Question HDD goes to RAW state after trying to do Windows Error-Checking

CainStar

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So here is a little background info. I bought(some time ago) 6TB seagate and used it as a active Torrent drive. That drive was connect to my PC through a 'PCIE Controller Card'. At the time I had some problem with my PC suddenly shutting down completely. At some point I noticed that I was unable to access, or move, certain files and was given error 0x80070570. I could not even delete the files, so I thought I'd a Windows Error-Check which can be found from Propertions -> Tools. When I clicked that button nothing happened, naturally I clicked it again and nothing. Next thing I tried was chkdsk by CMD prompt, and I got a message that chkdsk can't be performed on a drive in RAW state. Ok so the next step I took, the one that everyone does, I rebooted my computer. When the Windows loaded and I opened 'My Computer' the drive was "blank" meaning that there was no storage meter underneath it, and if I clicked on it it would say drive is in RAW state. When this happened I took it back to the vendor to get a replacement since I thought I was just unlucky and had gotten a bad drive. They told after a while that no files could be recovered, and replaced that drive with Toshibas X300 6TB. Now yesterday THE SAME DAMN THING HAPPENED. I was actually trying to save some files from another old drive, which I thought was on its last legs but has been functioning fine now for 24h or more, and after recovering some of the files from the old drive to the Toshiba drive, and trying burn some of them to a disc, the burning software informed me that it could not access one of the files which I was trying to burn. So I tryed to open unaccessable file and 0x80070570 error I mentioned before popped up. The original file on the old drive worked just fine. Naturally I tried AGAIN to use Error-Checking and exactly the same thing happened, the drive wen't into a RAW state. Aaaaand after a formating of that said Toshiba drive I did an error-check with recovery option and Windows told me that files which could be saved were in a Found.000 folder, but now such folder existed on the drive, and yes I have 'show hidden folder' on. I lost all of my data.....well 'Recuva' was able find some of the files, but only by doing a deep scan, which I tried to move from the old drive to safety, but nothing else. I mean there was over 1TB of........Linux distros on it, but only some of the files that I had just tried save could be found. This is the second drive that has done this to me so I am guessing this isn't about me just having a bad with the drives.

Oh the old drive, which I mentioned, did a disappearing act where the drive just disappeared and re-appeared(happened last week) after I unplugged it and then plugged it back in, but then again disappeared after a few minutes. So I then decided to unplug the power and SATA cable, and ordered a new drive. It has been my experience that the disappearing thing happens when a drive is on its last legs. Yesterday I reconnected the old drive, since I thought why don't I just use the Toshiba drive for backup, when I was trying to save some files from it, under the impression that it was gonna brake permanently soon, since then the old drive has been working normally for 24+hrs. Well I haven't actually done anything taxing "on it" just to be safe. The old drive could very well be brakeing since it is more than 5y old now.

The PC power shutting down is now under control. My GPU is the cause. As long as I stay under undetermined amount of VRAM my PC won't shutdown. No I don't think it is a heating issues since I have used several different monitoring programs and the temps never go above 60'c even when stressed. And yes I have cleaned the actual card cooler and aux cooler, since I have Radeon 295x2 . I when bought a brand new Noctu cooler for my CPU since I thought that could have been over heating but no. And yes I changed the heat paste too. The CPU runs cooler now thou....yippee for that. I even bought a brand top of the line 1200W Corsair PSU when I "troubleshooting" with shutdown problem.

I know this all sound very confusing, I had to re-read this many times and make correction to the text for any of this to make any sense, so please ask question if you have them.

So the bottom line is what is causing my HDDs to corrupt this way?

P.S I am using Windows 7 x64. And once again sorry for messy description.
 

gn842a

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One thing to consider is age of the system maybe it needs a reapplication of thermal paste between CPU and the Noctua. But if the Noctua is new as you say then it has new thermal paste so that's that.

The Corsair sounds like it should be doing the job. I'm a little suspicious about the GPU load making a difference.

I have never really liked buying drives that are at the top of the storage performance tier because of a superstition that these are the designs that push the envelope the hardest. I understand the need for the economy of an HDD and use them myself. But there are a couple of tests you can run:

  1. Try a less ambitious HDD -- like 1 T
  2. Try running a backup with an SSD. The power draw will be MUCH lower.
  3. Try putting a different GPU in and see how it affects the system. This kind of assumes you have a friend with a GPU or a usable GPU from your last build.

Perhaps the GPU is in some way hogging the power or in some way faltering in ways that create problems in the rest of the system. All that said, you've replaced the PSU but if the previous PSU was faltering it may already have damaged the mobo and/or the peripherals.

Good luck, Greg N
 
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CainStar

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Perhaps the GPU is in some way hogging the power or in some way faltering in ways that create problems in the rest of the system. All that said, you've replaced the PSU but if the previous PSU was faltering it may already have damaged the mobo and/or the peripherals.
I have considered this too, but it will be a while before I can buy a new mobo and CPU(Hard to find new mobo for 1155 socket, and really there is no point). Besides I have AsRock mobo and what I have learned, after I have bought it, is that appearently AsRock isn't actually known for its quality.

Oh and the old thermal paste on the CPU didn't seem bad or anything, when I was changing it, but still it was time for a change since I am still running 3570K, which bought when it was "top of the line", and it still had its original thermal paste.
 
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gn842a

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I have considered this too, but it will be a while before I can buy a new mobo and CPU(Hard to find new mobo for 1155 socket, and really there is no point). Besides I have AsRock mobo and what I have learned, after I have bought it, is that appearently AsRock isn't actually known for its quality.

Unfortunately this seems to be a situation where brute force diagnosis by process of elimination is the only alternative. You seem to have a handle on all the possibilities and the system components. What remains is the frustration of not getting a solution. I think a lot of us have been there--and will be again at some future point.

Greg N
 
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CainStar

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Unfortunately this seems to be a situation where brute force diagnosis by process of elimination is the only alternative. You seem to have a handle on all the possibilities and the system components. What remains is the frustration of not getting a solution. I think a lot of us have been there--and will be again at some future point.

Greg N
Yeaaaahh......some times I think I would have been better of if I hadn't learned to "use" computers at this level. 20+ years too late for that now.......
 
So the bottom line is what is causing my HDDs to corrupt this way?
Torrent downloading does that on drives, that are not meant for 24x7 operation. After all it is reading/writing to the drive constantly. Normal desktop drives die in such operation mode in 2-3 years.
I have lost several drives used for torrent downloads).

Use NAS or Surveilance drives for torrent downloads instead - WD red for example.
And have separate downloads drive(s) and separate storage drive. So in case if your downloads drive die, you don't loose your storage drive also.

Currently I have 2x 2TB WD RED in RAID1 for torrent downloads. Still going strong for several years. No signs of problems.
 
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gn842a

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Torrent downloading does that on drives, that are not meant for 24x7 operation. After all it is reading/writing to the drive constantly. Normal desktop drives die in such operation mode in 2-3 years.
I have lost several drives used for torrent downloads).

Use NAS or Surveilance drives for torrent downloads instead - WD red for example.
And have separate downloads drive(s) and separate storage drive. So in case if your downloads drive die, you don't loose your storage drive also.

Currently I have 2x 2TB WD RED in RAID1 for torrent downloads. Still going strong for several years. No signs of problems.


That's a good thought--but I think some torrent situations are not initiated by the user but by someone who has turned the desktop into a bot server.

My son btw confirmed that Overwatch downloads about 35 gigs in order for a user to play so a gaming habit with lots of similar software can quickly add up even in an era of larger drives.
 

CainStar

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Jul 23, 2014
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Torrent downloading does that on drives, that are not meant for 24x7 operation. After all it is reading/writing to the drive constantly. Normal desktop drives die in such operation mode in 2-3 years.
I have lost several drives used for torrent downloads).

Use NAS or Surveilance drives for torrent downloads instead - WD red for example.
And have separate downloads drive(s) and separate storage drive. So in case if your downloads drive die, you don't loose your storage drive also.

Currently I have 2x 2TB WD RED in RAID1 for torrent downloads. Still going strong for several years. No signs of problems.
I just bought, as I mentioned above, Toshiba X300 6TB and I knew I should have gone for the S300, which is meant for surveilance. I even made "the research" about drives, but could not get a definitive answer whether or not to go for the surveilance versio.

EDIT 1: Oh almost forgot why I came to check this thread. Just so that if somebody else ever has the same problem, and happens to read this thread. I today found out, after using HDDScan application, that there are a ALOT of bad sectors in the "old drive", which I mentioned in my previous posts and from which I tried to save data form. So yes the old drive is going bust.
 
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