Bad Sector Count

K

Keith

My Win XP Pro PC suffered a BSOD yesterday telling me that part of the
registry was corrupted. I restored the OS from my Acronis True Image
backup but the bad sector count has increased from 3 to 5. Not knowing
much about these things, is it time to buy a new HDD?

Here's the SMART report.

Thanks.

Keith.

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

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0
OK: Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6144
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 97 97 3394
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 1738
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 99 99 1756
OK: Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 715695
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 100 100 5
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 3116
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 40 96 96 4991
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 94 94 4764
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 96 96 4990
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 112 253 38
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
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously Keith said:
My Win XP Pro PC suffered a BSOD yesterday telling me that part of the
registry was corrupted. I restored the OS from my Acronis True Image
backup but the bad sector count has increased from 3 to 5. Not knowing
much about these things, is it time to buy a new HDD?
Here's the SMART report.

--------[ SMART
]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]
01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0
OK: Value is normal

No problems with the heads/amplifiers
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6144
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 97 97 3394
OK: Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 10 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal

No defect sectors....
07 Seek Error Rate 51 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal

Head positioning is reliable
08 Seek Time Performance 15 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 100 100 1738
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 99 99 1756
OK: Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 715695
OK: Always passing

This is typical. It just means that ECC is faster that retry on reads (i.e.
fast, but less acurrate positioning).
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 100 100 5
OK: Always passing

Hmmm. Something prevented the HDD from reasing these sectors....
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

This one may completely healty, but the pending sectors are suspicuous.
Best run a long-smart self-test. It will do a comlete surface scan.
Lets see whether the pending sectors turn into bad ones. As it is, the
disk has zero bad sectors and this may be some other problem, e.g.
a driver issue or a controller problem. Post the SMART status of this
disk and the self-test log here, after running the test. This may very
well be a temporary failure, e.g. from a power-spike on writing or the
like. The long SMART self-test should identify that....

[ WDC WD1600BB-98DWA0 (WD-WMAEK1279192) ]

Ooops, a WD. Ceapest disks on the market. Not a coincidence.
01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 200 200 0
OK: Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 21 148 145 3116
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 40 96 96 4991
OK: Value is normal
05 Reallocated Sector Count 140 200 200 0
OK: Value is normal

No defects here either.
07 Seek Error Rate 51 200 200 0
OK: Value is normal

Mechanics is ok.
09 Power-On Time Count 0 94 94 4764
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 96 96 4990
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 112 253 38
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

The WD is completely healthy.

Arno
 
K

Keith

Arno said:
This one may completely healty, but the pending sectors are suspicuous.
Best run a long-smart self-test. It will do a comlete surface scan.
Lets see whether the pending sectors turn into bad ones. As it is, the
disk has zero bad sectors and this may be some other problem, e.g.
a driver issue or a controller problem. Post the SMART status of this
disk and the self-test log here, after running the test. This may very
well be a temporary failure, e.g. from a power-spike on writing or the
like. The long SMART self-test should identify that....

Hi Arno and thanks for your reply. Total newbie here, how do I go about
running a "long-smart self-test"? I have EVEREST Home Edition.

Many thanks.

Keith.
 
K

Keith

Arno Wagner wrote:

BTW I just noticed the pending sector count is now up to 7 from 5 two
hours ago.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Hi Arno and thanks for your reply. Total newbie here, how do I go about
running a "long-smart self-test"? I have EVEREST Home Edition.

No idea. I use the smartmontools, there it is just
"smartctl -t long <device>"

Arno
 
A

Al Dykes

No idea. I use the smartmontools, there it is just
"smartctl -t long <device>"

Arno


Got backup? I think you'll need it soon.

I agree with the testing. I get the make and modek of the disk and
them go to the manufacturer's web site and download their test tool.
It's frequently called "drive fitness dest".

You run it and it makes a bootable floppy or CD. Boot it and you can
run read-only tests if you have data you want to save or run several
passes of the write/read test to see if the drive is worth keeping.

I don't use a disk that's ever shown one bad sector for anything
important after I've swapped it out of service.
 
R

Rod Speed

Keith said:
My Win XP Pro PC suffered a BSOD yesterday telling me that part of the registry was corrupted. I
restored the OS from my Acronis True Image backup but the bad sector count has increased from 3 to
5. Not knowing much about these things, is it time to buy a new HDD?

Depends on what is producing the bads. If its external to the drive like a
bad power supply, mains surges etc, best to fix that and the drive will be fine.
Here's the SMART report.
--------[ SMART
]-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0
OK: Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6144
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 97 97 3394
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 1738
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 99 99 1756
OK: Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 130 103 36
OK: Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 715695
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 100 100 5
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 3116
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 40 96 96 4991
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 94 94 4764
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 96 96 4990
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 112 253 38
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
 
R

Rod Speed

Keith said:
BTW I just noticed the pending sector count is now up to 7 from 5 two hours ago.

Either the drive is dying or its a flakey power supply
if you didnt get any mains surges during that time.
 
K

Keith

Arno said:
Hmm. Not good. Do you have backup?

Oh dear god yes ;-) Chkdsk ran this morning and corrected a whole host
of errors so I think it's time to replace it. Thank to all who responded.

Keith.
 
K

Keith

Rod said:
Depends on what is producing the bads. If its external to the drive like a
bad power supply, mains surges etc, best to fix that and the drive will be fine.

Thanks Rod. It's a "store bought" Sony VAIO desktop PC and the other HDD
is fine. Would you happen to know if Sony's power supplies were prone
to being flaky? I have so much surge protection on everything I don't
think it's that.

Regards,
Keith.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously Al Dykes said:
Got backup? I think you'll need it soon.
I agree with the testing. I get the make and modek of the disk and
them go to the manufacturer's web site and download their test tool.
It's frequently called "drive fitness dest".
You run it and it makes a bootable floppy or CD. Boot it and you can
run read-only tests if you have data you want to save or run several
passes of the write/read test to see if the drive is worth keeping.
I don't use a disk that's ever shown one bad sector for anything
important after I've swapped it out of service.

Agreed. But so far the disk has no bad sectors. Might
be something else entirely...

Arno
 
A

Arno Wagner

Oh dear god yes ;-) Chkdsk ran this morning and corrected a whole host
of errors so I think it's time to replace it. Thank to all who responded.

Might be premature. So far the disk has no defective sectors,
just some it has trouble reading. This may have other reasons,
which could influence a new disk just the same way. You can of
course get a new disk and try, but it is possible that it will
show similar symptoms.

Arno
 
K

Keith

Arno said:
Might be premature. So far the disk has no defective sectors,
just some it has trouble reading. This may have other reasons,
which could influence a new disk just the same way. You can of
course get a new disk and try, but it is possible that it will
show similar symptoms.


Thanks Arno. Not sure what to do now, probably will try a new one and
see how it goes.

Regards,
Keith.
 
A

Arno Wagner

Previously Keith said:
Thanks Arno. Not sure what to do now, probably will try a new one and
see how it goes.

It is ok as a next step, if you do not mind the cost for the new
drive.

Arno
 
R

Rod Speed

Keith said:
Rod Speed wrote
Thanks Rod. It's a "store bought" Sony VAIO desktop PC and the other HDD is fine.

Same model or different ?
Would you happen to know if Sony's power supplies were prone to being flaky?

They arent anything specially on that.
I have so much surge protection on everything I don't think it's that.

And you had more show up when you would presumably have noticed a surge too.

Most likely the drive is dying.
 

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