my hard drive has been acting weird

[stickybytes]

My ibm deskstar 80gb hard drive has been acting weird lately. Here are the symptoms:
1) Web pages load half a$$ and then it would stop there. Like a picture would load half way and then it would stop loading.
2) From the blank blue screen to the logon dialog box, takes about 10 seconds when at first it was almost instantenous.
3) Starting programs would take longer than usual and sometimes don't even load up. I click on word and it takes 20 seconds before the screen pops up
4) Occasional crashes of ie and explorer especially when the comp has been on for ~2 hours.

Ive been using this hd for about 2 years and i think i formatted this drive ~5 times.

Do all these symptoms point out that a drive failure is imenient? I need to know because if it is i need to quickly get all the data off the drive before it dies out completely.

 

[mechBgon]

Those symptoms also sound like they could be the result of viruses, Trojan Horse programs, worms or especially spyware, too. Maybe do a quick antivirus scan with that Panda antivirus scanner in my signature, and download/install SpyBot Search & Destroy 1.3 to see if you have any spyware beyond the usual batch of tracking cookies.

The Symantec link down there can also do a port scan on your system to see if it's open to worm/trojan/hack attacks over your Internet connection. If it's showing you exposed, grab the free version of ZoneAlarm from here and install that for starters, and consider a Netgear RP614 cable/DSL router for "perimeter defense." Linksys, D-Link and the rest also make similar items.

If you find any spyware or viruses/etc, then disable System Restore and bail the SR files and figure out how these things got in the door, and close the door. Naturally, visit Windows Update at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com until the system begins coming up "clean." If your system is a non-networked home computer, then you qualify for the free Grisoft AVG Free Edition antivirus software if you need some.

Okay... once that's all sorted out, run IBM/Hitachi's in-depth Drive Fitness Test diagnostic and see what it thinks. If in doubt, back up your data.

 

[stickybytes]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Those symptoms also sound like they could be the result of viruses, Trojan Horse programs, worms or especially spyware, too. Maybe do a quick antivirus scan with that Panda antivirus scanner in my signature, and download/install SpyBot Search & Destroy 1.3 to see if you have any spyware beyond the usual batch of tracking cookies.

The Symantec link down there can also do a port scan on your system to see if it's open to worm/trojan/hack attacks over your Internet connection. If it's showing you exposed, grab the free version of ZoneAlarm from here and install that for starters, and consider a Netgear RP614 cable/DSL router for "perimeter defense." Linksys, D-Link and the rest also make similar items.

If you find any spyware or viruses/etc, then disable System Restore and bail the SR files and figure out how these things got in the door, and close the door. Naturally, visit Windows Update at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com until the system begins coming up "clean." If your system is a non-networked home computer, then you qualify for the free Grisoft AVG Free Edition antivirus software if you need some.

Okay... once that's all sorted out, run IBM/Hitachi's in-depth Drive Fitness Test diagnostic and see what it thinks. If in doubt, back up your data.

whoa. thank you mechbgon. a very in-depth and detailed guide. this will do. now off to see whats wrong with my fvckn computer.

 

[stickybytes]

is there any possibility that this could be a hard drive failure waiting to be happen as well? what are generally the symptoms of a hard drive failure?

 

[nanaki333]

check this out if you have a 75gxp drive:

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=71

also, i've heard stories about the 120GXP drives failing a lot if they're run 24/7/365. i'd dig up an article, but i'm far too lazy at the moment.