C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

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J

jbclem

My WIn2000 PIII computer has 2 hard drives and 2 Win2000 installations (C:
ands E:). So I can always boot up in E: when this intermittent problem
happens. There seems to be a bad hard drive sector near or at the beginning
of the C: and when it's bad I can't boot up in C: . I can run Partition
Table Doctor's surface test(from E:) and spot the bad sector, and today when
it happened I couldn't access anything on C:, and My Computer was showing
zero bytes on C:. I could still access other partitions on that hard drive,
D: and E:. Usually when this happens I can't boot up in C: but I can access
files in that partition so I assumed that the problem was only in the area
where the boot record was. But today all of C: was inaccessible.

I have a new hard drive coming in the mail...but I'd like to know if there
is a program that might help me fix this problem if it's just a bad sector.
I've run Chkdsk, I've run SpinRite, I've run the Maxtor diagnostics disk.
Neither Spinrite nor the Maxtor disk find anything wrong, but that might
just be the fact that it's an intermittent problem. Partition Table Doctor
was finding 4 bad sectors (surface test) but today only found one. Chkdsk
finds problems and presumably fixes them. But that doesn't stop them from
reoccuring. I know that there are sectors marked as B (bad) because I see
them on of the surface tests I've conducted. But the problem is still
there. Should I try rebuilding the MBR, or rebuilding the partition (using
Partition Table Doctor)...will I destroy something if this isn't the
problem?

This is a weird problem and I'd like some advice and suggestions for
handling it. I think most of the hard drive is ok, just this area with the
problem. What can I do to try to fix it.

Thanks in advance...

John
 
IMO if a hd shows bad sectors it should be dumped, or only used for stuff
you dont mind losing.
Having said that, any iffy psu can cause 'odd' hd problems such as this
 
DL said:
IMO if a hd shows bad sectors it should be dumped,
Click to expand...

Absolutely ... especially since it's either a warranty candidate or it's
old enough that it's now so small by contemporary norms that its
replacement cost is negligible.
 
I agree with you in certain ways, it would be foolish to use the bad part
for anything important. But I don't believe in throwing away things that
work, and probably 95% of this 40 GB harddrive is still working without a
problem. So I'm trying to get a handle on the magnitude of this problem.
The harddrive itself hasn't been used for more than about 1 year, it was
bought a few years ago as a spare. Why would a few bad sectors require
dumping the entire harddrive. Does this kind of problem spread? Is it an
indication of an overall magnetic corruption? A mechanical problem? Is
there a way to "fence" off part of the harddrive so that it won't ever be
used again.

BTW, what is a "psu".

jc
 
If the "bad sectors" aren't changing you can run chkdsk /r from the recovery
console. Be sure to also download and run the manufacturer's diagnostic
tools against the disk.

psu = power supply

You can buy a new 120 gB disk for ~$60



--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
psu:- power supply unit
If a hd has developed bad sectors its an indication it is failing, and as
such not worth the risk
But then your time & data may not be that important to you.
 
jbclem said:
I agree with you in certain ways, it would be foolish to use the bad part
for anything important. But I don't believe in throwing away things that
work, and probably 95% of this 40 GB harddrive is still working without a
problem. So I'm trying to get a handle on the magnitude of this problem.
The harddrive itself hasn't been used for more than about 1 year, it was
bought a few years ago as a spare. Why would a few bad sectors require
dumping the entire harddrive. Does this kind of problem spread? Is it an
indication of an overall magnetic corruption? A mechanical problem? Is
there a way to "fence" off part of the harddrive so that it won't ever be
used again.

BTW, what is a "psu".

jc
Click to expand...


Although you really should replace the drive...
If you want to use it for a spare...once your data is backed up...
you can run disk management...delete the entire drive...then create two
partitions...with the bad sectors being on a small a partition .

then format only the "good" partition and assing a drive letter only to
that.
 
quoting:
jbclem said:
I agree with you in certain ways, it would be foolish to use the bad part
for anything important. But I don't believe in throwing away things that
work, and probably 95% of this 40 GB harddrive is still working without a
problem. So I'm trying to get a handle on the magnitude of this problem.
The harddrive itself hasn't been used for more than about 1 year, it was
bought a few years ago as a spare. Why would a few bad sectors require
dumping the entire harddrive. Does this kind of problem spread? Is it an
indication of an overall magnetic corruption? A mechanical problem? Is
there a way to "fence" off part of the harddrive so that it won't ever be
used again.

BTW, what is a "psu".

jc
Click to expand...


Hard drives automatically manage problem sectors and have reserve or surplus
sectors to replace any sectors with a high error rate so the OS should never
see bad sectors. When the OS starts to see bad sectors, all of the surplus
sectors are used up. Drive is most likely failing. You can imagine any new
bad sectors that pop up where will it be next?
 
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