'BAD' hard drive


  1. Posts : 34
    Windows 7
       #1

    'BAD' hard drive


    I have an internal hard drive that reads 'BAD' at boot up and disk check. Even though I get the errors the drive is running fine.

    I replaced it and want to use this as a second hard drive.

    How do I disable the 'BAD' disk drive error message I get at boot up so the computer boots normal and starts Windows 7?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,573
    Win7 Ultimate X64
       #2

    Depends where you are seeing the bad message, if you have smart enabled this can give misleading info
    I have an SSD that states smart failed on every boot since new and there is nothing wrong with it

    Have a look at this tutorial for some info on diskcheck (windows in built software)
    Disk Check
    if your problems are bad sectors they can be recovered or written out

    If you want to go more in depth then have a read of this
    Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure which will explain to use something like SeaTools | Seagate to scan your drive and give a very reliable output

    I would not scrap a drive or spend any bucks until you are sure you have a problem
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 34
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I get the error during boot up, it pauses to tell me the hard drive is bad. Then I have to press continue and it finishes booting into Windows 7. I ran the disk check and it gave an error message as well. I would just like to use this drive and bypass or disable that bad disk error message.

    You say I should disable 'Smart Card' from the Services menu?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,573
    Win7 Ultimate X64
       #4

    Not sure about smart card, this is the SMART i was talking about (acronym)
    S.M.A.R.T. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
    I think most modern mobos have this turned on by default and it is notoriously unreliable

    If as you say you have run diskcheck (which is a lot more relaible) and problems have been reported then it looks more likely you have a dodgy disc
    If you have a look at the tutorial i linked it explains the option to scan and attempt repair /r this will need a reboot to complete if it is the primary OS drive
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 34
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    OK, thanks for the help, appreciate all the info.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,466
    Windows 10 Education 64 bit
       #6

    If that drive actually has bad sectors its a risky venture to keep using it. It's been my experience that once that starts happening it only gets worse and you run a high risk of data loss on that drive. If you go to the drive manufacturers web site you should be able to find a diagnostic utility that you can run on the drive. That should give you good indication as to whether you should keep using that drive.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,379
    Win7 Pro 32-bit, Win8 Pro 32-bit
       #7

    IF both SMART and ChkDsk say the disk is bad -- then it is. You run the risk of it suddenly failing on you -- without warning. I had a WD drive do this last year, and the timeframe from CHKDSKs on startup to complete failure of the drive was only a few days -- too little time for me to salvage anything.

    So, if it were my drive, I'd back stuff off NOW -- while you still can.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4,161
    Windows 7 Pro-x64
       #8

    Yep, I had a HDD tank on the old PC years ago. After getting a few errors, I backed up all my data folders to DVD. The drive went belly up shortly after that. I thought, no problem, I'll use my DVD backups to recover photos and data. Nope. The data it was writing to DVD was scrap. Most of the folders were unreadable too.

    I lost a huge amount of antique car data and photos and learned a few lessons. Never rely on a single media type for backups and always verify the data.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4,466
    Windows 10 Education 64 bit
       #9

    Its no fun when the file allocation table goes south.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 233
    W7 Home Premium 32bit
       #10

    If it's just a few bad sectors, CHKDSK will isolate them from being used.

    A lot of spinners develop some bad sectors and then that's it.

    You can install Acronis Drive Monitor and run a check once a week to see if the drive's health has indeed deteriorated more. Many of them stand still, in my experience. When they get below 70%, then it's time to take action.
      My Computer


 

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