Check Disk Finds Bad Sector

[someone]

I ran the check disk with auto correct of any errors, and one bad sector was
found, apparently in Microsoft Word. It was corrected. My question is how
does the computer correct the bad sector? Does it merely delete that sector
from the disk? XP Pro. Hard disk has 20 gb.

 

[R. McCarty]

Every disk drive includes "Spare" clusters. When a cluster is marked
Bad it becomes remapped. So if Cluster 212 becomes bad it's data
is moved to say Cluster 2872 taking the place of cluster 212. Sort of
a simplistic explanation but conveys the idea.

 

[PD43]

I ran the check disk with auto correct of any errors, and one bad sector was
found, apparently in Microsoft Word. It was corrected. My question is how
does the computer correct the bad sector? Does it merely delete that sector
from the disk? XP Pro. Hard disk has 20 gb.

That's an OLD hard disk... and the bad sector is on the drive, not in
a file stored on the drive.

NORMALLY, the bad sector is "marked" by the system so that it won't be
written to.

Word of warning: once a bad sector appears, it's probable that more
will appear... maybe even soon.

Do yourself a favor, backup that drive and then find a replacement for
it ASAP.

 

[Jim]

I ran the check disk with auto correct of any errors, and one bad sector
was found, apparently in Microsoft Word. It was corrected. My question is
how does the computer correct the bad sector? Does it merely delete that
sector from the disk? XP Pro. Hard disk has 20 gb.

Actually a part of MS Word is located in a bad sector.
How XP handles such a thing depends on how bad it really is. You see, the
drive
electronics declares a sector bad (most of the time) long before it is
completely
unreadable. In such a case, chkdsk may still be able to read the contents
of
the quetionable sector and move them elsewhere.

All drives contain spare sectors, but all of them have been used. The drive
electronics
replaces questionable sectors silently.

Your drive is not long for this world. You need to replace it while it is
nearly all still readable.
Jim

 

[Twayne]

Chkdsk, when it is set to "fix" bad sectors, simply marks the sector/s
as "unusable" and doesn't write to them anymore; it skips them in the
future.

chkdsk -r is the best command to run to check disk health.

One bad sectore does NOT mean the disk is headed south. However if,
over time, MORE sectors are found to have gone bad, then it probably is
on it sway out and time to replace it. If the number of bad sectors
doesn't increase over time, then you can continue to use the drive; just
keep trak of the bad sectors now and then to see if they change.

Actually a part of MS Word is located in a bad sector.
How XP handles such a thing depends on how bad it really is. You
see, the drive
electronics declares a sector bad (most of the time) long before it is
completely
unreadable. In such a case, chkdsk may still be able to read the
contents of
the quetionable sector and move them elsewhere.

All drives contain spare sectors, but all of them have been used. The
drive electronics
replaces questionable sectors silently.

Your drive is not long for this world. You need to replace it while
it is nearly all still readable.
Jim

Not necessarily true, but it sure bears watching for awhile to see
what's happening. It might be years before anothe rsector goes bad.
I've had 4 bad sectors marked on an 80 Gig now for over two years. The
drive even passes the Mfr stress tests.

--
--
Regards,

Twayne

Open Office isn't just for wimps anymore;
OOo is a GREAT MS Office replacement
www.openoffice.org

 

[Tony Meloche]

Chkdsk, when it is set to "fix" bad sectors, simply marks the sector/s
as "unusable" and doesn't write to them anymore; it skips them in the
future.

chkdsk -r is the best command to run to check disk health.

One bad sectore does NOT mean the disk is headed south. However if,
over time, MORE sectors are found to have gone bad, then it probably is
on it sway out and time to replace it. If the number of bad sectors
doesn't increase over time, then you can continue to use the drive; just
keep trak of the bad sectors now and then to see if they change.

I've also read that EVERY disc has bad sectors from the factory, but
Chkdisk marks them initially and doesn't refer to them from that point
on - hence, any bad sector it show is a "new" bad sector. Is that true?
What you say about bad sectors is what a prof in a computer class also
told us once, though: Keep track for awhile to see if the number of bad
sectors is increasing - if not, don't worry about them.

Tony

 

[PD43]

I've also read that EVERY disc has bad sectors from the factory, but
Chkdisk marks them initially and doesn't refer to them from that point
on - hence, any bad sector it show is a "new" bad sector. Is that true?

Nope.

 

[Twayne]

I've also read that EVERY disc has bad sectors from the factory, but
Chkdisk marks them initially and doesn't refer to them from that point
on - hence, any bad sector it show is a "new" bad sector. Is that
true?

Yup.

Yes, it is true that, as delivered, today's drives have no bad sectors
visible, so any that show up are "new" bad sectors, at least in the
sense that you and I can access them.

Today's hard drives almost never have any bad sectors; that I know from
experience. Back in the "old days" drives used to come with a table of
the marked bad sectors in the drive, in fact; bad sectors were an
expected thing.
I've read the same things you have re factory-bad sectors and others
that claim that bad sectors just don't happen anymore with today's
advanced technology. I suppose the truth is a combination of the two
things somehow.


What you say about bad sectors is what a prof in a computer

class also told us once, though: Keep track for awhile to see if the
number of
bad sectors is increasing - if not, don't worry about them.

Agreed.

--
Regards,

Twayne

Open Office isn't just for wimps anymore;
OOo is a GREAT MS Office replacement
www.openoffice.org

 

[Tony Meloche]

Yup.

Yes, it is true that, as delivered, today's drives have no bad sectors
visible, so any that show up are "new" bad sectors, at least in the
sense that you and I can access them.

Today's hard drives almost never have any bad sectors; that I know from
experience. Back in the "old days" drives used to come with a table of
the marked bad sectors in the drive, in fact; bad sectors were an
expected thing.
I've read the same things you have re factory-bad sectors and others
that claim that bad sectors just don't happen anymore with today's
advanced technology. I suppose the truth is a combination of the two
things somehow.


What you say about bad sectors is what a prof in a computer

Agreed.

Very much appreciate the clear, concise and quick response Twayne.

Tony