Re Formatting a corrupt disc

[steve]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data only)
with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re format is
the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now. It took a
couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a further 1%.
Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so long?......bearing in mind
its a 200 gig disk
cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

It might be normal - with a very old and slow computer. I just formatted an
80 gB hard drive in about 20 minutes.

More likely, it's a problem with the drive. Have you run any drive testing
software on it? Usually there are free tools available at the website of the
hard drive manufacturer.

Run the tools from the manufacturer and see what you come up with - could be
that the drive is failing and will have to be replaced.

"Steve" wrote:

> Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data only)
> with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re format is
> the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now. It took a
> couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a further 1%.
> Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so long?......bearing in mind
> its a 200 gig disk
> cheers
> Steve
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Steve,
I would go to the hard drive manufacturers website & look for tools to
check on the disk's viability. If it has mechanical problems,
formatting won't fix it.
Maybe time to check on the warranty status, or a replacement hard
drive.
Best,
Treeman


--
Treeman


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[steve]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

No its not a slow computer..... 2.2 gig AMD processor and a gig of RAM....
I'll try the manufacturers site....Thanks

"usasma" <usasma@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0B6442FB-961C-45E4-91A5-4509F83F5D3F@microsoft.com...
> It might be normal - with a very old and slow computer. I just formatted
> an
> 80 gB hard drive in about 20 minutes.
>
> More likely, it's a problem with the drive. Have you run any drive
> testing
> software on it? Usually there are free tools available at the website of
> the
> hard drive manufacturer.
>
> Run the tools from the manufacturer and see what you come up with - could
> be
> that the drive is failing and will have to be replaced.
>
> "Steve" wrote:
>
>> Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data
>> only)
>> with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re format
>> is
>> the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now. It took a
>> couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a further
>> 1%.
>> Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so long?......bearing in
>> mind
>> its a 200 gig disk
>> cheers
>> Steve
>>
>>
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Steve wrote:
>
> Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data only)
> with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re format is
> the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now. It took a
> couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a further 1%.
> Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so long?......bearing in mind
> its a 200 gig disk

Only normal if the hard disk is bad, or going bad. Each time format
encounters a bad area, it takes loads of time to get around that.



--
http://www.bootdisk.com/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Steve,

as the disk is formatted the format checks for bad sectors - and retries a
few times. Don't know how many times, but the bottom line is that it is
taking an age because it is hitting bad sectors and retrying, only moving on
when it exceeds its retry count.

The other responses are right - disk manufacturers normally have tools on
their website that you can download to diagnose (not fix) problems with
disks.

From what you have said, I can tell you the disk is duff. I wouldn't trust
it. Personally I'd file it in the round (or square) receptacle in your room
that gets emptied occasionally (i.e. bin it).

Brian.

--
www.cryer.co.uk/brian




"Steve" <tentenmusic@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dfpeg2$3vf$1@nwrdmz03.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data
> only) with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re
> format is the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now.
> It took a couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a
> further 1%. Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so
> long?......bearing in mind its a 200 gig disk
> cheers
> Steve
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

If the drive seems to be stalled at one point (and 20 hours is definitely
stalled!!) it means that the system keeps hitting bad sectors. From the lack
of progress (and speaking from experience) the drive has a large area at the
41% area that is VEY bad. There is no real way of knowing just how far the
bad area extends - unless you want to leave the syetem trying till Christmas
2006) - and if the drive has such a large area of bad sectors then it is
extremely unlikely to provide even ).000001% reliability.

There is NO reason you should continue trying with this drive, even if you
get it reformatted the extent of the bad areas suggest that you will NOT be
able to do anything with it. About the only useful thing you could do with it
is to get a screwdriver out and open it up to see what is inside - hard
drives are way too small to be able to use as a boat anchor, maybe use as a
paperwight!

"Steve" wrote:

> Having managed to retreive my data from my harddisk (second disk-data only)
> with bad sectors (and/or corrupt mbr??) I've decided a complete re format is
> the way to go. Trouble is its been formatting for 20 hours now. It took a
> couple of hours to reach 41% and a further 10 hrs to progress a further 1%.
> Anyone know if this is normal for it to take so long?......bearing in mind
> its a 200 gig disk
> cheers
> Steve
>
>
>