PLS Help: Large disk with (probable) bad sectors...
Dear All, Till now I just read you constantly, but now I would need also some help/advice. I got maybe two weeks ago a 60Gb harddisk for free, where the owner (=friend) told me, that _it_has_bad_sectors_. He didn't do any disk-checks, just concluded it, because the disk made some knock-knock sound completely randomly, and the machine got frozen too frequently... So I built the disk in, and made an initial test-Windows install with two FAT32 partitions, then test-SUSE9.1 install with a single swap and / (reiserfs). In case I use the harddisk from Windows, I really can hear sometime that sound-effect, but sounds 'not so bad', just for a milisec, and then it's away. Under Linux no strange sounds at all even with DMA mode enabled! Both system run smoothly, under Linux I got twice freezing, caused lama ATI (fglrx) settings:)) in 3D apps, NOTHING else. I plan to keep the disk, and use it for Linux, but I would need advice which kind of tests I could do to see it clearly, are there bad sectors or not... Till now I did the standard Windows FAT-checks, and also with Norton DiskDoctor a read-test; nothing was reported as wrong.
From Linux I did dosfschk for the two FAT32 partitions, and reiserfschk to see the problems + additionally badsectors -r.
Which kind of test you still would suggest me, or how is the correct series of disk-check stuff in a case like this? Thank you in advance, Peli
On 07/23/2004 05:56 AM, Peli wrote:
I got maybe two weeks ago a 60Gb harddisk for free, where the owner (=friend) told me, that _it_has_bad_sectors_.
Which kind of test you still would suggest me, or how is the correct series of disk-check stuff in a case like this?
Many disk manufacturers have disk diagnostic software available for download. I would suggest trying that. Also, you could use dd yo write zeros to the whole disk to 'clear' it out as well as check the whole drive. -- Joe Morris New Tribes Mission Email Address: Joe_Morris@ntm.org Web Address: http://www.mydestiny.net/~joe_morris Registered Linux user 231871 God said, I AM that I AM. I say, by the grace of God, I am what I am.
When disks start failing, they're not far from total failure. Given the price of disks these days, why bother using one that you know will soon die? Peli wrote:
Dear All,
Till now I just read you constantly, but now I would need also some help/advice. I got maybe two weeks ago a 60Gb harddisk for free, where the owner (=friend) told me, that _it_has_bad_sectors_. He didn't do any disk-checks, just concluded it, because the disk made some knock-knock sound completely randomly, and the machine got frozen too frequently... So I built the disk in, and made an initial test-Windows install with two FAT32 partitions, then test-SUSE9.1 install with a single swap and / (reiserfs). In case I use the harddisk from Windows, I really can hear sometime that sound-effect, but sounds 'not so bad', just for a milisec, and then it's away. Under Linux no strange sounds at all even with DMA mode enabled! Both system run smoothly, under Linux I got twice freezing, caused lama ATI (fglrx) settings:)) in 3D apps, NOTHING else. I plan to keep the disk, and use it for Linux, but I would need advice which kind of tests I could do to see it clearly, are there bad sectors or not... Till now I did the standard Windows FAT-checks, and also with Norton DiskDoctor a read-test; nothing was reported as wrong.
From Linux I did dosfschk for the two FAT32 partitions, and reiserfschk to see the problems + additionally badsectors -r.
Which kind of test you still would suggest me, or how is the correct series of disk-check stuff in a case like this?
Thank you in advance,
Peli
On Fri, 2004-07-23 at 12:46, James Knott wrote:
When disks start failing, they're not far from total failure. Given the price of disks these days, why bother using one that you know will soon die?
[OT]
But the noises aren't an indication that it's failing. Seeing as he's
checked that. Theres a problem with the 2.6 kernel that causes some
laptop harddrives to make rather worrying clicking sounds. Mostly Dell
laptops, which, when running under windows don't make this sound.
[/OT]
Is the disk Smart enabled? Enable it in the bios if you can and get hold
of some software that can read the info. Don't know what though. The
disk can tell you itself if it's failing.
Regards
--
Adam Cooper
participants (4)
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Adam Cooper -
James Knott -
Joe Morris (NTM) -
Peli