Dying hard disk, or is it?

Ian Goldby · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 3:16 pm Post subject: Dying hard disk, or is it?

A few days ago I got nervous enough about my hard disk to prompt me into doing a proper backup :oops:

. I was doing a big emerge, and came back to find that the hard disk had stopped spinning, the system was completely frozen, and the light on the front of the case was doing morse code.

I rebooted, but after a short while I heard the hard disk motor straining, and then it stalled, started up again, stalled, and then started clicking forlornly.

I turned off the power and left it for a while. Later that day, I tried making a tar archive of important stuff to write out to a CD. About half way through, the hard disk stalled again. So I turned everything off.

A few days later, I succeeded in making the backup, and today it's been running for some time without any problems.

Now, I would diagnose that as a definite hard disk problem, possibly heat-related as it's been quite warm the last week or so. BUT: A few months ago, my HP 9100 CD writer failed in a similar sort of way. It works fine for a while after turning everything on, but then starts clicking and refusing to accept any disks. I've never known one of these units to fail before.

I could just go out and by a new hard disk, and a new CD writer, but I wonder if the two apparent failures are related. Maybe the real problem is something on the motherboard, or maybe even the power supply going under-voltage or something. But I'm just guessing.

I'd like to know if anyone else has had problems similar to this, and if so, how you solved it. Would you go with the coincidence theory, or have you had experience of something else that can cause various disks to appear to fail?

Thanks

madmango · Guru Joined: 15 Jul 2003 Posts: 507 Location: PA, USA

Hmm. I've had the same problem, but only on my *ancient* hds, the ones that came with my 486 (250mb). Before you think it is just a coincidence, try testing the p/s; get a voltmeter and measure the sucka.

Other things to try: Put the affected disks in another box, see if they have similar problems. Try a new drive controller board.

If all else fails, it's your disks. Good thing you backed up!
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Ian Goldby · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 8:43 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the suggestions. I can measure the power supply voltage (although the problems tend not to occur on cue, so I'll have to be lucky with getting the DMM to it at a critical moment). I don't have another box to swap things with which is a pity.

dma · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2003 11:29 pm Post subject:

If it is a fairly new hard drive you can try this for onboard self-diagnostics:

AgenT · Apprentice Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 280

These two programs are really nice, thanks!

Ian Goldby · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks. I tried them, and as far as I could understand it, there were no errors or warnings from my disk.

pmjdebruijn · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 11:19 am Post subject:

Do you have correct cabling? certified for ATA100 or ATA133?

Also a friend of mine has his harddisks cooled with a silent 12x12cm fan, and the harddrive temperate dorps are just amazing... Without the fan they run at about 40 degrees celcius, with the fan the temperature drops just below 20 degress celcius...

So you might consider installing a fan...
At least if temperature is your problem!

Robelix · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 11:08 pm Post subject:

40° is usally no problem for a HD, but if it gets 50° or more it's going to be dangerous.
I use a cheap 80mm standard-fan connected to 5V. Enough to cool the disks down about 10° - and you don't hear it.

Robelix
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