Bad Blocks?

Why I Like BT · Aug 5, 2009

I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use Acronis
Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to create a new
partition for Linux but an error message came up stating that it couldn't do
it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I know about HDDs can be written
with a big pen on the back of a stamp so can anyone tell me if this can
either be rectified or whether it's likely that the HDD is in the throes of
expiring?

Thanks.

Rod Speed · Aug 5, 2009

Why said:
I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use
Acronis Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to
create a new partition for Linux but an error message came up stating
that it couldn't do it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I
know about HDDs can be written with a big pen on the back of a stamp
so can anyone tell me if this can either be rectified or whether it's
likely that the HDD is in the throes of expiring?

Post the Everest SMART report for the drive.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

Rod Speed · Aug 5, 2009

Why I Like BT wrote

--------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys,

Version EVEREST v2.20.405
Homepage
http://www.lavalys.com/
Report Type Quick Report
Computer MULBERRY
(MulberryMaster)
Generator keith
Operating System Microsoft
Windows XP Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
Date 2009-08-05
Time 18:21

SMART

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0
OK: Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095
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 7269
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 96 96 4728
OK: Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30
OK: Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18

That's the problem, the drive has a hell of a lot of pending sectors.

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 3141
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 40 91 91 9597
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 87 87 10173
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 93 93 7962
OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 114 253 36
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

That drive is fine.

The rest wasnt needed.

Those pending sectors are sectors that the drive has decided it has a
problem reading and hasnt spared because they have not been written to.

If you have full backups of the drive, it would be worth writing to the entire
drive to get those sectors spared and then restoring from the backup.

BUT thats a hell of a lot of pending sectors, the drive is likely dying.

Rod Speed · Aug 5, 2009

Why I Like BT wrote

I do have full backups. By "writing", do you mean formatting?

Quick formatting isnt enough, you need to actually write
to all sectors, so yes, a long format is what you need to do.

Duly noted, thank you.

You should be able to get a better idea about the future by watching for
new bads showing up in the Everest SMART report. If you keep getting
more, the drive is clearly dying or whatever is producing the bads is still
happening. It is possible to get bad sectors with a bad power supply etc.

Rod Speed · Aug 6, 2009

Why I Like BT wrote

I've re-formatted and restored and now the pending sector count is 99 - ouch!
Urk.

New HDD time.

It is indeed.

Should be covered by the warranty.

Thanks for the info.

No problem, thanks for the washup, too rare IMO.

Arno · Aug 6, 2009

Why I Like BT said:
I want to dual boot my XP machine with a Linux OS. I tried to use Acronis
Disk Director to use some free space from my C partition to create a new
partition for Linux but an error message came up stating that it couldn't do
it owing to "bad blocks" on the disk. What I know about HDDs can be written
with a big pen on the back of a stamp so can anyone tell me if this can
either be rectified or whether it's likely that the HDD is in the throes of
expiring?

More information needed. Post full set of SMART attributes
here.

Arno

Why I Like BT · Aug 6, 2009

Arno said:
More information needed. Post full set of SMART attributes
here.

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

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0 OK:
Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016 OK:
Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095 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 7269 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 96 96 4728 OK:
Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834 OK:
Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18 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

Arno · Aug 6, 2009

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

[ SAMSUNG SP2014N (S088J1RYA07005) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 51 100 100 0 OK:
Value is normal
03 Spin Up Time 25 100 100 6016 OK:
Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 91 91 9095 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 7269 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 96 96 4728 OK:
Always passing
BE <vendor-specific> 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 148 103 30 OK:
Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 100 100 677834 OK:
Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0 OK:
Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 99 99 18 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

The only thing remarkable is attribute C5, but this looks bad.
Pending sectors are sectors the HDD tried to read but could not.
If you write to them or if the hdd could read them after trying
extra hard, they turn into realocated sectors (attribute 05).

Now, I would not definitely say this HDD is dying, but something
is seriously wrong. Basically the only other possible source
of this problem is a bad PSU, the rest of the system cannot cause
this.

Advice: If you are not too strapped for cash, replace the disk.
If the new one again has problems, look at the PSU next. But
the disk is likely the issue. And do a backup of anything
critical ASAP.

Arno

Why I Like BT · Aug 7, 2009

Arno said:
The only thing remarkable is attribute C5, but this looks bad.
Pending sectors are sectors the HDD tried to read but could not.
If you write to them or if the hdd could read them after trying
extra hard, they turn into realocated sectors (attribute 05).

Now, I would not definitely say this HDD is dying, but something
is seriously wrong. Basically the only other possible source
of this problem is a bad PSU, the rest of the system cannot cause
this.

Advice: If you are not too strapped for cash, replace the disk.
If the new one again has problems, look at the PSU next. But
the disk is likely the issue. And do a backup of anything
critical ASAP.

Arno

Thanks Arno. I *thought* that I'd reformatted the HDD from within Disk
Director but, having properly formatted it from the XP repair console, the
pending sector count is now reported at zero. Is that credible?

Rod Speed · Aug 7, 2009

Why I Like BT wrote

I *thought* that I'd reformatted the HDD from within Disk Director but, having properly formatted it from the XP
repair console, the pending sector count is now reported at zero. Is that credible?

Yes, but in those circumstances what matters is the reallocated sector count.

If thats very high, like well over 50, the drive is still dying.

The only difference between pending sectors and reallocated
sectors is that the drive wont reallocate sectors it cant read
unless they are being written to, so their contents dont matter.

Why I Like BT · Aug 7, 2009

Rod Speed said:
Why I Like BT wrote

Yes, but in those circumstances what matters is the reallocated sector
count.

If thats very high, like well over 50, the drive is still dying.

The only difference between pending sectors and reallocated
sectors is that the drive wont reallocate sectors it cant read
unless they are being written to, so their contents dont matter.

I'll run the SMART report again and take a look. It is quite an old drive.
Thank you.

Arno · Aug 7, 2009

Thanks Arno. I *thought* that I'd reformatted the HDD from within Disk
Director but, having properly formatted it from the XP repair console, the
pending sector count is now reported at zero. Is that credible?

It is. However the root cause for them will still be there,
unless it was a transient event. I recomend running a long
SMART selftest every 2 weeks or so for the next month.

Arno

Arno · Aug 7, 2009

Some drives don't run well on add-on controller cards, is the
drive straight off a mobo header?
Tried changing the cable?

These things can cause interface errors, but not pending sectors.

Arno

Rod Speed · Aug 7, 2009

Some drives don't run well on add-on controller cards,

That doesnt produce pending sectors or reallocated sectors.

is the drive straight off a mobo header?

Tried changing the cable?

Neither does that.