bad cluster

[Salamander]

hey recently my old hard drive is giving me headache. i was trying to reformat it and reinstall windows as my baskup os in case things happened to my present one. but after i format the drive and try to install windows, the scand disk detect bad clusters on my drive and won't allow me to continue to install window. what should i do?

[captpete]

Is Scandisk set to automatically fix errors?

[daveleau]

Well there are two things that can cause bad clusters...hardware failure (small %) or software can cause bad clusters (large %). Since the latter is the more probably problem, a low level formatting may help. I have foudn that doing two LLF's fixes my hdds frequently when they have bad clusters. Go to your drive manufacturer's website and get the utility for the LLF. I hope that will help.
Dave

[Salamander]

i have set the scan disk to auto and it won't fix it automatically for some reasons.

is there a general lower level formatting program for every hd becuz i think i have a IBM 2.5gig oem hd and i donno if it is supported or not

[Kruppt]

My older box with a 2 gig Maxtor HDD had three clusters go bad after a power outage, and I was running Win 95 at the time. I can not remember if I had Norton's System Works 2000 installed at that time and used their scandisk for repairng the bad clusters (marking them) or if it was in fact the scandisk that comes with Win 95 that I used. It told me which clusters were bad, and marked them, and which files were damaged and I reinstalled the damaged files. I think there may be a setting somewhere in the scandisk program to do this, as I was able to repair it from scandisk, but maybe only Norton's program has this feature. The drive still works fine to this day and has not had a problem since. It happened over two years ago and the drive has been in service for 6 years, so I think you should be able to fix it with scandisk. Good luck.

[Salamander]

thanks for the input
the problem is that since it is an old and oem drive i do not know how to set the drive to slave, (the pins at the bask look different it only has three pins) and my drive has nothing in it, no windows and such so i can't run scandisk and norton. i don't think the crappier scandisk, the one that is scanning when you are installing new win98 can fix it so i think i will still be needing a low level format program

[G]

Dear Salamander,

I wrote the following in response to a problem posted on sysopt.com, which seems to be similar to yours. Read on, as there may be pieces of information, which may be of use to you?

If you need to back up your data and your HD troubles prevent you from doing so, I highly recommend SpinRite V5.0 (www.grc.com). I recently bought a laptop and while testing it prior to purchasing it, I tested the HD. Scandisk under Windows graphically indicated two bad parts of the HD covering over 212,000 bytes of potential storage lost. Scandisk under Windows could not fix it. Under MS Dos, the same was found. It could not fix the problem either. I have never been able to test SpinRite V5.0 prior to this, as my desktop has not had any problems even after a complete SpinRite analysis on 4GB taking 9 hours. SpinRite found the same bad parts of the HD as Scandisk under Windows and MS Dos. It also stated that the bad parts of the HD consisted of 13 bad clusters, 416 sectors, and over 212,000 bytes of lost storage. On meeting these bad sectors, it scrutinises the HD and if it is able to return the bad parts it will but only if, it passes its stringent tests. Even if the damage to the HD cannot be returned to use, it will remove (corrupted data) the data from the bad parts (if possible) of the HD, place this data on an undamaged part of the HD for retrieval.

My Laptop's HD is now completely useable and Scandisk under Windows or MS Dos can find no bad parts. This does not mean that SpinRite has simply fooled Scandisk in to not reporting the bad parts and so making SpinRite shine. It really works and simply hearing the HD moan and groan as SpinRite meets the damaged parts of a HD is some indication that it is doing what it is supposed to do.

It is approximately $89. I personally think that SpinRite will give you time to back up before your HD fails completely. If your HD is on its way out see how long it lasts after being cleansed by SpinRite. It costs as much as a cheap HD (so some may say why bother) but it may be a handy tool to have if you are stuck again.

Prior to may be purchasing SpinRite you could consider hard erasing your HD. This is not the same as using the MS-Dos format command. You will normally find hard erase facilities on the diagnostic program, which may have come with your computer. If you have an IBM HD this is the site you need to go to test your IBM HD and if need be hard erase it. This program can be used on all IBM HDs without any problems http://www.storage.ibm.com/techsup/hddtech/welcome.htm On the same site you will find Wipe (for non-IBM HDs), which can erase your HD with, zeros. Hard erasing may be you first port of call. Obviously, back up your data first. After hard erasing use Scandisk (preferably under MS-Dos). If you still have bad clusters SpinRite may be your only alternative, or a new HD of course.

What causes bad clusters and the like? Power failure or knocking the computer while the HD is spinning (causing physical damage directly but also indirectly by displacing HD particles, which attach themselves to the surface of good areas of the HD) is another reason.

The installation of software prior to damage is probably coincidental. The damage may have already been there prior to software installation. The troubles you had in installing may have alerted you to the problem in truth.

A bad area of the HD is not an indication necessarily of impending trouble but it could be. It all depends on how the bad areas arose and whether they are increasing in number. SpinRite will inform you whether this is the case via its detailed reporting. However, HDs are relatively cheap but being HD savvy is an advantage. Why not work the problem once all your data is back up and experiment. You will learn a lot for the experience.

I hope this is of help to you.

All the best,
G



[This message has been edited by G (edited 02-21-2001).]