Bad Sector on a HD

[lookouthere]

my friend's sony laptop was detected having two bad sectors by using software from the UltimatebootCD.com. I don't know if there is any way to fix hard drive. Thanks

 

[xsilver]

the only thing you can do is mark them as bad so the OS and system wont use them anymore..... thats if the software correctly detected them as being bad

 

[DaveSimmons]

If the software is correct it could mean either of two things:

It detected a sector that the drive itself marked as bad, and silently replaced / remapped with a sector from its pool of spares

It detected a sector that the drive did not correct, and the drive may have used up its spares pool and is preparing to die on you.

Without knowing more about the program I have no idea which is true.

 

[Bozo Galora]

the only way to truly test a drive is with the downloaded manuf utility sw to check worthiness

there is a software called hddregenerator which supposedly can fix screwed up domains, tho i've never had a chance to try it.

http://www.tucows.com/preview/300158.html

 

[Mark R]

You need to backup the drive and replace it.

Generally, if a modern HDD is showing any bad sectors at all, it is a sign of critical damage. It's unlikely to last long.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Ditto. If they're really bad sectors it likely means you've suffered a head crash. In modern drives it's fatal - the damage will get worse as debris from the first head crash floats around inside and causes a domino effect of more head crashes.

Backup you data IMMEDIATELY.

Download the HDD manufacturer's diagnostic and run the thorough (might be called Advanced) test. Might take an hour or two. If it fails, it's a bad drive.

If you catch this early enough before any more damage occurs you could clone the old drive contents to the new drive. Unless you have a mini IDE interface adapter lying around, and a copy of Norton Ghost, you'll need to take it to a technician to do this. Take it to a small Mom & Pop shop (DO NOT take it to a large retail chain store!!! You've been warned).

If you don't mind re-installing the OS then just swap the drive and do the re-install.

Hope this helps...

 

[lookouthere]

the thing is that her laptop is still under one year warranty
so do you guys think she should send her laptop to sony to fix or get it somewhere else?

 

[lookouthere]

does anyone know what she should do?

 

[Mark R]

She needs to call Sony for advice, and to confirm the problem to their satisfaction.

She will probably be asked to send it in. If she does send it in - SONY WILL NOT MAKE A COPY OF THE DATA STORED ON IT. It will be returned in an 'as new' condition. If there is any important work on it, important e-mails, etc. Make a copy NOW.

 

[jayoinoz]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

...
It detected a sector that the drive itself marked as bad, and silently replaced / remapped with a sector from its pool of spares
...

Wot? HDs have spares? Seriously? Is that a h/w thing or a Windows format 'feature' or what? Why has nobody told me this before? I demand satisfaction!