Failing HDD - Replacement Questions

[EvilOzzmess]

My WD3200BEVT-22ZCT0 HDD is failing. System has been trying to boot to Network on and off ever since yesterday evening (the first time this happened was in August but unlike then, this is reoccurring over and over):

Broadcom UND I PXE-2.1 v11.4.1
Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Broadcom Corporation
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation
All Rights Reserved.

Broadcom Base Code PXE-2.1 v1.1.0
Copyright (C) 2000-2008 Broadcom Corporation
Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel Corporation
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Broadcom PXE ROM.
Operating System not found
_

Yes, the HDD is set to boot first... however, when it let me get into the BIOS it claimed there was no HDD under IDE0 (completely blank, and under the Information it also said "None" for both IDE0 values there as well) and the Event Viewer (when I was briefly able to get into the OS last night) also had several entries about IDE0 failing to respond so there we go. It's definitely the HDD. There is no way the cable is simply unplugged (it's never been dropped or bumped), nor is it the motherboard as it is powering everything else on just fine. Though I must comment this is very strange in that the HDD makes no noise... must be the circuit board. Whatever.


Anyway I'm wondering which type of HDD I need, IDE or SATA I/II without having to rip it out so I can order the proper replacement (definitely NOT the same drive), or does it matter?

This is the HDD I had in mind (figure I might as well get a slightly better one as far as 7200RPM and 16MB cache is concerned): Amazon.com: Western Digital WD Scorpio Black 500 GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM 2.5 Inch Mobile Hard drive - WD5000BPKT: Electronics

Unless anyone else can find something better for the same price range. Please do recommend!


Also, if anyone knows how to replace them on this model of Acer Aspire 5738PG-6306 I would appreciate the info. I haven't managed to get inside the casing yet... it's being stubborn (I think they might have stripped the screws when they put it together because they definitely don't want to come off for me).

Thanks...

 

[theog]

This for desktop with SATA:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67882-sata-dvd-cd-drive-how-install.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67662-sata-hard-drive-how-install-setup.html
the base of both tutorials are the same for IDE.

 

[theog]

Acer Aspire 5738PG-6306 is a Notebook, take look here:
Acer Aspire 5738PG-6306 Caddy | Acer Aspire 5738PG-6306 Hard Drive Caddy

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Thanks for the info, that's really going to be a big help! Do you know though if the current HDD is SATA or IDE? I'm not able to find much about this particular drive in my searches so far. I don't want to buy the more expensive SATA II if it will only read as a IDE (else not work at all - never messed with these before so my knowledge is lacking here). Would be a waste of $$$. I also haven't been able to find anything out about the connection type on this motherboard... hoping it's at least a SATA II (should be right? System is barely 1.8 years old).

 

[theog]

HD Drive is SATA.
You can download the Acer Aspire 5738PG-6306 manual from here:
Acer Support: Downloads & Support Documents - Notebook / Aspire / Aspire 5738PG

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Excellent, thank you.

Just another quick question... sorry to being a bit of a pest, but could this perhaps be the caddy that's the problem? I notice the one pictured in the link you provided has a SATA port in the rear end of it...

Also, I did manage to get it to factory image restore... however, it's still presenting with the same symptoms (this time it told me on an attempt to restart that Windows was unable to do that and put me back to the recovery screen) so I know this must be some kind of a hardware problem (as the restore should have fixed all software issues), or could it still be something else? I'd really like to know if there's some kind of a program out there or something that I can use to diagnose this for certain before I shell out for the new HDD. It would really suck if it turned out to be the much cheaper caddy.

It is still sporadically booting into the OS, for now. I've just never heard of a failing HDD behave this way before (and without making any noise)... I always thought once they went, they went and didn't linger on and off like this.

Thanks!

 

[theog]

You could Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

The BIOS may tell you make of the HD drive.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

I did go ahead and check it with "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows" and it claims the HDD passed both. I also performed a ChkDsk and it also reports that the drive is fine. This leads me to believe that the motor of the drive is the culprit here, rather than the platters, sectors, clusters or a head-crash. It's sporadically not "spinning up" so far as I can tell (I definitely did not hear or feel the HDD doing anything when BIOS said it couldn't find it), seeing as it's passed all the tests for logical failures. I think I'd best replace it now while I have a window of opportunity to clone the drive (found an enclosure for $8 to do that)... but I'm loathe to do it right now with prices the way they are... for that drive I was considering (WD5000BPKT) they used to be $67 to $85! Now they are $135 to $149.

Anyway, I'm not going to buy from anywhere other than Amazon since they're the only ones offering free shipping and no tax, and who will accept returns if there's something wrong with it and without charging to return ship and restock. And this is pretty much the only one they have left in the 7200RPM category (might as well upgrade from 5400RPM/8MB Cache) with 500GB and 16MB Cache. Ugh. Just rotten luck, eh? If this would have happened just a couple of months ago... could have went with a 720GB of the same drive, and still broke LESS.


EDIT: are there any other utilities out there other than for logical HDD failures (S.M.A.R.T tests) that can tell me the specific cause for this (mechanical) problem? I mean, that can tell me if it's the motor or the logic board on the drive, seeings as this is definitely not caused by the platter/head itself? I am still wondering how I might be able to rule out (once and for all) the motherboard or else the HDD Caddy's SATA II connection as the problem, just in case that is in fact what's going on (although I personally am doubtful due to the fact that this system has never been dropped or pumped before and the HDD temperature has never exceeded 45C and that the system is in fact running everything but the HDD without any other errors or problems than the system booting to network when it can't find the HDD).

Does the Event Viewer telling me that IDE0 failed to respond within a certain amount of time indicate that it IS the HDD and not anything else?

Thank you once again. I just need to be SURE it's the HDD because I will only get ONE shot to fix it because of financial constraints.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Sorry for the double post, but as nobody else replied and I need to bump for a new event:

I have 15 entries in Event Viewer for:

Event 51, Disk

An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk1\DR1 during a paging operation.

Details

- <Event xmlns="Error">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Disk" />
<EventID Qualifiers="32772">51</EventID>
<Level>3</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-11-29T19:41:25.823448300Z" />
<EventRecordID>3066</EventRecordID>
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>COBALT</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data>\Device\Harddisk1\DR1</Data>

<Binary>030080000100000000000000330004802D0100000E0000C000000000000000000000000000000000FE3F000000000000FFFFFFFF01000000580000080000000000200A1240032040000000003C00000000BE4B0480FAFFFF78FAF50380FAFFFF000000000000000060C7160480FAFFFF10D05A0480FAFFFF803A707400000000280074703A8000000100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

I have 1 entry in Event Viewer for:

Event 57, NTFS

The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur.

Details

- <Event xmlns="Error">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Ntfs" />
<EventID Qualifiers="32772">57</EventID>
<Level>3</Level>
<Task>2</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2011-11-29T19:41:25.651848000Z" />
<EventRecordID>3057</EventRecordID>
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>COBALT</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data />

<Binary>00000000010000000200000039000480000000000E0000C000000000000000000000000000000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

All 16 of these Events occurred 11/29/2011 around 11:41:25 AM, the same day I Factory Image Restored this system (in a last-ditch effort to rule out software as the culprit which I have).

I'm truly not trying to be a pest about this, it's just that $135 for a new and better HDD (not willing to take a chance again on the non-blue/black WD line) is a LOT of money right now and I don't want to get this wrong and have it turn out to be something else (although I do have several different indications pointing to the HDD and not the MOBO).

That said, I am now able to hear a soft "scrape-tick" of the HDD when I'm close to the Notebook, especially when I press my ear near where it's sitting in there. It is actually almost identical to this (and is a sound I've never heard coming from it before that I'm aware of). I have also listened to both of my external HDD's and neither of them make this sound AT-ALL, not even when read/writing: Headcrash - Hard disk failure - YouTube

I'd also really like to know which HDD Diagnostic utility can test the HDD's spinup (I believe it's "spin count?") as I suspect that is the potential problem, rather than a logical failure. So if anyone can point me in the direction of it, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[theog]

You could check the HD drive on another PC, using a external caddy.
http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/137123-build-your-own-external-hard-drive.html

 

[EvilOzzmess]

I might be able to do that... I'd hate to disassemble my 500GB external (that's a 3.5" not even sure it would work temporarily to test this 2.5"). I'll consider it. Don't want to risk screwing that one up.


Anyway, I ran ALL of the tests in a program called HD Tune 5.0 (free trial) and it reports that the HDD is fine, like everything else (WD's Lifeguard, ChkDsk). Now I am truly confused. The system clearly suffered a critical event with this (what I believe is the POST screen - Broadcom thing) it's encountered twice in the span of two months and then several successive times on the second event with the crash out of the OS on idle, claiming "Operating System Not Found". I don't understand this. COULD it be the MB after all? Do laptop MB's just up and crap out like that, but then decide to start working again? Or could it possibly have had anything to do with the Trojan Backdoor.Bot this system had on in for about a week before this second event? This is turning out to be a VERY difficult thing to DX. Beyond my scope (how I wish right now I could spend the $$$ to take it to a prof).


If you or someone else could tell me what these Event ID 51, Disk and Event ID 57, NTFS errors indicates with all of the rest of these symptoms I'd really appreciate it, I think they might hold the key to this mystery. I know both could mean dozens of different things, but for me I still think it's the HDD (though I am still not 100% on that).

And I also was curious to know if it's normal for the HDD to be making those little snap-ticks instead of just the little whirring noises, even with the OS in idle. I think that will tell me for certain if it's the problem here. If they weren't there before, they certainly were never this audible. My 8-year old XP doesn't even make those noises (at any pitch) so that's why I'm asking.


Thanks again!

EDIT: just finished a little RAM tester (MemTest) to cover the bases for the past 25 minutes... 0 errors there (thought maybe that could be it as I'd opened that cover to get a bit of dust out a few months back).