I decide to backup my boot drive... oh boy

[Muse]

So, having run Acronis True Image for WD drives for the first time today, and successfully on one of my two Lenovo T60 computers (this one running a new install of Windows 7 32bit) I decided to run it on the other one, which runs XP. I'd backed up the boot drive of the first machine to a connected WD external USB 3TB HD. However, I got an error when trying to backup the other laptop, to a WD external USB 2TB HD, something about bad sector(s). So, I decide to error check the drive. I set that up and Windows XP wanted to restart the drive to enable it to happen. I saw the results on the monitor as CHKDSK did it's thing:

CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
Windows replaced bad clusters in file 8931 of name
\WINDOWS\bootstat.dat.
Windows replaced bad clusters in file 14372 of name
\WINDOWS\system32\msacm32.drv.
Windows replaced bad clusters in file 103928 of name
\SYSTEM~1\_RESTO~1\RP1118\A0046188.exe.
File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
51 percent completed... (and counting...)
- - - -

So, the above proceeds and I come back an hour later and see this:
------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome

Press Ctrl-Alt-Del or swipe your finger to log on.

------------------------------------------------------------

That small window under another small window:

------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library
------------------------------------------------------------

X Runtime Error!

Program: C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin\EvtEng.exe


This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in
an unusual way.
Please contact the applications support team for more
information.

[OK]

------------------------------------------------------------

I click OK and see nothing but my mouse cursor on a black screen, then the screen turns a uniform light blue and I see the mouse cursor and it just sits there for 10-15 minutes, nothing happens. I finally shut down the machine using the power button and restart it and get this:

A disk read error occurred
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

Doing that or unplugging/replugging/restarting the machine brings back the same message.

Suggestions what to do next? Thanks!!!

Moved from OSes to Computer Help. Since you have a hardware failure, it's not really the domain of OSes anymore, so you should get better advice in CH
-ViRGE

 

[Elixer]

Looks like you got corrupted system files. Only fix for that is to reinstall the OS, or restore a older backup.
Possibly a bad HD as well. Only fix for that is to get a new one.
I would check the HD SMART status, with something like portable version of crystaldiskingo, and see what it says.

 

[ViRGE]

I second Elixer here. It sounds like you have a HD on its way out. A reinstall/restore is your short term solution, but I'd be worried about that hard drive.

 

[Muse]

I second Elixer here. It sounds like you have a HD on its way out. A reinstall/restore is your short term solution, but I'd be worried about that hard drive.

Edit: Thanks, ViRGE, for moving this to Computer Help. I had the thought that it maybe belonged there instead, but knew it wasn't OK to duplicate post there on my own.
- -
Indeed, thanks... I went into BIOS and ran Lenovo's HD test within it overnight (it said before I ran it that it would take around 1 minute/GB, the HD is 320GB). Now, in the morning the HD diagnostics program indicates:

Result Error code 0000: Read verification failed

<<< An error was found. Call for service >>>

I think the likely problem is HD failure, incipient or catastrophic, I think I should get a different drive in there. I could take the 60GB Toshiba I just removed from my other T60, also have a 120GB virgin Intel 520 SSD I could use. That HD has seen quite a bit of use, but I have no reason to think it's failing. I don't need a big drive in the machine. It's my 24/7 server machine. I don't know if it's smart to use a laptop for a server (with 2TB external WD Elements HD for the data), it always had me a little nervous that the boot drive would fail, and it has. That's why I went to back it up, so I wouldn't have to start from scratch. I had no idea that the HD was failing, actually, had no clue until I attempted to back it up. I always leave the lid up around 30 degrees or more, a tip I got from someone who had a laptop going continuously.

I was going to assemble a small low power consumption server box, but could never settle on the components and just used a T60 I picked up cheap off ebay that was sold for parts that I reclaimed with some config action.

I figure it's unrelated, but maybe not. A few days ago I started thinking that the machine was making more noise than usual. I figured it for the cooling fan wearing out or needing lubrication. It's somewhat sporadic. Could be involved in the problem, I'm thinking. I was going to look into either replacing or servicing the fan.

Well, I have another laptop I can use as a stand-in for the server T60 until I get it fixed, a T61. I did this as a temporary measure a few months ago. A problem is that the T61 (running Win7 64bit Ultimate) is unable to process two important updates, KB6828725 and KB2868626, security updates. When restarting, the machine reverts. I don't know of any fix for this. I did have an image of the HD on my 500GB external USB Cavalry HD (probably has a WD drive inside), but yesterday I could not get a machine to recognize the drive! That's two bad HDs in one day, I used to think I had great luck with HDs, but that streak is way over now. Anyway, meantime the T61 is working, so it will be my stand-in server... I suppose I'll have to either reinstall Windows 7 on the machine from the installation CD or do a restore (I don't think there is a restore function on the box, it came with Vista Business, I suppose I could run that, I even have the HD set aside with Vista Business on it, however IIRC I had my suspicions about that 100GB HD). Um, I am knee deep in computer issues lately.

 

[Ketchup]

I don't think I would ever use a laptop as a server. They just run so darn hot all the time. Even ThinkPads.

 

[Muse]

I don't think I would ever use a laptop as a server. They just run so darn hot all the time. Even ThinkPads.

I know, it was an iffy proposition. I've always kept the lid raised at about a 30 degree angle to facilitate keeping the thing reasonably cool. Guess I should acquire or assemble a small file server box. I was eyeing Intel Atom based systems, actually components, but couldn't find a combination of components that seemed to make complete sense. When I found a cheap T60, I just decided to use it, for the time being... It was an extra system for me.

 

[Muse]

OK, so I figured I had to put a different HD into the Lenovo T60, per posts in this thread. Before doing so, I decided to have another look at the HD. The machine would not boot from it as described:

A disk read error occurred
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

As I said a couple of posts back the HD diagnostic utility that I ran from the BIOS reported this:

Result Error code 0000: Read verification failed

<<< An error was found. Call for service >>>

I assumed the HD had failed.

Today I did this: The BIOS was an old version, 2.01, I upgraded it to the latest, 2.27 using a bootable CD. I removed the 320GB drive, put it in an optical drive caddy and inserted it into a working laptop running Windows 7. The machine asked me if I wanted to format the drive. CHKDSK had run on it, why wouldn't it still be seen as formatted? Well, I ask Windows to format it, a full format. After that I downloaded Western Digital Lifeguard Diagnostics and it passed the Quick Test. I'm presently running the Extended Test on the drive. If it passes that should I assume the drive may be OK or is it for sure there's something really wrong with it, i.e. a lot of bad sectors? Using it would entail restoring Windows XP from the Lenovo T60 recovery disks. Once that's done I could image the HD so that in case of a failure I would at least be able to restore the image to a replacement HD, I assume. What do you think? The drive was manufactured in May 2011, so it's less than 3 years old. I figure there's a good chance it's still in warranty.

 

[Muse]

So, at end of extended test it said "test found bad sectors that may be repairable." There was a [Correct] button and I clicked it. Then a window pops up saying that the data may be destroyed and I should back up the drive if I want to save data. Actually I don't care about that right now, I just full formatted the drive, there's no data on it. However, the next window was a surprise, it didn't ask me if I wanted to repair now, it just said bad sectors repaired. Well, whatever. Now it says it passed the extended test. I suppose I have to now run the extended test again? I'm doing that...

 

[Steltek]

So, at end of extended test it said "test found bad sectors that may be repairable." There was a [Correct] button and I clicked it. Then a window pops up saying that the data may be destroyed and I should back up the drive if I want to save data. Actually I don't care about that right now, I just full formatted the drive, there's no data on it. However, the next window was a surprise, it didn't ask me if I wanted to repair now, it just said bad sectors repaired. Well, whatever. Now it says it passed the extended test. I suppose I have to now run the extended test again? I'm doing that...

It just salvaged what data it could from the bad sectors and marked them as bad so they won't be used again. Basically, reducing the capacity of the drive by the bad sectors.

It wouldn't hurt to run another extended test. If it passes another scan, you can probably continue to use it but I wouldn't trust it with anything important that you don't have backed up or can't afford to loose. In my experience, a drive that has suffered a failure once will eventually fail again. It isn't a matter of "if", but rather "when" and how much work it will cause you when it finally does.

 

[Muse]

It just salvaged what data it could from the bad sectors and marked them as bad so they won't be used again. Basically, reducing the capacity of the drive by the bad sectors.

It wouldn't hurt to run another extended test. If it passes another scan, you can probably continue to use it but I wouldn't trust it with anything important that you don't have backed up or can't afford to loose. In my experience, a drive that has suffered a failure once will eventually fail again. It isn't a matter of "if", but rather "when" and how much work it will cause you when it finally does.

Yep, I think that sound advice. In fact I discovered a few minutes ago that the drive has a 3 year warranty, so it's warrented until October. I am at this very moment installing XP to the factory default installation configuration from recovery CD's. I will run the machine but buy another HD and attempt to RMA the current HD based on the errors I was getting. Will back up the disk and restore it to the newly bought drive and if I get a replacement disk from WD I will keep it in reserve for when I need another HD. That's my thinking...

I keep nothing important on that drive, it just has to work. As long as it's backed up I should be OK. Unfortunately, it was not backed up so I'm having to install the OS fresh.

Thanks for the help.