Question Weird problem with HDD

Jul 29, 2020
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Hello,
View: https://imgur.com/a/kGDgL8F

2 days ago I shut down my PC normally. Yesterday I wanted to use it and it was loading without a end.
I turned off the computer, disassembled it, and then disconnected and reconnected every cable. It didn't help.
So I started to testing, 1/2 RAM connected to other slot, GPU disconnected, didn't help.
I started testing hard drives. I have 1 SSD with system, 2nd SSD with games and 1 HDD with just files (important files). After trying every slot and cable configuration possible I started to disconnect one by one looking for something. When I booted up PC without HDD connected it started as usual. I was scared that HDD is somehow destroyed so I checked if BIOS sees it. And it does. I restarted CMOS, set default BIOS, nothing helped. I downloaded lubuntu and started it from USB. It started normally and I was able to see files on that HDD drive, check photos etc.

When I tried hotplug that HDD it showed in "my computer" but frozen whole PC. Had to restart...

Is there a fix for that? Those files are important to me and I would like to at least backup them. What do you recommend?

i5 4670k,
Z87-C,
ADATA 8gb ram,
GTX970,
1x SSD 120gb ADATA (system),
1x SSD 240gb KINGSTON (games),
1x HDD 1000gb WDC (files),
Windows 10.
 

Turtle Rig

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Jun 23, 2020
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Once in safe mode backup your files my friend from both drives. Then run a cyrstaldiskinfo and see what it says for the drive if it says "good" and is blue then y our drives are ok. If it says caution or red then those drives are losing sectors backup ASAP and yank out the drive and put a magnet on them and throw them away lol or sorry you can try to RMA if it is within warranty and what not. A SSD will never go bad unless it gets really really really hot and you live in the desert and what not.
 
Jul 29, 2020
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Since Im not able to enter Windows with HDD connected I tried that 10s OFF button but after those restarts my PC started, then Asus logo with "preparing automatic repair" text and now black screen. Yesterday I saw the same text, then Windows started, lagged and I had to restart and disconnect the disk again to start normally...
 
Jul 29, 2020
20
0
10
Once in safe mode backup your files my friend from both drives. Then run a cyrstaldiskinfo and see what it says for the drive if it says "good" and is blue then y our drives are ok. If it says caution or red then those drives are losing sectors backup ASAP and yank out the drive and put a magnet on them and throw them away lol or sorry you can try to RMA if it is within warranty and what not. A SSD will never go bad unless it gets really really really hot and you live in the desert and what not.
Only HDD is causing problems and I can't entry safe mode I think... In Linux I can't copy the files from any drive to another... Weird ..
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Are you able to at least access the HDD to backup your files?

However, remember that anything you do could cause data loss.

Verify that the backup copies are recoverable and readable.

Western Digital HDD - correct?

Once the data is secured try running WD's Lifeguard Diagnostics tool.
 
Jul 29, 2020
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dRu6aj.jpg

Now Im stuck with that.
I wonder how to backup those files...
 

Turtle Rig

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Only HDD is causing problems and I can't entry safe mode I think... In Linux I can't copy the files from any drive to another... Weird ..
I dont see why your box is tripping just because a hard drive is going bad or has bad sectors on it and is slowly dying. As long as you see it in the BIOS your Windows should boot up fine and you should see both drives and then you can backup and also run crystal like I said on the hard drives if we can get you that far. Do this my friend... disconnect the both hard drives. Boot into Windows and go to Start then Run ,, and type in msconfig in the field or in cortana field and hit enter. Then go to Boot and put check on safe mode and click ok and program dissapears. Now go to start then shutdown PC. Then connect both hard drives and turn on PC and you should get into safe mode and now go to my computer and see your hard drives and backup all the stuff. :)
 
Jul 29, 2020
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^^^ after that PC restarted and again it's loading without end.

Are you able to at least access the HDD to backup your files?

However, remember that anything you do could cause data loss.

Verify that the backup copies are recoverable and readable.

Western Digital HDD - correct?

Once the data is secured try running WD's Lifeguard Diagnostics tool.
Im able to access via Linux but can't do nothing (copy etc.), same with 2 other SSDs... "ONLY READ" it says...
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
How full are those SSDs?

Especially the System SSD.

I am not a Linux user so cannot truly address how you would "copy" the files beyond using the cp command.

Especially if there are problems with using "cp".

Will need to defer to Linux users.

What errors do you get when copying fails?

We may need to start a more specific thread over in Open Source to help recover the files you want.
 
Jul 29, 2020
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I dont see why your box is tripping just because a hard drive is going bad or has bad sectors on it and is slowly dying. As long as you see it in the BIOS your Windows should boot up fine and you should see both drives and then you can backup and also run crystal like I said on the hard drives if we can get you that far. Do this my friend... disconnect the both hard drives. Boot into Windows and go to Start then Run ,, and type in msconfig in the field or in cortana field and hit enter. Then go to Boot and put check on safe mode and click ok and program dissapears. Now go to start then shutdown PC. Then connect both hard drives and turn on PC and you should get into safe mode and now go to my computer and see your hard drives and backup all the stuff. :)
i'll try that, thank you.

Now after I wait more with that loading screen Windows started, said "Welcome" for like 30s and then black screen. Now I can see a mouse coursor which I can move but nothing else... I also don't know why whole PC is acting weird just bc maybe something is wrong with HDD.
Will wait some time with this black and mouse screen, if nothing happens I'll try your tip.
 
Jul 29, 2020
20
0
10
I dont see why your box is tripping just because a hard drive is going bad or has bad sectors on it and is slowly dying. As long as you see it in the BIOS your Windows should boot up fine and you should see both drives and then you can backup and also run crystal like I said on the hard drives if we can get you that far. Do this my friend... disconnect the both hard drives. Boot into Windows and go to Start then Run ,, and type in msconfig in the field or in cortana field and hit enter. Then go to Boot and put check on safe mode and click ok and program dissapears. Now go to start then shutdown PC. Then connect both hard drives and turn on PC and you should get into safe mode and now go to my computer and see your hard drives and backup all the stuff. :)
Tried... Isn't starting in safe mode. :/
Black screen with mouse pointer after loging info. That's all. :/
After a while toolbar showed up but when I click windows icon nothing happens. :///
 
Last edited:
Jul 29, 2020
20
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How full are those SSDs?

Especially the System SSD.

I am not a Linux user so cannot truly address how you would "copy" the files beyond using the cp command.

Especially if there are problems with using "cp".

Will need to defer to Linux users.

What errors do you get when copying fails?

We may need to start a more specific thread over in Open Source to help recover the files you want.
System 16,6GB free, games 43,2GB free.

When I load Windows without HDD I have error telling me about "Windows created a temporary paging file ".
 

Turtle Rig

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Jun 23, 2020
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System 16,6GB free, games 43,2GB free.

When I load Windows without HDD I have error telling me about "Windows created a temporary paging file ".
Yes because your page file was set on the hard drive now it doesn't see it. You should disable page file if you have 16GB or more of RAM and what not. Best thing to do now is get a Linux Distro put it on USB stick go to BIOS and boot from USB and it will come up and show you your drives. Now copy the stuff into a external hard drive then yank out the drives from the machine and replace them.
 
Jul 29, 2020
20
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10
Yes because your page file was set on the hard drive now it doesn't see it. You should disable page file if you have 16GB or more of RAM and what not. Best thing to do now is get a Linux Distro put it on USB stick go to BIOS and boot from USB and it will come up and show you your drives. Now copy the stuff into a external hard drive then yank out the drives from the machine and replace them.
Will try with Distro tommorow. Thank you.

Also I'm thinking about putting new system (format) but I had to backup some files too.

Is there a possibility that it's Windows causing problems, not the hard drive?
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
First: In agreement with Turtle Rig regarding the page file. Get the page file configured - I leave the page file enabled and let Windows manage it.

Here is a starter link via Microsoft regarding page files:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/determine-appropriate-page-file-size

And:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-move-virtual-memory-different-drive-windows-10

Look to determine/verify how your system is currently configured with respect to page file(s) and then consider your options accordingly: disk capacity's, available space, and performance - all matter.

Second: One thing at a time. If you do too much or make too many changes then it could be difficult to identify what caused some new problem.
 
Jul 29, 2020
20
0
10
First: In agreement with Turtle Rig regarding the page file. Get the page file configured - I leave the page file enabled and let Windows manage it.

Here is a starter link via Microsoft regarding page files:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/determine-appropriate-page-file-size

And:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-move-virtual-memory-different-drive-windows-10

Look to determine/verify how your system is currently configured with respect to page file(s) and then consider your options accordingly: disk capacity's, available space, and performance - all matter.

Second: One thing at a time. If you do too much or make too many changes then it could be difficult to identify what caused some new problem.
I did it yesterday actually, it didn't help with drive. Will try that Linux tip from above in a moment.
 
Jul 29, 2020
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So... Instead of lubuntu I tried Ubuntu. Luckily for me I was able to copy some of the most important files to a SSD drive. I did also fast S.M.A.R.T. test for this probably corrupted disk and that's the result
DKrfySJ.png


Anyway, I have files which is good. Not all of them, but I can live with that.

Now... I can't download anything with Chrome (no matter which location I'll set, I can download using Brave), I can't print things, when I try to save anything with Word it crashes, I can't open Photoshop due to "we couldn't find file" problem, Teamspeak crashes after 1s; like every possible program has now something wrong going on... I have all of them on disk C: (SSD/system) but I had things like docs, desktop folders moved onto D: (corrupted) before. Might be that causing problems? Do you think that is there a fix for that or the easiest way is just reinstall the system? :/