Disk Error: Cyclic Redundancy Check

[Tau_Ceti_2]

Hi all,

I have stored all my media files (.avi) on a single 500GB Western Digital
USB drive.
When backing it up to an identical 500GB USB drive, I got this error:
"Error: Cyclic Redundancy Check"

It seems to be affecting several files within the same folder.

I have 2 questions:

1) Even if I erase and then reformat this drive (erasing it wish DiskWipe
for example) can I still trust this drive to store all my media in the
future?

2) How do I know whether or not it is a physical problem with the drive, or
if it is just the files that are corrupted?

- Tau_Ceti_2

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Tau_Ceti_2" <[email protected]>

| Hi all,
|
| I have stored all my media files (.avi) on a single 500GB Western Digital
| USB drive.
| When backing it up to an identical 500GB USB drive, I got this error:
| "Error: Cyclic Redundancy Check"
|
| It seems to be affecting several files within the same folder.
|
| I have 2 questions:
|
| 1) Even if I erase and then reformat this drive (erasing it wish DiskWipe
| for example) can I still trust this drive to store all my media in the
| future?
|
| 2) How do I know whether or not it is a physical problem with the drive, or
| if it is just the files that are corrupted?
|
| - Tau_Ceti_2

Run a complete CHKDSK on the drive.

Run WD Diagnostics on the drive. However, I am not sure how well WD Diags will work on a WD
drive on a USB converted drive.

 

[Jim]

Hi all,

I have stored all my media files (.avi) on a single 500GB Western Digital
USB drive.
When backing it up to an identical 500GB USB drive, I got this error:
"Error: Cyclic Redundancy Check"

It seems to be affecting several files within the same folder.

I have 2 questions:

1) Even if I erase and then reformat this drive (erasing it wish DiskWipe
for example) can I still trust this drive to store all my media in the
future?

2) How do I know whether or not it is a physical problem with the drive,
or
if it is just the files that are corrupted?

- Tau_Ceti_2

Answer 1) I would not
Answer 2) It is a physical problem with the drive which causes the file
error. CRC errors are hardware related.

You can try David's advice, but I would not be surprised at more bad blocks
showing up. Many drives have a large
surplus of available blocks for bad block replacement. You should never see
such a message until all of the spare
blocks have been used.

Jim

 

[Tau_Ceti_2]

Thanks David and Jim.

Jim's comment sounds serious. I didn't realize that a drive had to use up
it's quota reserve of bad blocks before a message like that appears.

Too bad... I wonder if the error or fail rate is higher with external USB
drives?

The drive is only about 6 months old, but it runs everyday, for a couple of
hours per day, playing video files (avi).

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No. The same drives are used internally that are used in external
enclosures. The drive controller is in firmware in the enclosure. The
drives themselves are the same.

 

[kookieman]

Sorry for your loss. I concur with Jim. Junk it (literally, don't give it
to someone else). It's a low level error. Is your power supply clean? Did
you abuse the drive? Sad that this has happened with such a reputed brand.
You could try getting an internal drive+ a good enclosure. People do this
because internal HDs typically have MUCH better warranties ~5 years. I am
also of the opinion that these are of better quality (I did read Colin's
post) than external HDs.

 

[Onsokumaru]

Sorry for your loss. I concur with Jim. Junk it (literally, don't give
it to someone else). It's a low level error. Is your power supply clean?
Did you abuse the drive? Sad that this has happened with such a reputed
brand. You could try getting an internal drive+ a good enclosure. People
do this because internal HDs typically have MUCH better warranties ~5
years. I am also of the opinion that these are of better quality (I did
read Colin's post) than external HDs.

Errr, given you can buy an "internal drive" and put it in an external
enclosure,
I can't s see how that suddenly reduces the quality of the drive.

I expect warranties are less for the pre assembled external drive because of
the nature of their use.

They would tend to get knocked a lot and potentially handled very roughly.

If you get a SMART capable utility like HD Tune or SpeedFan you can see if
any bad sectors have developed under the Reallocated Sector Count attribute.

Bad sectors do happen from time to time, it's a fact of life. I always run
chkdsk /r over a new drive to see if any bad sectors exist before using it.

 

[kookieman]

The discussion was about the difference in quality between an internal HD
and a retail external HD. No one talked about the quality 'suddenly
reducing'.