HDD disappears suddenly ?

[ukLz]

Hello people. Recently, I bought on internet some second-hand but very correct hard disk: Western Digital 320 GB SATA 3

A week ago, it arrived and I connected it same day. I installed that HDD in system without partitionating because I didn't want to participate that HDD cause I wanted to hold everything on one full HDD...

However, past 3-4 days, I've recongized something VEERYY strange and unusual. In fact, suddenly that hard disk just DISAPPEARS in Computer...

And here are and pics:

It's "Local Disk (G"

This is how my Computer looks like when there is loaded that HDD:
http://imgur.com/gfm7bBP

And this is how my Computer looks like when it disappears suddenly somehow:
http://imgur.com/OR4z0Bd

• So yeah... And as you can see on the bottom of the second picture, it's Fraps that is not recognized or like it's not installed in my system and system doesn't recongizes it because that damn HDD suddenly disappear somehow!

But, when that crap happens, I just simply restart or reboot my PC, and after re-booting system, my HDD is again available and ready for any use.


- I am really confused about this.. How could it sometimes and very often just DISAPPEARS nowhere?
I can't even find it in "Device Manager"... There's loaded only one hard disk which is 80 GB where I hold my Windows and other PC programs like: Chrome, Skype, CCleaner, Microsoft Office stuffs, and others.. But that ain't important but this...

So yeah.. And, could that be a motherboard? or SATA DATA cable? or even something third?

Please, help !!!

 

[nukemaster]

It may be worth running something like CrystalDiskInfo to see the smart status on that drive.
http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html

If you are worried about the cable, maybe try to swap it with a cable from another drive(optical drive if you are not using it at the time.).

After it disappears you can check the vent viewer to see if it lists something.

 

[ukLz]

It may be worth running something like CrystalDiskInfo to see the smart status on that drive.
http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html

If you are worried about the cable, maybe try to swap it with a cable from another drive(optical drive if you are not using it at the time.).

After it disappears you can check the vent viewer to see if it lists something.

Hmm.. Alright, I'll try..

But, since I have 2 hard drives in my computer installed, a both are connected with different color SATA data cable...
Only I can do is to swap or exchange from those two places.. But, then it might happen to suddenly my 1st hard disk of 80 GB where is located my Windows, then it might happen to suddenly my whole system shut down like it happens with another hard disk because that SATA data cable might make troubles in this entire story.. uh...

 

[nukemaster]

I take it you have no spare cables to test with. Some boards come with 4 or more cables.
Would suck to loose your OS drive. It would most likely freeze on and off and maybe blue screen in the end.

 

[ukLz]

I take it you have no spare cables to test with. Some boards come with 4 or more cables.
Would suck to loose your OS drive. It would most likely freeze on and off and maybe blue screen in the end.

I bought this PC and motherboard in 2008, haha
And, I think I've got only 1 SATA data cable with this 80 GB HDD
I found the second one SATA data cable in my school hahaha
Seriously! in Cabinet of Informatics I stole one SATA data cable and brought it to home..

I tested that cable and it worked fine until now.. Maybe I should buy new one SATA data cable or.. I don't know what

 

[nukemaster]

Does the smart status on the drive look normal?

 

[ukLz]

Does the smart status on the drive look normal?

I am not sure..
I have downloaded Sentinel HDD and this showed:

http://imgur.com/5gonaN1

Is it good?
because I don't know much about hard drives and so...

 

[nukemaster]

I would run a long scan on the drive. WDC has a tool for this(Data LifeGuard Diagnostics). HDtune can also run a surface scan.

If you use Data LifeGuard Diagnostics do NOT write zeros to the drive as that would erase it. You are after a long test.

It looks like you have 1 sector waiting to be reallocated.

A reallocated sector happens when that sector on the platter can not longer hold data reliably. This is generally a sign that a drive may be starting to go bad. A full scan should force it to recheck the pending sector and reallocate if required.

 

[ukLz]

I would run a long scan on the drive. WDC has a tool for this(Data LifeGuard Diagnostics). HDtune can also run a surface scan.

If you use Data LifeGuard Diagnostics do NOT write zeros to the drive as that would erase it. You are after a long test.

It looks like you have 1 sector waiting to be reallocated.

A reallocated sector happens when that sector on the platter can not longer hold data reliably. This is generally a sign that a drive may be starting to go bad. A full scan should force it to recheck the pending sector and reallocate if required.

Well.. Something gone bad..
I downloaded that program for WDC hard disks, and my first hard disk which I have since I bought this PC has passed QUICK TEST without ANY problems or threats...

But, this one which disappears very often has FAILED the test...
And, this is what showed up:

http://imgur.com/e2TUnSl

What to do now, mister ?

 

[nukemaster]

Did the drive disappear when testing or just outright fail while still showing up.

Did you HD Sentinel stats change any(more pending or remapped).

If the drive is under warranty, you may be able to get it replaced.

Before doing ANYTHING, you should try to backup your data from that drive(you can backup to an external drive, flash sticks, cd/dvd/bd or even a cloud service).

Every drive will fail at some point, so backups are very important.

 

[ukLz]

Did the drive disappear when testing or just outright fail while still showing up.

Did you HD Sentinel stats change any(more pending or remapped).

If the drive is under warranty, you may be able to get it replaced.

Before doing ANYTHING, you should try to backup your data from that drive(you can backup to an external drive, flash sticks, cd/dvd/bd or even a cloud service).

Every drive will fail at some point, so backups are very important.

Oh but.. How to backup huge amount of files? on some USB flash memory or what?

However, No.. That hard disk which disappears often doesn't disappear during testing himself.. It disappears sometimes while I play something and suddenly that game which is installed in that hard drive crashes and then I open Computer and I don't see that hard drive anymore...

As I said, I downloaded those 2 programs and checked everything.. That hard disk of 320 GB which I bought on internet has 99% health on Sentinel test.
On WDC "QUICK TEST", he failed on QUICK TEST.. It showed what is error and it says that it's something about S.M.A.R.T. stuff

That's all

 

[nukemaster]

I am guessing that the drive drops when it has trouble reading data. This is most likely caused by a drive going bad.

You could try to get another cable in case it is a cable issue, but the pending sector shows the drive has had problems reading or writing data at one point.

The cheapest backup solution is an external hard drive(lower cost per gigabyte).

 

[ukLz]

I am guessing that the drive drops when it has trouble reading data. This is most likely caused by a drive going bad.

You could try to get another cable in case it is a cable issue, but the pending sector shows the drive has had problems reading or writing data at one point.

The cheapest backup solution is an external hard drive(lower cost per gigabyte).

UPDATE:
Last few days, that didn't happen to me anymore... I didn't do anything but it just stopped...

If that happens again, I'll reply here.

 

[nukemaster]

Keep an eye on those pending and remapped. If they start to get higher, replace asap.

And always keep backups since any drive can fail.

 

[ukLz]

Keep an eye on those pending and remapped. If they start to get higher, replace asap.

And always keep backups since any drive can fail.

Oh No!
This hard disk is going reeaally bad...

I started "EXTENDED TEST" on Western Digital Data LifeGuard Diagnostics tester.. And.. it failed on extended test just like in "QUICK TEST"

In extended test, it recognized 8 BAD sectors...

http://imgur.com/Enntf7H

In Sentinel, from 99% Health state, it decreased after refresh on 95% Health
Sentinel says that it definetly has 8 BAD sectors which cannot be fixed, as it says...

http://imgur.com/8Y1zl2N


Damn! What to do u noow ?!?

 

[nukemaster]

I hate to say it, but the disk is most likely going to get worse with time.

It does not even look like it even manages to remap sectors(not that that fixes the problem since it is a problem that can get worse over time).

If you look at the smart data it will show if any sectors have been remapped. Once they start going bad, it can get worse pretty fast.

Backup anything you can.

 

[ukLz]

I hate to say it, but the disk is most likely going to get worse with time.

It does not even look like it even manages to remap sectors(not that that fixes the problem since it is a problem that can get worse over time).

If you look at the smart data it will show if any sectors have been remapped. Once they start going bad, it can get worse pretty fast.

Backup anything you can.

God dammit !

Alright.. So, it looks like this hard drive will die very soon?

 

[nukemaster]

The section that is starting to fail may slowly grow. If the drive can not get data to remap, some data loss will also happen.

This kind of thing is simply not something one can fix unfortunately.

 

[ukLz]

The section that is starting to fail may slowly grow. If the drive can not get data to remap, some data loss will also happen.

This kind of thing is simply not something one can fix unfortunately.

Hell no...

So.. Looks like this HDD cannot remap? It cannot fix itself anyhow? It's only a matter of time when this HDD will die and only I'll can do is to throw it in trash?

 

[nukemaster]

If you know the location of the bad section you "may" be able to partition around it(so partition the drive to start past it or end before it), but that is an old trick and at some point the drive could get worse.

My brother had a drive that had a similar issue. He ran a defrag and managed to pull data away from the bad section(because his bad sectors had been closer to the end of the drive), but it was just a matter of time before it started to act up again.

Honestly, at the first remap, I just replace the thing. My data is worth more than a drive to me.

 

[ukLz]

If you know the location of the bad section you "may" be able to partition around it(so partition the drive to start past it or end before it), but that is an old trick and at some point the drive could get worse.

My brother had a drive that had a similar issue. He ran a defrag and managed to pull data away from the bad section(because his bad sectors had been closer to the end of the drive), but it was just a matter of time before it started to act up again.

Honestly, at the first remap, I just replace the thing. My data is worth more than a drive to me.

Oh no.. So.. It's definetly done with this hard drive?

Only I can do is just to backup everything and to keep those files on safe place and just let it to die by itself as time goes on... ?

 

[nukemaster]

That is about it.

You can track the smart status over time with the software you used.

It will only try to remap when the drive is in the bad/weak area. My guess is at that point the drive takes so long Windows thinks it is gone and drops it. I am not an engineer, but pending and remapped sectors are not good.

it is a shame because that drive does not have that many hours on it. It is just bad luck.

 

[ukLz]

That is about it.

You can track the smart status over time with the software you used.

It will only try to remap when the drive is in the bad/weak area. My guess is at that point the drive takes so long Windows thinks it is gone and drops it. I am not an engineer, but pending and remapped sectors are not good.

it is a shame because that drive does not have that many hours on it. It is just bad luck.

Something strange happend today.
An hour ago, I turned my PC on and checked the Hard Disk health in Sentinel. And, somehow, my HDD health is growing...

http://imgur.com/cfWjNhI

Till the last night, my health kept on 95% and it wasn't falling any further more... Since today when I boot up my computer, health resotred for 1%

What is actually going on? Shall my HDD get fixed in near future ?

 

[nukemaster]

We would need to see the actual smart attributes. Sometimes a weak sector when check again may be found good enough after all. I do not think the drive will restore it's self fully.