Weird HD related problems

Greenlizard0 · 15 Jul 2009 at 00:07

Essentially I have a new hard drive, and before formatting HD tune was run and found it had a number of bad sectors.

It got to 99% of a long format and returned that it couldn't complete.

However a short format was run, which was fine - and Windows checkdisk returns nothing wrong.

HD tune again ran, and found errors. What's going on?

PhoenixUK · 15 Jul 2009 at 00:15

if you could put your ear very close to the HDD and check for any clicking/buzzing noises when its formatting/working (or when it's stuck at that 99%).

If you do, RMA it - it's about to die.

If not, uhm, RMA it anyways as it shouldn't have bad sectors when new : ).

JonJ678 · 15 Jul 2009 at 00:22

DOA drive I fear. Bad luck

Greenlizard0 · 15 Jul 2009 at 01:28

Now, this is the weird thing, I have two identical drives (they're 1.5TB Eco Samsungs).

One is sat outside in an external caddie, the other internal. This is going to sound odd, but HD tune doesn't appear to be able to differentiate between them properly.

The one that earlier today gave a totally green picture is now giving the exact same error (percentage wise) that the faulty drive is.

I know this because the "faulty" on has no data on it; and the one that ran through fine earlier has several GB's on it. :confused:

Could this be a motherboard problem? (I doubt it as my two WD Blacks are fine).

JonJ678 · 15 Jul 2009 at 01:29

How does it do with one of them unplugged?

This does make things more interesting. WIndows consistently assigns the same drive letter I guess

Greenlizard0 · 15 Jul 2009 at 01:40

Aye, atm, the one outside = Y: = empty & New - no errors (though earlier plugged internally, errors present only on HD tune not Windows).

Old one, X:= which was outside and yielded no errors previously, had my data backed up onto it while it was in my caddie without error or problem. Now it's placed internally - the exact same number of bad sectors on HD tune appear bad/red.

I've swapped them around again and I reckon it might be my motherboard with a bad SATA socket.

Have there been cases also of HDTune giving false negatives?

PhoenixUK · 15 Jul 2009 at 01:43

Tried different sata ports?

Greenlizard0 · 15 Jul 2009 at 01:56

Just tried swapping sata ports, and the previously fine drive is now returning the same amount of error. :/ There's no weird noises or heat. It's very cool.

Greenlizard0 · 15 Jul 2009 at 02:22

Just tried the drive with the data on it which was previously fine, then returned errors, back into the outside caddie and it's returned no errors. I believe that both drives are fine sometime else is being rather amusing, possibly the MB. :confused: