying a new hardrive, installing windows and then I am
>> good to go? (followed by updating all of my drivers)

> Update time

> I spent some of the weekend, poking around inside my computer.

> I took the sides off, and started it up, trying to figure out which
> of my HDs the noise is coming from. Turns out it is not coming
> from my HDs, the clicking/grinding is coming from one of my
> DVD players. When I put my hand on it, I can feel it vibrating.

> However, that still doesn't change the fact that my computer won't start up.

Try unplugging that DVD drive that is making that noise. You can get
a situation where a defective DVD drive takes so long to respond to
the bios poll for drives that that stops the system booting properly.

> I tried putting my Windows Installation disk in the drive

Do you really mean the drive thats making the noise ?

> and set the drive to be the start-up device, and there was no happiness.

Not surprising if its the drive thats making the noise, it presumably cant read the Win installation disk.

> No real difference in what happened.

Try just unplugging the DVD drive and see if the system will boot off the hard drive.

It if will, replace the DVD drive.
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

in comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage, "Rod Speed"
<rod.speed.aaa RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in
news:6n920tFkbshgU1@mid.individual.net:

> Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote

>> I tried putting my Windows Installation disk in the drive
>
> Do you really mean the drive thats making the noise ?

Nope. Different drive. Sorry for not making that clear. (It was all so
clear in my brain...)

> Try just unplugging the DVD drive and see if the system will boot off
> the hard drive.
>
> It if will, replace the DVD drive.

Will try that.

Thanks!

--
Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote
news:6n920tFkbshgU1@mid.individual.net in
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:

> Try just unplugging the DVD drive and see if the system will boot off
> the hard drive.
>
> It if will, replace the DVD drive.

Nope. I completely unplugged both drives, and it didn't work.
--
Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

update:

It turns out to be not as simple as I originally thought, but I am
getting a lot closer to tracking down what is going on.

I have two harddrives, a 40 GB HD and a 120 GB HD. Fir whatever reason,
my Windows installation is on my 120 GB HD, and not on my 40 GB HD like I
previously thought. (BOO me!!)

If I set it to start with only the 120 GB HD connected, I get the
following at startup:

Pri Master:WDC W1200JB-00EVA0 15.05R15
Ultra DMA Mode-5, S.M.A.R.T. Capable and Status BAD

And then info on my optical drives.

A bit farther down, it says:
Pri Master Hard Disk :S.M.A.R.T. Status BAD, backup and replace
Press F1 to Continue

If I carry on, it loads the Windows installation program (Extremely
slow), and I am given the choice to install/repair/quit. Choosing install
ends up with the software finding a previous version of windows on my HD
(the one that was running before) and it now giving me the option to
repair it. I select yes, and it is now in the process of
installing/repairing my version of windows.

I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing, and I
re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.

In any case, I think that it is time for me to replace my 120GB HD, which
is weird, as it is only 5 years old. My 40 GB HD is about twice that.



--
Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote
news:Xns9B4BDA4AD7977mbeausympaticoca@130.133.1.4 in
comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:

> Update

> I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing, and
> I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.

There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes the
installation, and regularly crashes during the process.

So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace that can,
when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.

Any recommendations??

Also, what I wouldn't mind doing is set up my new HD to be able to boot
into Windows, and another partition to boot into a flavour of Linux.

Any recommendations for that??

Thanks for all the help folks!!




--
Marcel
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote
> Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote

>> Update

>> I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing,
>> and I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.

> There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes
> the installation, and regularly crashes during the process.

Yeah, clearly the BAD SMART status is accurate.

> So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace
> that can, when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.

> Any recommendations??

I like Samsungs myself.

> Also, what I wouldn't mind doing is set up my new HD to be able to
> boot into Windows, and another partition to boot into a flavour of Linux.

> Any recommendations for that??

Most Linux distros come with what you need to do that.
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 08:22:14 +1100, "Rod Speed"
<rod.speed.aaa DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote:

>Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote
>> Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote
>
>>> Update
>
>>> I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing,
>>> and I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.
>
>> There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes
>> the installation, and regularly crashes during the process.
>
>Yeah, clearly the BAD SMART status is accurate.
>
>> So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace
>> that can, when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.
>
>> Any recommendations??
>
>I like Samsungs myself.

I do too.. Unfortunately my last one started to die on me with Smart
warnings about an imminent crash due to unrecoverable errors. It's the
only drive I've had in my own computers over the years that's died on
me. Every other one has been replaced before it's died. I still like
them since it was the quietest and coolest running drive I've used
while still being quite fast.

I probably would have replaced it with another Samsung but I needed a
working drive before I could mail order a replacement so I bought a WD
at a local Best Buy
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Marcel Beaudoin;974660 Wrote:
> Marcel Beaudoin marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote
> news:Xns9B4BDA4AD7977mbeausympaticoca@130.133.1.4 in
> comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:
> -
> Update-
> -
> I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing,
> and
> I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.-
>
> There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes
> the
> installation, and regularly crashes during the process.
>
> So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace that can,
>
> when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.
>
> Any recommendations??
>
> Also, what I wouldn't mind doing is set up my new HD to be able to boot
>
> into Windows, and another partition to boot into a flavour of Linux.
>
> Any recommendations for that??
>
> Thanks for all the help folks!!
>
>
>
>
> --
> Marcel


That's right but sometimes hard drives can be very sensitive once i
took it out of the CPU the next thing I know, it wouldn't function
anymore.




--
igmir25
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

shawn wrote in news:cga6i45us18i4qftb1jhjdrdjq8v4763om@4ax.com
> On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 08:22:14 +1100, "Rod Speed"
> <rod.speed.aaa.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote
> > > Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote
> >
> > > > Update
> >
> > > > I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing,
> > > > and I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.
> >
> > > There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes
> > > the installation, and regularly crashes during the process.
> >
> > Yeah, clearly the BAD SMART status is accurate.
> >
> > > So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace
> > > that can, when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.
> >
> > > Any recommendations??
> >
> > I like Samsungs myself.
>
> I do too.. Unfortunately my last one started to die on me with Smart
> warnings about an imminent crash due to unrecoverable errors. It's the
> only drive I've had in my own computers over the years

> that's died on me.

Did it or did you bury it alive?

> Every other one has been replaced before it's died. I still like
> them since it was the quietest and coolest running drive I've used
> while still being quite fast.
>
> I probably would have replaced it with another Samsung but I needed a
> working drive before I could mail order a replacement so I bought a WD
> at a local Best Buy
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead?? 

Previously igmir25 <igmir25.369e277.TakeThisOut@hardwarebanter.com> wrote:

> Marcel Beaudoin;974660 Wrote:
>> Marcel Beaudoin marcel.beaudoin.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote
>> news:Xns9B4BDA4AD7977mbeausympaticoca@130.133.1.4 in
>> comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:
>> -
>> Update-
>> -
>> I will give an update of what happens after it is done installing,
>> and
>> I re-connect back up my older 40 GB HD.-
>>
>> There is definitely a problem with the HD. It never actually finishes
>> the
>> installation, and regularly crashes during the process.
>>
>> So I will remove it from the boot-up list and find someplace that can,
>>
>> when I purchase a new HD, transfer the data to it.
>>
>> Any recommendations??
>>
>> Also, what I wouldn't mind doing is set up my new HD to be able to boot
>>
>> into Windows, and another partition to boot into a flavour of Linux.
>>
>> Any recommendations for that??
>>
>> Thanks for all the help folks!!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Marcel


> That's right but sometimes hard drives can be very sensitive once i
> took it out of the CPU the next thing I know, it wouldn't function
> anymore.

It has gotten a lot better in the last few years. Basically
to kill adrive with mechanical shock, you have to really mistreat
it. till, dropping it 5cm onto a hard surface can do it.
Elactrostatic discharge damage (EDS) is still a real risk,
the electronics canonly take so much. So if you are waring
wool over silk while handling a drive, don't be surprised
if it is dead afterwards...

Arno
 >> Stay informed about: Is my harddrive dead??