Hard Drives Keep Failing

[gators81]

I've been having a hard time with the computer I put together about 3.5 years ago now. I'm not in a situation where I can get a new one right now, so I'd really like to try and get this fixed somehow without having to take it to a repair shop. (The estimates I got locally were anywhere from 200-300 just to look at it.)


The specs on my computer are:
Intel E6600, asus p5wdh-deluxe, ocz gamexstream 700w, soundblaster x-fi extrememusic, radeon hd 4850, gskill 2gb F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ, wd raptor 150, windows xp sp3, antec p180b


My computer worked great for the first two years without a problem, but over the last two years I keep losing hard drives. I've been using the same secondary HD for the entire time without a problem, but my main HD (running the OS) keeps dying. Basically after a little while (anywhere from 1 week to 3 months) my computer slows down and I start seeing delayed write failure errors start popping up in my taskbar, and then a few days later my HD crashes. I have probably gone through 6-8 HD's over the last 2 years, and it has gotten to the point now where I just can't deal with it anymore and am using a really old computer just to get online.

I've tried WD, Seagate, and Maxtor drives, and it is consistently happening to me. I really don't have any idea what the problem is, and why it is only affecting my primary HD. I have sent the HD's back because they were under warranty and received new (or refurbished) ones and it still happens.


If anybody has any suggestions on what might be wrong, or how to diagnose what my problem might be I would REALLY appreciate it.


Thanks for your time,

Andrew

 

[Numenorean]

This could be many different problems rather than the drive itself. Over time, the data could become corrupted due to bad memory or a bad controller on the motherboard. Even a bad data cable.

I would start with the easy and cheap methods of troubleshooting.

First, run a memory test on your RAM. There are free programs out there like MemTest86 - http://www.memtest.org/

Is your primary HD on it's own controller channel, or is there something else plugged into it? Is it SATA?

If it's a PATA and by itself or SATA drive, replace the data cable. If it still happens, I would move it to a different port on your motherboard to see if that is the problem.

If it still happens, I would guess it is RAM or Motherboard. The issue crops up with the main HD more possibly because data is read/written to it more often. Depends on your usage of your system.

Also, delayed write can be caused by a loss of power to the drive. Are you always using the same power connector to plug the drive in? I would try a different one, or see if it seems looser than it should be.


I don't think the drives are bad at all - just data is becoming corrupted due to something else.

 

[AKA]

To get a better idea what went wrong with the hard drives you need more information.

In addition to what Numenorean suggest, it would be a good starting point to know what the diagnosis on the hard drive provided, assuming any was done, and if there was any pattern.

Did you do fresh install of the OS on the replacements or did you drive image them to replacement drive?

Do you have power outages. Do you use sleep function or let the OS power down the hard drives?

Definitely use different sata cable, connect to different power supply sata connector and make sure to connect the hard drive to one of the Intel sata ports instead of the jmicron ports, or different Intel sata port if already doing this.

Also update the BIOS on the motherboard and make sure the latest drivers for the Intel & Jmicron are installed.

 

[gators81]

I'm waiting to get a new HD back from RMA's. I will do some of these tests when I get a working HD back.

Numenorean:
I had been using the same SATA controller for both drives, I will try different ones.

I have tried using different SATA cables as well as different power cables. I also undid and redid all the connections I did when I put the computer together (except the cpu and heatsink) just to make sure everything was tightly connected.

I really feel like it is doing something physically wrong with the HD's. I have tried putting some of the drives in my roomates computer after this happens. None of them are able to be accessed originally, and some of them freeze up when trying to reformat. The ones that I can reformat, I have never been able to get a Windows install to finish, it always freezes up at some point.


AKA:
I have not gotten any diagnosis about what happened to my HD's.

I have been doing a fresh install on each drive.

I do have power outages a lot, and I thought that might be causing my problems so I bought an UPS but my problems continued. Since I got it though my computer hasn't been shut off by a power outage.

I never use sleep mode, and if I turn my computer off I always go through the start menu to shut down. I normally don't turn my computer off very often, but I thought that might have been a problem and for one HD I tried shutting down my computer every time I wasn't using it for more than a few minutes, and that didn't work either.

I will try using the different controller when I can. I have already tried different sata and power cables.

I know that the asus drivers I always update, though I haven't changed the BIOS since I got the computer.

 

[corkyg]

Along with outtages come surges. They can be damaging. Have you checked out the rial voltages from your PSU? If outtages are common, it would be prudent to invest in a UPS.

 

[gators81]

I have a UPS now and it works well.

How do I check the rail voltages?

 

[daniel49]

I have a UPS now and it works well.

How do I check the rail voltages?

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/showthread.php?t=137886