Have I got a failing HD drive

[Ray]

Drive in question 500GB Sata 2 Seagate Barracuda installed on my main PC approximately 2 months ago, I've had the following symptoms occurring randomly over the last week or so: -

Application crashes, slow downs, computer freezing and not responding and random reboots, this usually ends with a blue screen stop error referring to random drivers or registry errors. Also on several occasions PC has rebooted and then claimed Windows is not activated.

I have run all the Seagate Sea tools tests on the drive and they have found nothing, Virus and Antispyware scan nothing found. 

I've run tests on the memory modules for nearly 3 hours using Micro2000 Memscope memory test programme with no errors found so I don't think the memory modules are at fault. 

The strange thing is I've got a cloned copy of this disk on a another spare disk and if I boot from  this spare one everything runs as normal. This is what makes me almost certain that the original drive is faulty but I can't prove it at the moment so it's a bit difficult to be able to return it to the manufacturers for replacement/repair.

As there is still plenty of Warranty time left I have installed the disk in an external USB enclosure at the moment to use for non important items to see if it gets any worse and shows up with a definite fault - all very frustrating.

[Rik]

It sounds faulty, Ray, but as you say, it's going to be hard for you to prove. The only thing I can think to try is repeated CHDSK runs.

[Lance]

Maybe subject it to a bit of stress testing over a week or so, which will hopefully break it if it is going toe fail anyway!

[Ray]

Well I'm not sure now, I downloaded and ran Windows Memory Diagnostic tool last night and running that picked up 11 memory errors, looks like more investigation is required and testing  of memory modules to see which one is giving the errors. 

[Rik]

Have you tried Memtest, Ray?

[Glenn]

Ray, if you use Memtest, boot from the cd and let it run for at least 24hrs

[Ray]

Have you tried Memtest, Ray?

Thanks, Rik, I've now started running that on the machine and will leave it running for several hours. 

[Rik]

As Glenn says, Ray, ideally (but boringly) you want to run it for 24 hours.

[Gary]

As Glenn says, Ray, ideally (but boringly) you want to run it for 24 hours.

I had failing ram with very similar problems to you ray, it was my memory, after 7 hours Memtest turned up 132 errors and 5 million non ECC errors, so at that point I just asked for some replacement corsair DDR3, since then no issues, its amazing how failing ram can make it seem you have hard drive issues, I could not run FF3 with my dying ram but FF2 was ok, go figure

[Inactive]

I have failing memory, mine isn't in my computer.. 

[Rik]

I know just what you mean, In.

[ST Driver]

Ah good I'm not alone with failing ....whatever it was

[Inactive]

 

[Glenn]

Just give Cruical a call I'm sure they can help 

[Gary]

Just give Cruical a call I'm sure they can help 

They may go ballistix though.....

[Inactive]

 

[Rik]

You just can't get the puns these days.

[Ray]

They may go ballistix though.....

They already are Ballistix, Gary. 

[Ray]

As Glenn says, Ray, ideally (but boringly) you want to run it for 24 hours.

Yes, that's what I'm going to do, Rik, so far it's done 1 complete pass with no errors. 

[Rik]

Don't you just hate the paint drying jobs. 

[Ray]

Don't you just hate the paint drying jobs. 

Most definitely, Rik. 

[Sebby]

They may go ballistix though.....

[Gary]

[vitriol]

 


Crucial are great though, lifetime warranty cannot be sniffed at.

[Sebby]

I usually order from Crucial; I find their service excellent.