Here's an update of current (bad) status.
It's now definite that HD0, the 4 (not 3) year old MAXTOR 6L060J3 60
GB HD that came with my PC, is at risk of failing.
The evidence so far includes
- chkdsk reporting bad block/bad sectors, as already described
- HDTach failing during its Sequential Read (part of Quick Test)
- HDTune:
HD Tune: MAXTOR 6L060J3 Health
------------------------------
(HD0, partitions C & D. This is the suspect drive.)
ID Current Worst ThresholdData Status
(01) Raw Read Error Rate 100 253 20 0 Ok
(03) Spin Up Time 67 64 20 4174 Ok
(04) Start/Stop Count 100 100 8 321 Ok
(05) Reallocated Sector Count 99 99 20 9 Failed
(07) Seek Error Rate 100 1 23 0 Failed
(09) Power On Hours Count 60 60 1 26756 Ok
(0A) Spin Retry Count 100 100 0 0 Ok
(0B) Calibration Retry Count 100 100 20 0 Ok
(0C) Power Cycle Count 100 100 8 284 Ok
(0D) Soft Read Error Rate 100 77 23 0 Ok
(C2) Temperature 82 75 42 47 Ok
(C3) Hardware ECC Recovered 100 1 0 39294398 Ok
(C4) Reallocated Event Count 100 100 20 0 Ok
(C5) Current Pending Sector 99 99 20 9 Ok
(C6) Offline Uncorrectable 100 253 0 0 Ok
(C7) Ultra DMA CRC Error Count 193 193 0 7 Ok
Power On Time : 26756
Health Status : Failed
For comparison, here's the report on HD1 (partitions E & F) which is
physically identical to above, about 3 yrs old.
HD Tune: MAXTOR 6L060J3 Health
-------------------------------
ID Current Worst ThresholdData Status
(01) Raw Read Error Rate 100 253 20 0 Ok
(03) Spin Up Time 67 64 20 4131 Ok
(04) Start/Stop Count 100 100 8 242 Ok
(05) Reallocated Sector Count 100 100 20 0 Ok
(07) Seek Error Rate 100 100 23 0 Ok
(09) Power On Hours Count 67 67 1 22104 Ok
(0A) Spin Retry Count 100 100 0 0 Ok
(0B) Calibration Retry Count 100 100 20 0 Ok
(0C) Power Cycle Count 100 100 8 231 Ok
(0D) Soft Read Error Rate 100 100 23 0 Ok
(C2) Temperature 84 78 42 43 Ok
(C3) Hardware ECC Recovered 100 100 0 3805 Ok
(C4) Reallocated Event Count 100 100 20 0 Ok
(C5) Current Pending Sector 100 100 20 0 Ok
(C6) Offline Uncorrectable 100 253 0 0 Ok
(C7) Ultra DMA CRC Error Count 200 200 0 0 Ok
Power On Time : 22104
Health Status : Ok
I also did an error scan on HD0 and it reports 4 bad blocks.
And here's the Inf' tab for HD0:
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Images/HDTune-HD0-Info.gif
(A side issue is that Active entry, bottom right, which is the same
for both HD0 and HD1, which says I'm only using
ATA/100 not 133.)
I've also downloaded Powermax and made the floppy, but haven't yet run
it. To be honest, I'm now nervous about running *anything* that might
risk complete loss, before I get my act together. Without truly
understanding it, I read stuff about 'stressing' the HD, and fret that
maybe PowerMax might do that. Sort of tip it over the edge! In any
case, my action plan is now clear. I'll shop for another HD today
(probably not a Maxtor this time) and aim to install it asap.
Meanwhile, I need to get myself some security fast. Can't face the
prospect of a re-install! Luckily I added a new HD only a couple of
months ago, so I do have plenty of space.
My HDs and partitions are:
HD0 (the failing disk)
---------------------
C: my Win XP Home OS and about half my program files
D: most of my data and the other half of my program files.
HD1 (60 GB; identical to HD0)
-----------------------------
E: Bootable copy of OS, but now 2 months old
F: Backups (Most data, and most settings, but not programs.)
HD2 (200 GB Maxtor, recently installed, via new PCI card)
--------------------------------------------------------
J: Pictures and Music mainly
My data backups are pretty good. But I haven't been backing up
C:\Program Files and D:\Program Files. I don't use OE except when
forced to for some reason. My Agent email/newsreader folders are all
backed up nightly.
I have PQ PM 7.0 and PQ DI 2002. Rarely used, and have to re-study
manuals when I do so! I made a direct copy (not image) of Win XP Home
onto E: a couple of months ago, with PowerQuest Drive Image 2002.
Apart from an initial 'reassurance test', I haven't used it since. But
one of my jobs today will be to update that copy on E: That's assuming
these bad sectors/blocks don't screw that up?
Can't get enough hand-holding!