Hard Disk Dying?

[Unusual_Bulge]

Hey everybody, first time poster, long time reader.

I have a problem with my hard disk (I think) which I hope should be an open and shut case to folks more knowledgable than me.

First my system for you:

Running Windows XP SP2
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (socket 939)
Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard
1GB Corsair XMS (2 512MB sticks in dual channel mode)
BFG Geforce 7600 GS 512MB OC graphics card
Maxtor DiamondMax 80GB SATA hard disk
Q-Tec 450W PSU
MSI CD-RW/DVD Combo drive
Belkin wired gigabit ethernet card

Basically a few weeks ago I started seeing a lot of blue screens. 'Seeing' perhaps isn't the best thing to say because usually if I left my machine running whilst I went to get food or something I would find it at the login screen when I got back. Later testing found that it would bluescreen (code 0x0000007A I think) whilst idling for around 15 mins or so (even if left at the login screen). Soon after this started my Winamp would occasionally go silent, then start repeating a single snippet of the music over and over until I tried to close it, resulting in a blue screen (0x000000F4).

I tried to run virus scans (using AVG free and TrendMicro Housecall), and I got hit with bluescreens (0x000000F4) when they reached some html files (help files for Matlab). Using Avast! boot-time virus scanner has the scan reach these same files and produce error message 0xC000003E on the first two files, and then error message 0xC0000185 for every file on the disk after this.

Obviously I had to go see what would happen if I tried to mess with these files, and discovered that even just left clicking on them gives me a bluescreen (0x000000F4). I then tried running a scan disk using the built in Windows XP disk checker. It does fine up until the part where it checks through all of the files, where it becomes stuck at 5%. I tried running a defrag for good measure and almost instantly get a bluescreen (0x000000F4). After reading another thread in this forum I downloaded and ran HD Tune (http://www.hdtune.com/). It begins giving errors (red blocks) after about one and three quarter rows of no problems, and after a short while of showing red blocks hits a blue screen (0x000000F4).

The graphics card is very new and is running the latest drivers from Nvidia, but things were fine for the few weeks from getting the card to these problems starting, so I don't think the card is to blame. Also, Memtest86 finds no problems with my memory.

So is my hard drive dying, or is it some exotic virus or something else entirely? I'd be glad to answer any questions you have and run any extra tests you suggest.

Many, many thanks.

 

[pppjunk]

I also had problems with Maxtor SATA HDDs. They are incompatible with a few chipsets including nforce 3 and 4.

Please look on your HDD for a jumper to choose between SATA1 and SATA2 modes, and put it in the other position. It might fix your problem.

 

[Unusual_Bulge]

I also had problems with Maxtor SATA HDDs. They are incompatible with a few chipsets including nforce 3 and 4.

Please look on your HDD for a jumper to choose between SATA1 and SATA2 modes, and put it in the other position. It might fix your problem.

Oh perhaps I should mention I've had this system for over 2 years (apart from the new graphics card) and haven't had these sorts of issues. Should I still worry about these sorts of incompatabilities?

Thanks

 

[cmptrdude79]

No, in that case you're probably dealing with a dying hard drive. Back up what you can, while you can, and buy a new drive.

If you have access to a second computer, you could pull the drive out and make sure that you're not suffering from a corrupt partition table, or a failing controller on the motherboard itself. Long shots, but possible. Post back with any further information. Good luck.

-J

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Blue screens almost always indicate some kind of hardware problem.

Since virtually anything you're doing that's causing the blue screens is associated with the hard disk and/or files, the disk is the most likely suspect.

I'd back up your data (on another computer if necessary) and then replace it.

 

[billiamian]

Hi, I have an almost identical system (Asus A8N Deluxe, Maxtor, nVidia, etc.) & almost identical problem, though no BSOD, just a reboot.

Saw many messages indicating corrupt files - Google Desktop, cisvc service terminated unexpectedly, defrag crash, etc...
Did you fix or replace it?

Please say fix - my 2nd child was born 2 months ago & I've no time to reinstall my system ;(...

Thanks

 

[Valerarren]

It could just be some random corruption (that might not occur again in a long time). Isn't there some chkdsk type utilities on the windows XP boot disk? Of course, sometimes things get corrupted in such a way that it'll blue-screen a windows XP boot disk as well.

 

[bokhenik]

Did you happen to install any nvidia drivers for your chipset and let it install drivers for HDD controllers lately? I remember i got blue screens and a clicking sound from my SATA drive and removing the nvidia hdd controllers fixed the problem.

 

[choirbass]

heres some info in regards to the stop errors you pointed out:

0x0000007A and 0x000000F4
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330100/en-us

0xC000003E and 0xC0000185
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:FIjofE04EckJ:www.cdp.com/library/ErrorCodes.pdf+0xC000003E&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us


they seem specifically related to the hdd (so the info on the links may provide some direction too, to resolving the stop errors)... it also might be time to back up your essential data, and get a replacement hdd, asap (even if the hdd doesnt fail soon, itll be nice knowing you can just stick in a replacement hdd whenever you would need to... particularly when it does fail, because all hdds eventually fail)


edit: heres a fast hdd for only $54 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136075

its only 160GB (so its still twice the capacity of your current hdd, but its also the fastest 7200 available, or just about the fastest, right behind the raptors)
http://www23.tomshardware.com/storage.html?modelx=33&model1=675&model2=678&chart=34
(WD 160GB AAJS compared to 74GB ADFD raptor)

http://www23.tomshardware.com/storage.html?modelx=33&model1=675&model2=128&chart=34
(WD 160GB AAJS compared to 80GB Maxtor Diamondmax plus 9) (assuming thats your current hdd)

 

[Unusual_Bulge]

Hi, I have an almost identical system (Asus A8N Deluxe, Maxtor, nVidia, etc.) & almost identical problem, though no BSOD, just a reboot.

Saw many messages indicating corrupt files - Google Desktop, cisvc service terminated unexpectedly, defrag crash, etc...
Did you fix or replace it?

Please say fix - my 2nd child was born 2 months ago & I've no time to reinstall my system ;(...

Thanks

I'm sorry to say that I replaced it. If you're not getting the BSOD I'd try updating everything you can first, and look around for other solutions because the main feature of my issue was an awful lot of blue screens.

In case you're interested I bought a nice Hitachi Deskstar 320Gb drive, but the Via SATA controller won't recognise it on the A8V Deluxe so you have to use the Promise SATA slots and install the Promise Windows SATA drivers when installing Windows XP. I don't know if this is the same on the A8N since its a more modern board.

Sorry I couldn't bring better news.