Disk operating outside of disk specifications?

[eldorado99]

I'm fixing a Dell Dimension 8100 (P4 1.3) and the owner has experienced a huge slowdown, and then it stopped booting completely (into windows). After backing up, I formatted and it could not successfully complete the format, so I tried again (this time quick format ntfs instead of regular ntfs) and it worked. Windows installed and upon installing office xp it began to slowdown, and now it wont boot into windows again. Now it also says right around POST that the hard drisk is running outside specification (that must be a dell specific message) I'm starting to think the hard drive is shot... what are your takes?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

That sounds like a SMART message (HDD internal diagnostics.)

I'm in agreement about the blown HD. Grab the manufacturer's diagnostic tool (Seagate = Seatools, Maxtor = MAXBlast, Western Digital = WDTools) and run a "full scan" pass of that over it - write zeroes even - and the drive may pick up the trouble spots and tag them off-limits.

More than likely, it's time for a new drive though.

- M4H

 

[eldorado99]

Ok, thanks man, it's a deskstar too, so its probably gone to that big hard drive place in the sky.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: eldorado99
Ok, thanks man, it's a deskstar too, so its probably gone to that big hard drive place in the sky.

Hehe. Deathstar.

It's only the 75GXPs that got that handle, but yeah, from your description, it sounds like you've got yourself a free set of magnets. 😀

- M4H