Windows warns of HD failure, long S.M.A.R.T test found no problems

[expectations111]

Hi guys,

I'm currently running a Samsung Spinpoint T3 1TB on Windows 7 64 Bit. Windows warned me today that my HDD was about to fail. So i flipped in an Ubuntu live CD and checked the Smart data. I had a normalized score of 71 and a worst score of 1 with a threshold of 51. So that's pretty bad. Then I ran the short & long self-test and it came back with no error. I'm also curious that during that time the normalized score went back up to 99, which should be factory standard (this or 100). I'm currently running a bad sector search, but I'm quite at a loss if I should keep using the HDD because I really dont have money to replace it atm.
Some more context variables: I had curious blue screens the last days - the graphics card driver crashed (atikmpag). I checked in the error log and I had one RAM dump from before 6 months ago and then 5 in the last week where all the same driver crashed. Two of those crashes were from a common game related error (which i could fix), but it kept happening when watching GPU accelerated videos the days afterwards. A websearch revealed that it is probably an ATI driver problem.
Furthermore, I have sometimes problems starting my computer (fans and hdd start running, mouse lights flash, but not GPU data) and have to fix this issue by turning off the powersupply at the back. I had to change my PSU just a week ago because the old one broke (bought a seasonic).
Might all of this point to a motherboard related issue? Blue screen, Read Errors, Startup problems might all be caused by a flaky motherboard no?

Any opinions are welcome.


Robert

 

[expectations111]

0 bad blocks found with "badblocks -v" in ubuntu.

*push*

 

[Guest]

If there is smart failure, u will get a message at the boot time. " Smart Failure, go for data recovery". something like this.

 

[expectations111]

I appreciate your comment, but I don't really see how that is relevant in any way 😉.

 

[tomatthe]

If Windows gave you the drive warning, dl the seagate tool to test the drive, and send it back if it's bad. Regardless of what is causing the bsod it's not worth dealing with a possible bad drive if you can just send it back. Once you get a good drive start working on sorting out those other issues if they are still present.

 

[expectations111]

The drive is over 2 years old. The seagate tool doesn't seem to work really well in W7 64 bit. But as I said, I tested SMART over Ubuntun AND complete Badblocks again. So Im starting to assume its either Mobo or Sata driver related.

 

[Guest]

There is a mechanism in every hard disk called smart monitoring, a fuse. This is the final death signal. In normal condition u will see a smart monitoring as healthy with seatools. If there is failure with hard disk any parts it will show as tripped in sea tools. Moreover there will a message at booting time. U will get about this on any hard disk site. But hard disk may go down without smart failure. one may never know. U said something about replacing ur smps. A faulty smps is very dangerous. It may cause some of ur hardware to malfunction.

 

[tomatthe]

You could try switching cables, but I would still lean toward the drive being bad. It's pretty odd that seatools doesn't work on what is a very very common OS at this point, but if it doesn't it doesn't I suppose. I wouldn't bother using that drive anymore, but at the least if you are going to use it keep things backed up.

 

[gaborbarla]

Hi,

A windows drive failure message should be taken relatively seriously.
I would back up important data immediately and do a full format.

Try to have a look in a tool like HDTune at the drive statistics, you probably have lots of reallocated blocks which soon will exceed the treshold of the drive.

I had the error about for about 2 weeks, then the drive started making a noise and died.

Gabor

 

[Guest]

yup. Windows message is important. Backing up data should be the first priority, but full format should be avoided as there may be hard disk read write head problem and things and may go from bad to worse. As seatool wont work, he should mail seagate ( own samsung hard disk ) about this issue. His drive is only 2 years old, there should be some warranty left. Just save all ur data and rma it.

 

[psaus]

Seatools bootable CD is the version I use. I find Seatools struggles in W7 too, mainly on drives with the OS or Apps installed to them.
Your SMART readings are concerning too (normalized score), especially since they have come back up. I suspect, as tomatthe suggested, the drive is starting to go. I suspect it's in the drive medium.
Yea there could be issues with drivers or GPU itself, but if SMART triggered an error, then the drive itself said "hey something is wrong with me". I've seen SMART problems disappear... my best luck was SMART problems disappeared for about 9mo. Then the drive just up an died in a matter of an hour once clicking started.

If nothing else, back your data up very regularly and cross your fingers. And start saving for that HDD replacement.

 

[expectations111]

Ok thanks for the replies guys, I got really sick so I couldn't reply earlier.

@gaborbarla: I have 0 reallocated blocks actually. That's the strange thing. I have no other problems.

@Psaus: Why is it concerning that the SMART readings came back up again? I thought that's a good sign?

 

[psaus]

Sorry to hear you were sick. Hope all is better now...

Concerning may not have been the right word; annoying might be more appropriate. This is because if they dipped all the way down and then back up means 1 of 2 things.
1. in simplest terms, the drive had a bad hiccup and all will be ok
2. the drive isn't experiencing problems any more, but there's a weak spot that will creep up later.
Either case, I personally don't trust drives that have spit up SMART errors.
If you have a 3yr warranty on the drive, I'd strongly suggest RMAing it. If not, just make sure you back up very regularly until you can save up to replace the drive.