Second drive (HDD) constantly restarts...Why?

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Bill_101

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Jun 24, 2014
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I use an mSATA drive to boot into Windows 7 and use the second HDD to store large files, for example, games and movies. I have currently disconnected one of the optical drives (since I only use one) the problem occurs during bootup. Once at the Desktop, the HDD constantly restarts (hearing the sound of the HDD) which I don't understand why?!?

Even restarting the machine multiple times doesn't do anything. Although the HDD shares the same BUS Channel as the Blu-ray drive.

The Motherboard has 5 SATA ports. On SATA ports 0 and 1, it's SATA Type 3 (6Gbps). SATA Ports 2, 3, and 4 uses SATA Type 2 (3Gbps). Only SATA Ports 0 and 1 are in use. The Seagate 500GB HDD (second drive) is on SATA port 0, and the Blu-Ray drive is on SATA port 1.

I have tried removing the SATA Data Cable from the Blu-ray drive and turning the computer ON, this solves the issue. If I don't use any other SATA ports other than the HDD, which is on SATA Port 0, the problem goes away, and I can access and see the HDD no problem. It is when I start populating the MB with more SATA Data cables is when the issue arise.

So I can only use one of them NOT both, either HDD or optical drive. Although the MB has 5 SATA ports, it doesn't like reading another device at the same time.

What could be the issue for this abnormal behavior? I have heard rumor's that the SATA interface has problems reading data from the same SATA channels, but is this true? And are there ways to work around it or solve it? Is this a manufacturer problem? On old MB's maybe? I got mine around mid or late 2012.

Here is my Hardware spec if it is any interest =

Main Hardware:
* OS: Windows 7 64bit - Home Premium
* MB: Gigabyte Z68P-DS3
* mSATA drive - Crucial 120GB
* HDD - Seagate - 500GB
* CPU - Core i5 4th gen quad core 3.30 (Sandybridge)
* GPU - ASUS NVidia GTX 770 OCII 'SSU design' - 4GB DDR5
* RAM - 3 Sticks of RAM: 4GB each DDR3 - 1333Mhz
* PSU - 850W Arctic Blue
* Optical Drive (two) - First one is a standard CD/DVD Read/Write (No longer in use and disconnected). Second one is a Blu-ray drive Read/Write (connected on SATA 1).

Other Hardware:
* Multi-card reader : T-Flash, 1xUSB 2.0 port, M2, XD, CF/CF 2, MS/MS Duo, SD/MMC
* 1 x 10 Pin (9-Pin) Motherboard to 2 Ports USB 2.0 A Female Internal Header Adapter - I use this to insert a USB ThumbDrive to the computer without using any of it's external USB ports. The fact that it's internal make's it hidden.
* 1 x 80mm exhaust fan
* 1 x 120mm front fan
* 1 x 22cm side fan (though I had to remove this because of the GTX 770)
* Case: INWIN GRIFFIN (ATX Tower)
The case doesn't matter that much but since it's part of the computer might as well.
 
Hi jsmithepa thanks for your fast response. I have checked both cables at both ends and they seem fine, however I went ahead and changed to newer cables and still have the same issue.

I also changed the SATA Ports around, example; put Blu-ray drive SATA port on 2 and 3, changed SATA 0 (HDD) to SATA 1 and still have the same problem.

I unplugged the Blu-ray drive completely, so it's only the HDD that is connected to the MB. Rest of the SATA ports (1, 2, 3 and 4) are empty, HDD still restarts.

One thing that I did notice when I was doing all this was the restart time of the HDD. I could hear the HDD restarting faster and faster. Before this the HDD was restarting approximately every 3-4 second. After switching the wires and testing every other SATA port, the HDD seemed to restart faster by approximately every 1.5 - 2 seconds. It was not until I removed every SATA cable and only connected the HDD when it went back to restarting every 3-4 seconds.

I must say though this is my second thread regarding about this HDD issue. This particular Seagate Berracuda 500GB HDD.
Here is the first thread which related to a different issue, now resolved;
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2194044/hdd-restarts-playing-steam-games.html
 

2014 post. So this is a 2 years old "problem." Do you have an actual complaint (slowness, corrupt data, fail message) besides the noise? Some drives are just noisier than others.

Run a S.M.A.R.T. util and see what health state the drive is in, HD Sentinel is one.
 


Well in terms of actual "complaint", there is a file which I am unable to delete. I created a new folder long ago (talking years ago) where I stored desktop recording's for game play, but now I want to delete that folder (having moved all the contents in that folder somewhere else) but will not delete.

It just says "File cannot be found" even though I can see the file in the HDD directory. I guess that is the only "error" i have got with it. Never has it given me any error messages of corrupt data. Before I upgraded to the mSATA drive I used this HDD as my Primary drive and did not notice any deficiency in performance.

Nevertheless, that's a good idea to start with. I will try S.M.A.R.T Utilities.
 


Hi drtweak,
Power could also be another cause, I have not checked the power supply yet. I do have a small handy tool that checks the volts coming out of the 20+4 cable, SATA, Molex, 4 pin CPU, and 8+8 pin for GPU. I will test the power supply after I get the results from the checking HDD health.
 
Right, I have come back with the result's and it's a PASS. HDD health is excellent and so is the temperature, hitting no more than 39C.

I tried four different SMART utils, the first one was "HD Sentinal" recommended by jsmithepa. HD Sentinal say's it was OK
*The second one was called "DiskCheckup", it too say's it has no problem.
*The third one was called "PassMark", this was more of a benchmark test rather than SMART test. It checked all of the Hardware including HDD, wasn't really much help since it provided basic information of the HDD like sequential Read/Write and it too didn't complain about anything.
*the last one was "Acronis Drive Monitor". Health and Temperature was OK and S.M.A.R.T was all PASS.

Only HD Sential and DiskCheckup were the only one's that I found the most beneficial, since those were the only two to generate a report (considering that all four were trial versions). However I was only able to run the SMART utils whilst the HDD was in a HDD enclosure/Caddy case. It was impossible to run SMART utils while the HDD was connected to any of the internal SATA ports.

If you want you can view the report from HD Sentinal and DiskCheckup via Dropbox link;
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pt3jo2do891s5vb/AACGoXROr-9_AWV11FC1P9Y2a?dl=0 it also contains a few screen captures. Note that when viewing HD.Sentinal report, use Control+F and type in ST500, to jump straight to the HDD. The rest of the hardware listed is the multi-card reader and eSATA.
 

The HDD does tick off and spin back up constantly. However if I use the HDD as an external HDD (using a HDD enclosure/caddy case) it works, like as if nothing happened.
 
I have now checked the power supply and the results come out clean. No deficiency of power; PG was 300, SATA cable output +12 and +5 volts, 20+4 and CPU 4+Pin was OK. I had a closer look at the SATA power cables at noticed that the SATA cable, used on the HDD had it's golden pins push in a little bit (like a couple of millimeters difference). I checked the cable on the power supply tester and it was OK, outputted correct voltage; +12 and +5 so I don't think the power supply is the cause.

I also used CHEDSK on the HDD but the file that I want to delete is still there. I'm going to remove HDD from it's enclosure and put it back into the computer, SATA 0 (6Gbps).
 
The HDD is working again! I don't know what caused it to start working but it's working now! HDD boots up and doesn't complain about optical drive being in the way!. SATA port0 (6Gbps) is where the HDD is set, SATA port2 (3Gbps) is the Blu-ray drive, and SATA port3 (3Gpbs) is the eSATA front of the computer (front panel computer port).

So what really cured it? was it the SMART utils?, using HDD as eHDD?, using CHEDSK?, testing power supply?

I did run HD Sentinal again and now it's saying that the HDD health is at 99%, before it was 100% (was using HDD enclosure before). I shouden't worry too much should I ? 1% difference?

But anyways, thank you for your help jsmithepa and drtweak! I greatly appreciate it!
 
yea don't worry about that. that is just an estimate but you never really know when it will really fail on you.

It could have been reseating the Power connector. I know i use have a lot of issues back in the day with the old 4 pin molex connectors. Drives would power off and spin up all the time. Back then drives weren't hot swap so most of the time my PC froze on me or other drives would get picked up etc. The PSU i'm sure was fine since everything else was ok but i was more so talking about the connector itself.
 
I found the cure to the HDD it was using the HDD enclosure. I was using it at 2am backing-up my PS2 games and it started behaving like before. So this is how I'm seeing it; the HDD will always work if I'm using it in a HDD enclosure, but will "sometimes" work if I'm using it internally. Even though this HDD was designed to work internally in a computer.

Whenever it starts behaving abnormally, I just switch to the enclosure to cure it, turn off the computer, insert the HDD back into it's SATA port and it starts working again. Or if not just use the enclosure entirely to save the hassle of continuously taking the HDD in and out of the computer.

Thinking about it now it's pretty inconvenient using it as an eHDD, now that I'm capped to 480Mbps (USB 2.0). The MB that I'm using doesn't support USB 3.
 
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