C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

December 15, 2007

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

December 15, 2007

Re: C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

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

"jbclem" <jbclem1@charter.net> wrote in message

news:VUE8j.83$v43.0@newsfe02.lga...

> 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

>

December 15, 2007

Re: C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

DL wrote:

> IMO if a hd shows bad sectors it should be dumped,

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.

December 15, 2007

Re: C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

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

"DL" <address@invalid> wrote in message

news:uttiCErPIHA.5184@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> 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

>

> "jbclem" <jbclem1@charter.net> wrote in message

> news:VUE8j.83$v43.0@newsfe02.lga...

> > 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

> >

>

December 15, 2007

Re: C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

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

"jbclem" wrote:

>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

December 15, 2007

Re: C:\ partition with a interemittent bad sector

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" <jbclem1@charter.net> wrote in message

news:gAH8j.287$RQ6.185@newsfe07.lga...