Seagate HDD and Samsung SSD - Reallocation Error with HDD Help

[EKuan]

Hello,

I just completed a new build and all my parts are fresh from the store. Everything has been running wonderfully until the other night. I currently have a Samsung SSD, which is loaded with Windows 7 and applications. I also have a Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD for storage. My system recognizes them both, they are both functioning; however, I started writing to the HDD the other night and the next day I was getting a Windows 7 popup stating: Windows detected a hard disk problem, which then goes into telling me to start backing up my files immediately for it is likely this drive is failing.

Intel Rapid Storage is telling me the disk is at risk due to a SMART event. I run an error scan with HD Tune Pro and there are zero damaged blocks, which I wasn't expecting. However, under the health tab I get the following:

Reallocated Sector Count (Current) 20 (Worst) 20 (Threshold) 36 (Data) 26400 (Status) Failed

And of course this is highlighted in RED stating my health status FAILED

Speed Fan's SMART status states no error, but it also gives me the same Reallocated information as above from HD Tune Pro giving me no input for fitness of my drive. It also states in the Readings sections:

Probe SCSI: WARNING: hard disk skipped because of invalid returned LogSense data


I am wondering if I should pack the HDD up and send it back to be replaced, or if this is an error in my part during the build? When I installed Windows I did not have the HDD plugged in, I wanted all files to be stored on the SSD, so I waited until the OS was installed and then I plugged in the HDD. I went into disk management to format it and everything was fine, until I started writing and downloading to it.

Before sending it back do you think I should try to plug it into a different SATA port? Could it have something to do with RAID settings? I honestly don't know if I even need to install RAID considering I'm only using one SSD and one HDD; however, I have a couple externals that I use intermittently (not always powered up). Should I even be using RAID at all? So, send it back or tinker with settings and connections?

All feedback appreciated - thanks all...

 

[fzabkar]

SpeedFan may be good at controlling fan speeds and reporting temperatures, but IMHO it is not a very good SMART tool.

Your drive is definitely bad. A critical SMART attribute, Reallocated Sector Count, has fallen below its threshold value, indicating that the number of bad sectors has increased beyond an acceptable maximum. I would backup your data ASAP and replace the drive.

The reason that your software (HD Tune) has found zero damaged blocks is that these bad sectors have already been replaced with spares.

BTW, the number of bad sectors, 26400, appears to reflect the number of bad 512-byte LBAs. The physical sector size for an Advanced Format drive is 4096 bytes, so the actual number of bad physical sectors is 3300 (= 26400 / 8).

 

[EKuan]

Thanks for the verification. I was afraid it was dead and now knowing exactly what the numbers in HD Tune mean looks like I'll be boxing it up and sending it back. All the other parts are working great so I shouldn't complain about one faulty HDD straight out of the box. Thanks again.

 

[EKuan]

Best answer selected by EKuan.