I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use Acronis
Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to create a new
partition for Linux but an error message came up stating that it couldn't do
it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I know about HDDs can be written
with a big pen on the back of a stamp so can anyone tell me if this can
either be rectified or whether it's likely that the HDD is in the throes of
expiring?

Thanks.

Why I Like BT wrote:

> I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use
> Acronis Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to
> create a new partition for Linux but an error message came up stating
> that it couldn't do it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I
> know about HDDs can be written with a big pen on the back of a stamp
> so can anyone tell me if this can either be rectified or whether it's
> likely that the HDD is in the throes of expiring?

Post the Everest SMART report for the drive.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

Why I Like BT wrote
> Rod Speed <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>> Why I Like BT wrote

>>> I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use
>>> Acronis Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to create a new partition for Linux but an error
>>> message came up stating that it couldn't do it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I know about HDDs can be
>>> written with a big pen on the back of a stamp so can anyone tell me if this can either be rectified or whether it's
>>> likely that the HDD is in the throes of expiring?

>> Post the Everest SMART report for the drive.
>> http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

> --------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys,

> Version EVEREST v2.20.405
> Homepage
> http://www.lavalys.com/
> Report Type Quick Report
> Computer MULBERRY
> (MulberryMaster)
> Generator keith
> Operating System Microsoft
> Windows XP Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
> Date 2009-08-05
> Time 18:21
>
>
> SMART
>
> [ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]
>
> 01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016
> OK: Value is normal
> 04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095
> OK: Always passing
> 05 Reallocated Sector Count 10 253 253 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 07 Seek Error Rate 51 253 253 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 08 Seek Time Performance 15 253 253 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 09 Power-On Time Count 0 100 100 7269
> OK: Always passing
> 0A Spin Retry Count 51 253 253 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 0B Calibration Retry Count 0 253 2 0
> OK: Always passing
> 0C Power Cycle Count 0 96 96 4728
> OK: Always passing
> BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30
> OK: Always passing
> C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30
> OK: Always passing
> C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834
> OK: Always passing
> C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
> OK: Always passing
> C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18

That's the problem, the drive has a hell of a lot of pending sectors.

> OK: Always passing
> C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0
> OK: Always passing
> C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 200 200 0
> OK: Always passing
> C8 Write Error Rate 0 100 100 0
> OK: Always passing
> C9 <vendor-specific> 0 253 100 0
> OK: Always passing
>
> [ WDC WD1600BB-98DWA0 (WD-WMAEK1279192) ]
>
> 01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 200 200 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 03 Spin Up Time 21 148 145 3141
> OK: Value is normal
> 04 Start/Stop Count 40 91 91 9597
> OK: Value is normal
> 05 Reallocated Sector Count 140 200 200 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 07 Seek Error Rate 51 200 200 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 09 Power-On Time Count 0 87 87 10173
> OK: Always passing
> 0A Spin Retry Count 51 100 100 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 0B Calibration Retry Count 51 100 100 0
> OK: Value is normal
> 0C Power Cycle Count 0 93 93 7962
> OK: Always passing
> C2 Temperature 0 114 253 36
> OK: Always passing
> C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 200 200 0
> OK: Always passing
> C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 200 200 0
> OK: Always passing
> C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 200 200 0
> OK: Always passing
> C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 200 253 0
> OK: Always passing
> C8 Write Error Rate 51 200 155 0
> OK: Value is normal

That drive is fine.

The rest wasnt needed.

Those pending sectors are sectors that the drive has decided it has a
problem reading and hasnt spared because they have not been written to.

If you have full backups of the drive, it would be worth writing to the entire
drive to get those sectors spared and then restoring from the backup.

BUT thats a hell of a lot of pending sectors, the drive is likely dying.

Why I Like BT wrote
> Rod Speed <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>> Those pending sectors are sectors that the drive has decided it has a
>> problem reading and hasnt spared because they have not been written to.

>> If you have full backups of the drive, it would be worth writing to the entire
>> drive to get those sectors spared and then restoring from the backup.

> I do have full backups. By "writing", do you mean formatting?

Quick formatting isnt enough, you need to actually write
to all sectors, so yes, a long format is what you need to do.

>> BUT thats a hell of a lot of pending sectors, the drive is likely dying.

> Duly noted, thank you.

You should be able to get a better idea about the future by watching for
new bads showing up in the Everest SMART report. If you keep getting
more, the drive is clearly dying or whatever is producing the bads is still
happening. It is possible to get bad sectors with a bad power supply etc.

Why I Like BT wrote
> Rod Speed <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>> You should be able to get a better idea about the future by watching
>> for new bads showing up in the Everest SMART report. If you keep
>> getting more, the drive is clearly dying or whatever is producing
>> the bads is still happening. It is possible to get bad sectors with a bad power supply etc.

> I've re-formatted and restored and now the pending sector count is 99 - ouch!

Urk.

> New HDD time.

It is indeed.

Should be covered by the warranty.

> Thanks for the info.

No problem, thanks for the washup, too rare IMO.

Why I Like BT <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use Acronis
> Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to create a new
> partition for Linux but an error message came up stating that it couldn't do
> it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I know about HDDs can be written
> with a big pen on the back of a stamp so can anyone tell me if this can
> either be rectified or whether it's likely that the HDD is in the throes of
> expiring?

More information needed. Post full set of SMART attributes
here.

Arno

"Arno" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> More information needed. Post full set of SMART attributes
> here.
>

--------[SMART ]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0 OK:
Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016 OK:
Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095 OK:
Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 10 253 253 0 OK:
Value is normal
07 Seek Error Rate 51 253 253 0 OK:
Value is normal
08 Seek Time Performance 15 253 253 0 OK:
Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 100 100 7269 OK:
Always passing
0A Spin Retry Count 51 253 253 0 OK:
Value is normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 0 253 2 0 OK:
Always passing
0C Power Cycle Count 0 96 96 4728 OK:
Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834 OK:
Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18 OK:
Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
Always passing
C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 200 200 0 OK:
Always passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 100 100 0 OK:
Always passing
C9 <vendor-specific> 0 253 100 0 OK:
Always passing

Why I Like BT <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Arno" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> More information needed. Post full set of SMART attributes
>> here.
>>

> --------[SMART ]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> [ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

> 01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0 OK:
> Value is normal
> 03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016 OK:
> Value is normal
> 04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095 OK:
> Always passing
> 05 Reallocated Sector Count 10 253 253 0 OK:
> Value is normal
> 07 Seek Error Rate 51 253 253 0 OK:
> Value is normal
> 08 Seek Time Performance 15 253 253 0 OK:
> Value is normal
> 09 Power-On Time Count 0 100 100 7269 OK:
> Always passing
> 0A Spin Retry Count 51 253 253 0 OK:
> Value is normal
> 0B Calibration Retry Count 0 253 2 0 OK:
> Always passing
> 0C Power Cycle Count 0 96 96 4728 OK:
> Always passing
> BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30 OK:
> Always passing
> C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30 OK:
> Always passing
> C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834 OK:
> Always passing
> C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
> Always passing
> C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18 OK:
> Always passing
> C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
> Always passing
> C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 200 200 0 OK:
> Always passing
> C8 Write Error Rate 0 100 100 0 OK:
> Always passing
> C9 <vendor-specific> 0 253 100 0 OK:
> Always passing

The only thing remarkable is attribute C5, but this looks bad.
Pending sectors are sectors the HDD tried to read but could not.
If you write to them or if the hdd could read them after trying
extra hard, they turn into realocated sectors (attribute 05).

Now, I would not definitely say this HDD is dying, but something
is seriously wrong. Basically the only other possible source
of this problem is a bad PSU, the rest of the system cannot cause
this.

Advice: If you are not too strapped for cash, replace the disk.
If the new one again has problems, look at the PSU next. But
the disk is likely the issue. And do a backup of anything
critical ASAP.

Arno

"Arno" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> The only thing remarkable is attribute C5, but this looks bad.
> Pending sectors are sectors the HDD tried to read but could not.
> If you write to them or if the hdd could read them after trying
> extra hard, they turn into realocated sectors (attribute 05).
>
> Now, I would not definitely say this HDD is dying, but something
> is seriously wrong. Basically the only other possible source
> of this problem is a bad PSU, the rest of the system cannot cause
> this.
>
> Advice: If you are not too strapped for cash, replace the disk.
> If the new one again has problems, look at the PSU next. But
> the disk is likely the issue. And do a backup of anything
> critical ASAP.
>
> Arno
>

Thanks Arno. I *thought* that I'd reformatted the HDD from within Disk
Director but, having properly formatted it from the XP repair console, the
pending sector count is now reported at zero. Is that credible?

Why I Like BT wrote
> Arno <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

>> The only thing remarkable is attribute C5, but this looks bad.
>> Pending sectors are sectors the HDD tried to read but could not.
>> If you write to them or if the hdd could read them after trying
>> extra hard, they turn into realocated sectors (attribute 05).

>> Now, I would not definitely say this HDD is dying, but something
>> is seriously wrong. Basically the only other possible source of this problem is a bad PSU, the rest of the system
>> cannot cause this.

>> Advice: If you are not too strapped for cash, replace the disk.
>> If the new one again has problems, look at the PSU next. But the disk is likely the issue. And do a backup of
>> anything critical ASAP.

> I *thought* that I'd reformatted the HDD from within Disk Director but, having properly formatted it from the XP
> repair console, the pending sector count is now reported at zero. Is that credible?

Yes, but in those circumstances what matters is the reallocated sector count.

If thats very high, like well over 50, the drive is still dying.

The only difference between pending sectors and reallocated
sectors is that the drive wont reallocate sectors it cant read
unless they are being written to, so their contents dont matter.