M*sh problems again...for a change...

tonymadge · Post by **tonymadge** » 11 Mar 2007, 10:55

Odd one this I bought a new 300Gb hard drive as if you recall my slave 200Gb decided to expire. well all has been well (ish) until last night when the PC froze. I found out the new HD has started to fail for reasons unknown to me, maybe it did not like FSX and the VFR scenery??? anyway it sometimes works and sometimes disapears from my pc. Like I say it is definately the HD going intermitent on me. If I try and scan it with disc tools etc it locks that drive up.
I have managed to back it up but not bothering worrying about FSX as its bullcack anyway. So the question is, this is the 2nd drive to die on me, is there anything in the PC that could destroy these SATA drives ( my original C drive remains working fine..All ways the "slave drives" that cease to function.. any clues anyone??

bones · Post by **bones** » 11 Mar 2007, 11:07

I sympathise Tony as I have also had new hard drives pack in on me - one literally as I finished copying all my files over.

It may just be bad luck. I am so neurotic about losing data that I buy HD's in pairs and use one as a mirror to the other (not a RAID system, just a simple backup drive). Despite this the Gods conspired against me a few years back and I suffered a double HD failure. The odds are miniscule but as Captain Vimes says "Million to one chances happen all the time."

I can't see any obvious reason for the second failure - and it's odd that it sometimes appears and sometimes does not. Basically, if your data cable is nicely secure then its a duff drive again.

tonymadge · Post by **tonymadge** » 11 Mar 2007, 11:10

Cheers Bones I think this may be a case of bad luck..seem to be surrounded by this of late and this problem is miniscule to the other instances "of bad luck" :sad:
btw nice to see you here

I never maneged to get back to your part of the World but am hoping to one day

Post by **TSR2** » 11 Mar 2007, 11:35

Keep an eye on it Tony. A few years ago I had a few drives fail over a few months... turned out to be the IDE controller on the montherboard.

petermcleland · Post by **petermcleland** » 11 Mar 2007, 11:47

Tony,

Did you renew the data cable? Or did you just use the old one? :think:

tonymadge · Post by **tonymadge** » 11 Mar 2007, 19:41

The cables are not very old at all maybe 12 months at the most it is not IDE but SATA.

ianhind · Post by **ianhind** » 11 Mar 2007, 22:40

Might be worth changing the SATA cable.

SATA connections are only good for a restricted number of connections :shock:

Not sure what you are supposed to do once your hard disk reaches that limit.

tonymadge · Post by **tonymadge** » 12 Mar 2007, 08:39

I have just ordered a new SATA cable, as this hard disc fault is identical to the last one!! same symptom of intermittant locking up pc and then disapears from view.
Hoping it is the cable!!

Post by **TSR2** » 12 Mar 2007, 13:49

Tony,

You may find the Drive is OK after a low low level format once you've installed the new cable.

Motormouse · Post by **Motormouse** » 12 Mar 2007, 16:39

#1 geek in our house, says check your power supply too

ttfn

Pete