[SOLVED] Bad sectors - should I be worried?

[Deleted member 2849646]

Hello,

I tried to format my HDD after a diskpart "clean" command, and then I had to choose between MBR and GPT. I selected GPT but it seemingly froze so I forced shut my PC and turned it on and couldn't get the HDD to do anything "data error (cyclic redundancy check)". I then proceeded to use HDDScan tool to "Erase", and that fixed the problem. However, when I followed this up using the "Western Digital Data LifeGuard Diagnostics" tool for windows and did an extended test I got a message saying the test had failed.

Should I be worried by this? Does this mean the drive is about to fail or is this a normal thing where some sectors will be bad in a HDD?

Finally, if there're any additional checks I could do, let me know. Thanks!

Test Option:	EXTENDED TEST
Model Number:	WDC WD10EZEX-08M2NA0
Unit Serial Number:	WD-WMC3F***
Firmware Number:	01.01A01
Capacity:	1000.20 GB
SMART Status:	PASS
Test Result:	FAIL
Test Error Code:	08-Unable to repair bad sectors.
Test Time:	21:20:55, November 08, 2020

Edit:

HDDScan S.M.A.R.T. Report:

LBA: 1953525168 (1000 GB)

Report By: HDDSCAN v4.1
Report Date: 08/11/2020 23:10:21

	Num	Attribute Name	Value	Worst	Raw(hex)	Threshold
	001	Raw Read Error Rate	200	200	0000000000-03F4	051
	003	Spin Up Time	174	170	0000000000-08DA	021
	004	Start/Stop Count	096	096	0000000000-124B	000
	005	Reallocation Sector Count	200	200	0000000000-0000	140
	007	Seek Error Rate	200	200	0000000000-0000	000
	009	Power-On Hours Count	086	086	0000000000-2A22	000
	010	Spin Retry Count	100	100	0000000000-0000	000
	011	Recalibration Retries	100	100	0000000000-0000	000
	012	Device Power Cycle Count	096	096	0000000000-1210	000
	192	Emergency Retract Count	200	200	0000000000-0017	000
	193	Load/unload Cycle Count	199	199	0000000000-1235	000
	194	HDA Temperature	111	101	32 C	000
	196	Reallocation Event Count	200	200	0000000000-0000	000
	197	Current Pending Errors Count	200	200	0000000000-0019	000
	198	Uncorrectable Errors Count	200	200	0000000000-0000	000
	199	UltraDMA CRC Errors	200	200	0000000000-0000	000
	200	Multi Zone Error Rate	200	200	0000000000-0000	000

 

[Darkbreeze]

No, it's not like an SSD where it is EXPECTED that you should, through the normal course of the drives life, lose usable sectors/cells from usage. When HDD sectors begin failing, the drive is no longer reliable and should immediately have all important data on it copied off onto other media of some kind whether that is another drive, or optical disks, or the cloud, and the drive should be replaced. I don't see any scenario where it's wise to continue using a drive with sectors that are failing unless the drive is being used for irrelevant information and even then it could be a problem if any of the data becomes corrupted and introduces errors into the data on other drives.

My advice? Replace it now.

I would however try replacing the SATA cable you are using with it first, then RE-test it to verify that it IS in fact failing, and wasn't simply due to some other contributing factor like a bad cable. It would also be a good idea to conduct further tests using WD lifeguard tools for DOS, rather than for Windows, using a created bootable flash drive for the WD tools environment, to eliminate the possibility that Windows might have been corrupted and altered the test results as well.

Usually though, if WD lifeguard tools or Seagate Seatools says bad sectors, it means bad sectors.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Those are pending sectors 25 (hex 19). "Pending" means - it's not yet known, if the sector is bad or not. It could be perfectly fine.
You resolve pending sectors by overwriting them. MHDD scan (with relocate) can do that. Also Victoria can resolve pending sectors.

Anyway - always have backup for your important data.

 

[Deleted member 2849646]

Those are pending sectors 25 (hex 19). "Pending" means - it's not yet known, if the sector is bad or not. It could be perfectly fine.
You resolve pending sectors by overwriting them. MHDD scan (with relocate) can do that. Also Victoria can resolve pending sectors.

Anyway - always have backup for your important data.

Thanks, just removed the hard drive. Only put it in as a secondary for storing movies etc. Had a quick look at MHDD and Victoria - looks like i'll have to spend several hours learning about how hard drives work before MHDD works, and spend longer trying to decipher russian for Victoria! Just gonna bin the damn thing lol.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I must have posted before you put that additional drive information up because it definitely wasn't there when I first replied. I would however, as I said, whether using those other tools or something else altogether like WD for DOS or Hard drive sentinel, do some additional testing if you want to possibly be able to continue using the drive. Honestly though, I can't blame you for binning a drive that's even remotely suspect. I wouldn't and I don't advise anybody else to either.

As Skynet said though, probably isn't that big of a deal IF you have the data on it backed up elsewhere and you should ALWAYS have ALL important data in more than one location, at all times, so that WHEN (Not if) it fails (Because everything fails sooner or later and usually it's not at a convenient time NOR is it expected) you are not caught with your pants down.

 

[Deleted member 2849646]

I must have posted before you put that additional drive information up because it definitely wasn't there when I first replied. I would however, as I said, whether using those other tools or something else altogether like WD for DOS or Hard drive sentinel, do some additional testing if you want to possibly be able to continue using the drive. Honestly though, I can't blame you for binning a drive that's even remotely suspect. I wouldn't and I don't advise anybody else to either.

As Skynet said though, probably isn't that big of a deal IF you have the data on it backed up elsewhere and you should ALWAYS have ALL important data in more than one location, at all times, so that WHEN (Not if) it fails (Because everything fails sooner or later and usually it's not at a convenient time NOR is it expected) you are not caught with your pants down.

I remember I spend a whole day working on a school essay once back in 2000. I didn't save my work and when I had done it all and tried to save it, it wouldn't, and I had to do it again! Never made that same mistake again! Here I am 20 years later still hitting save every few minutes when working on something, and keeping 2 or 3 backups! Being old school, I periodically back up to a DL DVD too every year or two! Totally overkill lol, but can never be too safe these days.

That reminds me, remember those old gameboy cartridges? Why do they still work? I thought memory goes bad with time and my gameboy cartridges are still working 20 years on!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Right. Never can be too safe, agreed.

Good question. I guess it's true that they just don't build things like they used to. Both literally and figuratively.

 

[Deleted member 2849646]

Hi again,

I've tried a few things since yesterday on the 1TB drive.
I've done a chkdsk and got message: "Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50"
I installed windows 10 pro no problems. OS runs fine.
The S.M.A.R.T shows status as 'good'.
Finally Victoria HDD utility shows:
victoria smart status

Not going to use it anymore for important stuff, but based on above info, should I still be worried about using it at all? Because the SMART status is good, I'm thinking it's still safe to use?

Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

Not going to use it anymore for important stuff, but based on above info, should I still be worried about using it at all? Because the SMART status is good, I'm thinking it's still safe to use?

Thanks.

It is "safe to use", right up until the moment it isn't.
Just like every other storage device. Brand new, or 20 years old.

I had a 3TB HDD go from seemingly perfect to absolutely dead in about 36 hours. It was 5 weeks old.

 

[SkyNetRising]

should I still be worried about using it at all? Because the SMART status is good, I'm thinking it's still safe to use?

Pending sectors have been cleared. It's considered OK now.
Check it with WD Lifeguard Diagnostics now.