HDD - is it dead or dying ??

[Abarbarian]

So I had some problems with a SATA II hdd its only a few months old.I need to re-install the os but I kept on getting the "Missing NLTDR" message.

So I tried to use Ultimate Boot Cd, Seagate Disk Wizard tool and reinstated the MBR. Then tried to install XP. It started ok, found the disk, partitioned ok, went through the first part of the install ok, but when it came to installing the files thats where you have a progress bar showing it would get to 7% and stop still showing the screen but it would just stop.

Tried to install with genuine disks for XP Home and XP Pro same problem. Tried with copies of the same disks that I know work and same result. Tried with a disk that I have made that has SP3 slipstreamed and I managed to load the os and got to the desktop and everything seemed ok.

Restarted the pc and got sent to the, Windows was shut down wrongly, choose one of these options screen. I can choose any of the options but the pc then goes to a black screen or re-starts and goes back to the same page.


When the problem with the drive firsts started I was running Acronis and things did not seem to be running correctly and I did notice that the drive was getting very hot, a lot hotter than normal. The drive seemed to work ok in that I could move folders etc but it had the NLTDR fault.

Do you recon the drive is faulty ??

What program can I use from the Ultimate Boot CD to fully test the hdd or do I need to download some other program ?

I want to make sure the drive is faulty before I send it back for replacement.

Thanks.

 

[itsme]

Going by what you say It`s bust-ted-ted it should not get to hot Send it back.

Its not a WD is it?

 

[Abarbarian]

Thanks for quick reply itsme. Its a Seagate with a 5 year guarantee, only drives I buy. I've never had a duffer untill now and I like the 5 year guarantee.

What can I test it with though ?

 

[Ian]

What I'd do first of all is backup everything from the device you need (if you haven't already). The best way to test if the drive is faulty is to use a drive fitness test that should be available to download from the HDD manufacturers site (I know most have them).

This site lists quite a few of them : http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

The problem is that if you stress the drive and it is faulty, it could go completely (although for that type of failure it would normally click too).

Does a normal CHKDSK pick anything up?

 

[Ian]

I've just seen you have a seagate drive, so I'd go for the graphical tool on this page :

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools/seatooldreg

 

[itsme]

Thanks for quick reply itsme. Its a Seagate with a 5 year guarantee, only drives I buy. I've never had a duffer untill now and I like the 5 year guarantee.

What can I test it with though ?

Go to thier site http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/ and download the disc checker Read the instructions in full make sure it is the correct model number it may even do it while online it will on some models. it will take quite a while Seagate is all I use I had one a few months ago it did exactly the same as yours and it was only 3 weeks old.
You could take the HDD to someone like Maplins they will check it for you with no charge

 

[itsme]

Ian I wish I could type as fast as I used to do you beat me you bugger

 

[Ian]

Ian I wish I could type as fast as I used to do

you beat me you bugger

 

[Abarbarian]

Thanks guys.
Nothing on the disc. It's part of me new build and only had a basic install of XP on it as I was testing out how to use Acronis before I started to use the pc for real. It must be the first time I have done things in the right order.
Test programs -- install for real -- use backup tools -- rescue after fault -- carry on.

Instaed of,

Jump in with both feet -- spendloads of time and effort setting things up -- spends days lloking for ways to rstify fault -- teart hair out -- cry bucketloads -- smash pc -- spend days re-installing and setting up.

Thank goodness I had me Mandy set uo on a usb drive.

Mind you it has only taken me 100's of disasters and four years to get to use the sensible approach. Thats pretty quick for me.

 

[JaLing]

Possible Outcomes :-

The drives dying or
SATA option in the bios requires changing
- common amongst Dell systems and a few M/B manufacturers
- cant remember exactly what it is but untill I changed it I was forever getting the "Missing NLTDR" message. (Option has even affected the use of an IDE drive)

Other than that I'm all out of ideas sorry.

 

[Abarbarian]

Solved

Hi I ran the SeaTools of UB CD.

At first it showed the temp as 23 C and gave all the usual info.

Ran a SHORT TEST and temp went up to 30 C which is as to be expected, test returned ok.

Ran a LONG TEST and temp went up to 46 C which I thought was rather high, test again returned ok.

Switched of and pc would boot to windows which I thought was strange considering it would not do so before.

I am now using Sea Tools completely wiping the disc and I will try to install XP from the genuine disk and see what happens.

psd99 recons that it might be the northern electric, quote,

mmm must be the electricity and the cost of stamps up north that caused this error.

I'm sure it wasn't the power loss to your pc that don't make sense.

 

[Abarbarian]

Well I tried twice to wipe the disk with Sea Tools . First time it hung at 11%. Second time it hung at 32 %. It is going back for a replacement.

Thanks guys and galls.

 

[Abarbarian]

I'm 3 weeks past the one year warranty period so E-Buyer will not swap the drive and directed me to Seagate.
I've tried to wipe the drive with every tool on the Ultimate Boot CD and none of them work, they just rfuse to play.
Yet SeaTools still keep telling me that the drive has passed the Long and Short Tests and keeps hanging on wiping the drive and keeps telling me that SMART has not been triggered.
The Seagate site says that if th edrive passes the tests it is ok. But it is anything but ok. I don't know what to do. An I'm pretty sick and tired of the whole thing, boot up, run a test, boot up run a test etc etc. I'm well fed up.

 

[Ian]

It might be worth dropping seagate an e-mail letting them know that you can't even wipe the drive - that does seem to indicate something major wrong.

 

[Abarbarian]

psd99 had it right I'm living in the twilight zone up here.

I gave up on trying to use the Ultimate Boot CD and Acronis Disk Director and System Rescue CD, notthing on any of those discs did anything at all.

My last chance to get this disk working was to hook it up to me other pc and try to use Partition Magic. So I duly did this and here is what I was told.

Hmm I thought !! An carried on, to get to here.

BAD !! Ohoh thats not looking good but at least I have some info.

Hmm ! So I can not make a partition, Lets try to delete this and reformat. So I set it up and told the program to run. Whoope it started and as usual it had to shut down and restart and run. Finally some action. Well sort of when the blue screen arrived as normal, it told me that the cahnges could not be made, ERROR 626, contact Powerquest for help in this matter. Hmmmmmm.

Then it struck me, like a bolt out of the blue, a stroke of pure genius. Ha ha. I can see the drive with windows so lets see what happens if I do this.

Now the check returned as everything ok.

Hmmmm ! I thought yet another program telling porkies. Lets have another look with Partition Magic, just out of curiosity before I throw this drive into the bin after smashing it to pieces. Yes I know that would have been expensive but very satisfying.

Well blow me !!! How did that happen ?? How strange.

That is what I had tried to do with SeaTools all those hours ago. How did that reappear ??

I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. So I did this.

Then this.

Then I took the drive back to the other pc hooked it up and tried to install XP. Having mini heatr attacks every time the screen changed as it installed. Wow it seems to have installed. Shut down, cross fingers and restart. Well well well !!!!!!!!!

It seems as though I am out of the twilight zone and back to where I was three or four days ago. With a good XP install and the drive seems to be running nice and cool as it should. I'll just go and see if the pc fires up ok, be back in a mo.

Well it started ok just like it should. So that is the end of this weeks voyage into the twilight zone. Did I mention that the dvd drive that had refused to work for the last three weeks and which was scheduled for replacement suddenly started to work again.

 

[Ian]

Good stuff

I'm surprised that the Seatools app couldn't detect it, but it a good job partition magic could It's certainly saved you some hassle with returns

 

[itsme]

Shees! all that work and all you needed was one of these>

 

[Abarbarian]

Shees! all that work and all you needed was one of these>

That tool looks a little too technical to use. Would I need any special safety gear and trainning to use it???



Ian I'm suprised that I could get nothing at all except PM to work.

 

[itsme]

That tool looks a little too technical to use. Would I need any special safety gear and trainning to use it???

Na! Ask Paddy....