Software To Detect HD Failure

ste_w

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Hi All

is there any Software To Detect HD Failure? I Used the Norton 2003 thing but all that does is tell me the HD's are in use and then on restart does the XP Chkdsk which finds nothing, also using system suite 5 it just creates a unassosiated file type on my Desktop which does nothing. i dont know which HD is failing, Computer Randomly Freezes during use, no blue screen or anything just freezes then on Restart it either states "Detecting IDE" and then shows nothing until i turn power off n on, or it finds the HDS but lists them under the Same Thing being "Primary Master" then lists the 2 Maxtor HDs under that instead of one as master other as secondary. Both Hds have been left untouched for about a yr in the comp so its nothin to do with me swapping them round or playin with the pins etc. Anyway is there any Free Software or Software in general or as part of a suite which can detect such failures?

Pls Help

Thanx

Ste_W
 
If your HD is SMART-enabled (most relatively new ones are), you can use any SMART monitoring software like ActiveSMART to predict hardware failure. I haven't used any personally, but I'm sure you'd be able to find some freeware alternatives with a bit of Googling.
smile.gif
 
im using the trial of ActiveSMART and only thing that has come up is the stuff in the pic below, there is no warning before the computer Freezes tho still. if this doesnt show any errors or anything changin b4 the Freeze does that mean i just need a reformat, ive been runnin without reformat for over a yr now.
 

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Ive found this Diagnostic thing on the Maxtor website which will work with both my Drives..
The PowerMax utility is designed to perform diagnostic read/write verifications on Maxtor and Quantum hard drives. These tests will determine hard drive integrity.

However Reading

The files will extract on to the floppy diskette, creating a bootable version of the PowerMax utility. Do not download PowerMax directly to a floppy. PowerMax extracts from a Win32 environment only and will not extract from 16-bit DOS mode.

WARNING: ALL DATA WILL BE LOST WHEN PERFORMING THE LOW LEVEL FORMAT QUICK OR FULL OPTIONS.

Maxtor recommends that users backup all critical data and removing other hard drives before performing this test.

Does this mean the the disk Formats the HD then Runs the Diagnostic or is it just an option that if i want to select there just giving me the info on it?

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/M...tware Downloads/ATA Hard Drives&downloadID=22

above is where all the info is.
 
http://www.pcpitstop.com/default.asp Has hard drive test for you plus many more tests and a full test of everything.
All you do is accept an active x file and you're off, will even tell you how to improve and give you a score of how well your pc performed.

Note do it in IE as you have to go through a load of crap getting a plugin for other browsers, which takes a long time.
 
I just got done dealing with Maxtors "utilities" about a month ago, maybe less, but I can tell you that I was never able to get it to work the way they claim it is supposed to. I just ended up DL'ing from the maxtor site and running straight from my machine. Yes it will format your HDD!!!!

On a side note and more to the point of the question, S.M.A.R.T. is supposed to warn you if your drive is going to fail. But I know several people who's drives have failed and never got a peep from S.M.A.R.T. Just an FYI kinda thing. If your comp is crashing it is 10X more likely that there is a corrupted system file somewhere. Grap your XP CD throw it in oper the Run utility and type "SFC /scannow". That will generally fix any corrupted or missing required files that usually causes XP to crash.

Reguarding HDD failure, the best defense is a strong offense, make an off drive backup. Don't just rely on S.M.A.R.T. or any drive failure predictor.

ste_w said:
Ive found this Diagnostic thing on the Maxtor website which will work with both my Drives..
The PowerMax utility is designed to perform diagnostic read/write verifications on Maxtor and Quantum hard drives. These tests will determine hard drive integrity.

However Reading

The files will extract on to the floppy diskette, creating a bootable version of the PowerMax utility. Do not download PowerMax directly to a floppy. PowerMax extracts from a Win32 environment only and will not extract from 16-bit DOS mode.

WARNING: ALL DATA WILL BE LOST WHEN PERFORMING THE LOW LEVEL FORMAT QUICK OR FULL OPTIONS.

Maxtor recommends that users backup all critical data and removing other hard drives before performing this test.

Does this mean the the disk Formats the HD then Runs the Diagnostic or is it just an option that if i want to select there just giving me the info on it?

http://www.maxtor.com/portal/site/Maxtor/?epi_menuItemID=3c67e325e0a6b1f6294198b091346068&epi_menuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&epi_baseMenuID=976d37cd478c5826433f226075b46068&channelpath=/en_us/Support/Software%20Downloads/ATA%20Hard%20Drives&downloadID=22

above is where all the info is.
 
Thanx the Ultimate boot cd HD Diagnostic is still the power max one, should i download it? the power max thing i mean
 
I dunno, it doesn't sound like your drive(s) is/are dying.

run scannow

maybe run memtest86 on ram

reinstall IDE drivers
 
Scan now? Wheres that?

I Scheduled a CHKDSK in Norton 2003 for Drive C: When the comp Restarted, i can See CHKDSK Screen appear then there is a blue Screen reportin the error @ the botton of NDIS.SYS

(CHKDSK Running on G: Works Fine)

Computer wouldnt load at all as it Kept trying to do the Check, anyway i Pushed F8 tried to get into Safe Mode it loaded all the drivers (Showed them on Screen) and after bout 5 mins just Restarted the computer and loaded succesfully. (Comp did not enter Safemode)

I am Gona Run A Defrag program while im at work.

Also Active Smart Resported these 2 New Errors to me on Start up... (Look at Pic)

Should i Do a Reformat or Based on the info Provided is it more likely my Main Drive (C:) is Going?

Please Help

Thanx

Ste_W
 

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get the serial number via active smart for the 60gb, see if its still in warranty, if it is i would reccomend using there advanced RMA, they will send you a new drive to let you transfer data, then you send em the old 1 back.

i have a 30gb doing the same thing as you at the mo, not the freezing tho' ultra ata CRC errors go up and down for me, drives ok though, the NTFS file system has got itself out of trouble so far. maxtor are very good for advanced RMA, if the drive pass's the maxtor test RMA it under excess noise, they told me to do that with a drive last year as i couldnt get a fault code but maxtor were happy it was shagged :)
 
Unfortunatly the C: Came with my computer and its Warranty ran out Last October.
The Defragmentation of the C: Was ok, a Few Things Couldnt Be done tho.

NDIS is my Error which means..
Bug Check 0x7C: BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER

The BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER bug check has a value of 0x0000007C. This indicates that a problem occurred with an NDIS driver.

Parameters
The following parameters are displayed on the blue screen. Parameter 1 indicates the type of violation. The meaning of the other parameters depends on the value of Parameter 1.

Someone Said its a That is a network card driver error. Make sure you install the newest XP-compatable driver from your network card.

How do i find out What Network Card i have installed? I Have a intel Wireless Anypoint (External) box for both computers.
 
ive started what one person said which was..
start>run type in sfc /scannow then hit ok

isnt that just gona check my files against the one on the Xp CD which is out of date now as surely SP1 and Direct X9 to 9C has replaced files which this is gona detect and try to put back to the origional?
 
depends when the drive was made, maxtor did do 3 year warranty. regardless of what the pc came with.

and yes doing SRC/ will revert back to the original pre sp1 if thats what your cd is.
 
Hi all

The Thing Completed i assume any as i was away from the computer, should there have been any prompts etc?
 
Maveric169 said:
If your comp is crashing it is 10X more likely that there is a corrupted system file somewhere.

Indeed.

To the original poster, when was the last time you reformatted and reinstalled XP? Hate to say it, but this OS really hasn't been made to last that long installed, although certainly a marked improvement over Windows 9x.

I'd suggest, personally, if you have broadband, to download the full Windows XP SP2 package (coming up in the next couple days for full download on the Microsoft site), slipstream it into your existing XP CD to create a new one, and reformat and reinstall (of course, backing up all your important and irreplaceable files first!).

Here's a tutorial on slipstreaming SP1, but the techniques should equally apply to SP2, I'd like to think:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

I would guess that your hard drive itself is probably fine.

Melon
 
Last Time i Reformatted Was Last April

Im Downloading the RTM of SP2 From the main Page of Neowin as we Speak, im gona see if that helps me, and if not then ill follow the guide to SlipStream it, However My XP CD is an OEM CD and all Hardware Except my Main HD And Soundcard have been replaced.
 

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