possible hdd failure?

Thanks for the update and keep us posted.

I ahve a WD iT external drive I use for backup. I have been able to backup to several partitions on it, but when I backup to a 565GB partition Reflect, Paragon, and the Windows 7 backup utilities fail. When I do a chkdsk /r and the WD Dlgdiag tAcronis Extented Test, the tests pass. Twice when I used Acronis True Image to backup I get the exact same error:

<event code="500" id="19" level="4" message="Failed to read data from the disk. Failed to read from sector '419,948,111' of hard disk '1'. Failed to read the snapshot. (0x10C45A) CRC error (0x100155): ?Retry/?Ignore/Ignore ?All/?Cancel" module="1" time="1287792567" />
<event code="500" id="20" level="2" message="Failed to read data from the disk. Failed to read from sector '419,948,111' of hard disk '1'. Failed to read the snapshot. (0x10C45A) CRC error (0x100155): ?Retry/?Ignore/Ignore ?All/?Cancel: User response: ?Cancel" module="1" time="1287793167" />
<event code="502" id="21" level="4" message="Operation with partition 'C:' was terminated.

I purchased the unit in April 2009 but probably never hit this section of the disk, before.

Is there a way to manually mark the bad sector so I don't have to trash the drive since chkdsk didn't detect and fix the problem?

- Tom

karlsnooks said:

Mellon Head said:

It doesn't necessarily mean that the drive is going south on you, but it is an indication that there might be a problem. Defragment, run chkdsk to flag the bad sectors, and then keep an eye on it. If you start getting more bad sectors, it's probably a good idea to start saving up for a new drive.

Make sure you do a thorough backup BEFORE the defrag and chkdsk, just in case something goes wrong.

Never defrag a bad disk. you only make the problem worse.

After running a repair checkdisk, then you can defrag.

+=1

I defragged a disk befroe I knew I had a bad sector and it corrupted several files. Luckily I had Checksums for all of my photos, anfd backups I could recover them from. BTW, my disk has been fine for over a a year since that bad sector.

I always register my WD disks on their website. You can always go there and see how much time is left on the warranty.

just to let everyone n=know the thread has been marked as solved, got the problem fixed a long time ago.

PETStech said:

Is there a way to manually mark the bad sector so I don't have to trash the drive since chkdsk didn't detect and fix the problem?

- Tom

Yes, but not exactly mark, and it depends on how bad is it and if benchmark test result still tolerable.

Just to share my few successful experience on how to keep using hard drive having bad sector(s).

From my experience, chkdsk will not be able to detect the bad sectors if not filled up with files. Instead, I use HD Tune run on bootable CD only, for the purpose of consistency benchmark result. HD Tune quick scan may not detect bad sector, use full scan, it take hours to complete.

I will use back the hard drive under following conditions:

- HD Tune benchmark test still show consistent (slowly dropping) graph w/o serious spike with acceptable read/write speed (>= 20MB/s).

- Not >2 bad sectors.

- For system drive, the front (fastest) track of disc must have at least 15-20GB (if XP) not having bad sector. For temporary storage drive, as long as the non affected area fulfill my need. I don't use bad sector hard drive for permanent storage or sensitive data storage.

First, base on HD Tune bad sector scan chart, i will calculate the estimate position(s) of bad sector(s) and give some space allowance. Do some disk space planning (calculation), once the safe disk position(s) is(are) calculated, delete all partition in hard drive.

Next, re-partition is critical. If bad sector is at the very front track, then create a partition which is just big enough to cover the front track, no need to format or quick format will do. Next, create another partition, if it sit between two bad sectors, make sure the partition size is at safe distance between 2 bad sectors, this is the portion of the hard drive that you are going to use back, run full format. Repeat the steps for next bad sector.

Next is to test the re-formatted partition, dump in disk image or fill up the good partition with full of files. Then use disk image software (I use freeware DriveImageXML in bootable CD/USB) to backup partition, if there is still bad sector on this partition, DriveImageXML will abort image backup with error message, I tested many time without fail but yet to test on Win7x64 because my bootable CD once tested on x64 machine cannot detect internal hard drive.

Hope this helps.
If someone know how to exactly mark the bad sector affected area, kindly share your thoughts.

Edited: Sorry to bring up this old thread, just saw ionbasa message after submit post.

just so evryone knows i got my replacment hdd. there are no bad sectors.

Tongks,

Thanks for your strategy and information for dealing with the problem. I've posted the question to the WD Community Forum and will contact WD support this afternoon. I'll let you know what else, if anything, I learn; then take one more wack at this bad puppy (with apologies to the ASPCA).

- Tom