HardDrive Failing?

[foo1]

Hello I have the latest SP4 win2k, running it on a new modern amd
system with 1gig memore, 2 HDs, but relatively new. ide0 seems to be
failing

I've gotten 2 BSOD's, alluded to errors

If I disconnect power to the ide0(300gig) boot
let it tell me there is no ide0 connected

then i plug the HD power backin and reboot
it will restart

i do use the hibernation feature FWIW, and recently since I've a fw-
router, use zonealarm less

the 2 HD's are
maxtor STM series (300g) ide0
western digital

do i get a 3rd HD and copy the 300g OS and system to it , now ?

upgrade to Vista?

do some other further free diagnostics?


Thx,

M

 

[DL]

Use the checking utility available on Maxtor site.

1) Upgrading software in an attempt to cure a seemingly hw fault wont help,
and could cause even more probs.
2) You sure you've not got a problem with your pwr supply?
3) Most hw manu have a utility to copy/clone a disk, or Acronis has a
downloadable trial of True Image

 

[foo1]

power supply is antec, and has never given me any trouble

350w in which i have a DVD and a CD and 2 HDs plugged into it and a
few fans

i was looking at the plug on the HD seems a bit loose, but i dunno

how does one check power supply

the problem lately begins after the machine is running for some time,
the mouse moves but i can't interact with the windows
they are super slow, then it fully locks up ...........


D

 

[Colon Terminus]

Hello I have the latest SP4 win2k, running it on a new modern amd
system with 1gig memore, 2 HDs, but relatively new. ide0 seems to be
failing

I've gotten 2 BSOD's, alluded to errors

If I disconnect power to the ide0(300gig) boot
let it tell me there is no ide0 connected

then i plug the HD power backin and reboot
it will restart

i do use the hibernation feature FWIW, and recently since I've a fw-
router, use zonealarm less

the 2 HD's are
maxtor STM series (300g) ide0
western digital

do i get a 3rd HD and copy the 300g OS and system to it , now ?

upgrade to Vista?

do some other further free diagnostics?


Thx,

M

You did EnableBigLba in the Registry, didn't you?

 

[DL]

My Antec never gave any problems. I started getting probs with hd's dropping
from my array, replaced the pwr supply and all probs went away.
Antec was still under warranty.

You dont mention as to whether you used the maxtor hd checking utility, this
would be your first task

 

[foo1]

i ran Western Digitals bad block scanner both quick and long
tests(6hours) and it found nothing

i have a spare antec i guess i could swap it out, i'm suspicious of
the HD overheating, so i changed its slot, but didn't help, also
suspicious of the plug, seems too loosely plugged into the primary HD,
not sure what would cause the system to freeze slowly though

yes BigLba has always been enabled ..........

thx

 

[Frank Booth Snr]

Hello I have the latest SP4 win2k, running it on a new modern amd
system with 1gig memore, 2 HDs, but relatively new. ide0 seems to be
failing

I've gotten 2 BSOD's, alluded to errors

If I disconnect power to the ide0(300gig) boot
let it tell me there is no ide0 connected

then i plug the HD power backin and reboot
it will restart

i do use the hibernation feature FWIW, and recently since I've a fw-
router, use zonealarm less

the 2 HD's are
maxtor STM series (300g) ide0
western digital

do i get a 3rd HD and copy the 300g OS and system to it , now ?

upgrade to Vista?

do some other further free diagnostics?

I can tell you that Maxtor are the most unreliable make of hdd's I've
come across. My own one failed after 3 years and I've just replaced it
with a Western Digital, which I know make good reliable models. First
try using a different ribbon to see if it makes a difference. Then try a
diagnostic test on the Maxtor. If it fails then you know for sure. If no
problem is diagnosed put SP4 on the WD disk and swap it to ide 0 using
same cable and see whether you get BSODs then. If you still get the same
trouble then it's not an hdd problem.

 

[foo1]

thx, thats helpful, however, the BSOD is after the win2k initial boot
up, splash screen then the BSOD, the beginning, i could unplug the
drive, post, turnoff, replug in the drive post and start up , just
would get some slow freezing and need to reboot again.

but now its totally dead, not even detecting the drive at times, even
after putting in new power

the 300gig HD is less than 6 months old

i'll try swapping cabling to see if it can detect so i guess i can
reinstall the OS, sigh , if not i'll try to buy a non Maxtor drive
with less than 140gigs

the WD drive has no OS just files on it, so can't use it for much , i
don't want to monkey with those files as they are critical to me, so a
new HD i'll buy to install to, to test

Mike

 

[DL]

If the hd is not detected in the bios (sometimes) either the hd is failing -
but you ran diagnostics - or the cable/mobo controler is failing.
If you have a seperate controler try that, allthough if its a fundemental
mobo problem that wont prove anything

 

[Frank Booth Snr]

thx, thats helpful, however, the BSOD is after the win2k initial boot
up, splash screen then the BSOD, the beginning, i could unplug the
drive, post, turnoff, replug in the drive post and start up , just
would get some slow freezing and need to reboot again.

but now its totally dead, not even detecting the drive at times, even
after putting in new power

the 300gig HD is less than 6 months old

i'll try swapping cabling to see if it can detect so i guess i can
reinstall the OS, sigh , if not i'll try to buy a non Maxtor drive
with less than 140gigs

the WD drive has no OS just files on it, so can't use it for much , i
don't want to monkey with those files as they are critical to me, so a
new HD i'll buy to install to, to test

What do you mean by 'not detecting the drive'. Are we talking about your
BIOS reading, or an error message? Swap the drives over, so that the one
with no system is plugged into ide 0 using the same cable. So you only
need to swap over the connectors at the hdd end. Then go into BIOS and
see whether it can see your system drive now on ide 1, as well as the
one on ide 0.

 

[Sid Knee]

Swap the drives over, so that the one
with no system is plugged into ide 0 using the same cable. So you only
need to swap over the connectors at the hdd end. Then go into BIOS and
see whether it can see your system drive now on ide 1, as well as the
one on ide 0.

Don't you also need to swap the master/slave allocations?

 

[Frank Booth Snr]

Don't you also need to swap the master/slave allocations?

Not if they are on different cables and both are attached to master
connector.

 

[Sid Knee]

Not if they are on different cables and both are attached to master
connector.

Ah ... since he earlier said that he had 2 HD's plus cd-drive plus
DVDROM I'd assumed he was daisy chaining on the HD's on one channel as
normal.

Must have missed something somewhere - sorry for the interruption.

 

[Frank Booth Snr]

Ah ... since he earlier said that he had 2 HD's plus cd-drive plus
DVDROM I'd assumed he was daisy chaining on the HD's on one channel as
normal.

Must have missed something somewhere - sorry for the interruption.

The op didn't mention how the drives are arranged on the cable. But I'm
assuming that the primary drive is configured as master, as it should be.