I am puzzled - HDD question

[zpoison]

Hi,
while downloading a file from nitroflare on the net, with IDM my PC restarted.
The log shows atapi error as the first error (my HDD is in a external enclosure)

Its the second time the HDD makes the PC to restart in 7-10 days(not sure if its because of the HDD)
I believe the last time I was also downloading a file from the net

This HDD is new (bought as "new refurbished")

MY QUESTION
If I do a checkdisk from windows, with both 2 options checked(automatically fix + scan for & attempt recovery) will this be as good as if I do a cmd chkdsk /f /r ?

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

ANOTHER QUESTION please

I need to know if a HDD is 100% like a new one (and won't make errors in the future)

What are the steps to take (in windows)


(no HDtune or similar please, I don't like this that much)

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Depending on who you bought the HDD from, "new refurbished" could just mean the drive had the outside cleaned up and, maybe, a new label slapped on it. Or it could have actually had malfunctioning parts replaced inside (not likely, however).

 

[zpoison]

Yes, but I need to know the answer to my 2 questions please
It's been 2 times I am rebooting ( I now had stop the automatic reboot option when crash)

I want to know if I should return the HDD or not

My first 2 questions were about this subject

I need to know please

 

[samuria]

Most hd makers have a special tool on their website to test the drive that will be a good test

 

[LMiller7]

Depending on who you bought the HDD from, "new refurbished" could just mean the drive had the outside cleaned up and, maybe, a new label slapped on it. Or it could have actually had malfunctioning parts replaced inside (not likely, however).

No refurbished drive is going to have any parts replaced. The cost of doing so would be more than the drive is worth. Essentially a refurbished drive is one that has passed all tests.

 

[zpoison]

I did the WD data lifeguard tool test and had the SMART test passed good
I did not make the full extended test, it would take 48 hours

If I pass the smart test, it means my HDD will not encounter any failure or something?

What I suspect is that the seller I bought from, is buying in bulk some HDD that have failed and he return them in bulk to WD and sell them back.
That's why I feel the need to really know if the HDD is fully working for good, for many years.
thanks

 

[LMiller7]

I need to know if a HDD is 100% like a new one (and won't make errors in the future)

Impossible.

Any drive, any manufacturer, new or old, can fail at any time and often without warning or apparent cause.
The short and long tests tell you of the drives current state, but that tells you nothing of the future. SMART is an attempt to predict when a drive might fail but experience shows it is not very reliable. It tells you of specific conditions that have been associated with early drive failure. But the lack of any warning signs does not mean all is well. A drive that passes all tests and without any warning signs could be dead tomorrow. In most cases there is no way of knowing why the failure occurred. A drive can have internal problems that are undetectable by any known test.

Sorry, but that is reality.

You could try to return the drive but at present I doubt the manufacturer would accept it.

 

[AddRAM]

I would never buy a drive labeled "new refurbished"

Download and install Crystal Disk Info, see what it says about the drive.

Download Center - Crystal Dew World

Click on the link above to download the software. Install and run it, it will tell you if you drive is good.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

No refurbished drive is going to have any parts replaced. The cost of doing so would be more than the drive is worth. Essentially a refurbished drive is one that has passed all tests.

Note I said that it was unlikely. The higher end drives can have parts replaced cost effectively, depending on the part. I was told this awhile back by a WD rep on another forum.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Impossible.

Any drive, any manufacturer, new or old, can fail at any time and often without warning or apparent cause.
The short and long tests tell you of the drives current state, but that tells you nothing of the future. SMART is an attempt to predict when a drive might fail but experience shows it is not very reliable. It tells you of specific conditions that have been associated with early drive failure. But the lack of any warning signs does not mean all is well. A drive that passes all tests and without any warning signs could be dead tomorrow. In most cases there is no way of knowing why the failure occurred. A drive can have internal problems that are undetectable by any known test.

Sorry, but that is reality.

You could try to return the drive but at present I doubt the manufacturer would accept it.

It's also possible for a drive to pass diagnostic tests and have good S.M.A.R.T attributes and still not function properly, especially if the problem is intermittent. I had a brand new Samsung 4TB EVO SSD repeatedly pass all its tests and would still drop out a little while after rebooting. Replacing it with another new Sammy fixed the problem. Fortunately, I was able to return to the vendor for a new replacement.

@ zpoison Where did you buy the drive?

 

[RolandJS]

Maybe consider purchasing a brand new HD from a local computer source, cloning the refurbished onto the new HD, using the new HD as the internal HD, after formatting the refurbished HD, using it as an external backup HD.

 

[zpoison]

@ zpoison Where did you buy the drive?

I received them less than one week ago from ebay


I got 11 X 6tb drives from the same seller, bought from him and had one hdd that died after 4 days of being plugged - to a external enclosure ( I believe its my fault because I "think" I accidentally unplugged it while transfering things onto it)

I've lost more than 4tb of music that time
The seller agreed to send me another one for free

Still have the dead hdd, I will return it to the manufacturer I guess

Will keep a look at Crystal Disk Info for monitoring and all that (I also have hdtune pro)

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Cannot plug them all at once for backup because my mobo is from 2009-2010 (4 sata ports + one optical sata port that I use for a hdd instead)

Maybe it would be better to sell 4-5 of the HDD to buy a expensive PC(800$+) to plug more HDD.
or a NAS maybe

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I received them less than one week ago from ebay


I got 11 X 6tb drives from the same seller, bought from him and had one hdd that died after 4 days of being plugged - to a external enclosure ( I believe its my fault because I "think" I accidentally unplugged it while transfering things onto it)

I've lost more than 4tb of music that time
The seller agreed to send me another one for free

Still have the dead hdd, I will return it to the manufacturer I guess

Will keep a look at Crystal Disk Info for monitoring and all that (I also have hdtune pro)

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

Cannot plug them all at once for backup because my mobo is from 2009-2010 (4 sata ports + one optical sata port that I use for a hdd instead)

Maybe it would be better to sell 4-5 of the HDD to buy a expensive PC(800$+) to plug more HDD.
or a NAS maybe

I asked where, not when.

Unplugging a drive while still transferring data normally will cause data loss, not drive death. Reformatting a drive after that should bring it back (sans data, of course).

Generally speaking, you don't want to plug in all your backup drives all at once. In fact you shouldn't have all of them at home at the same time. For data to be reasonably safe, it needs to exist in three places. For most people, that means on the computer, on an onsite backup, and on an offsite backup.

 

[zpoison]

Had my HDDs on ebay, the seller live in the US

I have like 6 X 6tb that are almost full

Online backup of 40tb would cost a lot I guess, but it would be nice
That dead HDD I mentionned, it just died , it stopped spinning
Maybe I will try to restore the files in it when it will be returned back from WD

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I would trust Flea Bay HDDs only as far as I can spit upwind. Even though it would cost more, you would be much better off buying new drives with a decent warranty. The drives you bought have probably been around the block God only knows how many times and may not have much life left.

I said onsite, not online. An onsite backup, in this case, means a backup on a HDD that is kept at home. The offsite backup would be a HDD that is kept off your property, such as in a locked drawer or locker at school or work, at a trusted friend's or relative's house, or in a safe deposit box at a bank or credit union.

The best backups for data drives (not the OS and programs) is a duplicate of the drive. The best software for that are folder/file syncing programs. My personal choice is a free program called FreeFileSync. When set to Mirror mode, it will compare the source drive with the backup drive. It then will copy any new or changed folders and files from the source drive to the backup drive and delete any folders and files not on the source drive from the backup drive. FreeFileSync also has provision called Versioning that, if you choose (and I recommend it), will send folders and files deleted from the backup drive to a folder or drive that you designate. That will protect your data from accidental deletions and also allow you to retrieve earlier versions of files.

 

[zpoison]

Thank you very much
Are you aware if there is a way(a software or something) I could create a "picture copy" of my folders, without having to do a printscreen for everything

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thank you very much
Are you aware if there is a way(a software or something) I could create a "picture copy" of my folders, without having to do a printscreen for everything

Not off the top of my head. However, you wouldn't need a list of your folders if you have a backup of the drive.

 

[zpoison]

Yes but backing up 40tb is very expensive

compared to backing only pictures or text of the folders

I think I'm gonna have to do it manually (printscreen)

maybe I could open a new thread and ask for this? in case someone would know how to do it.

 

[johnhoh]

Thank you very much
Are you aware if there is a way(a software or something) I could create a "picture copy" of my folders, without having to do a printscreen for everything

freeware foldersreport

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/folrep.html

> view > tree mode

then select all lines you want to save

> view > create html report

will create an html file of all your folders

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Yes but backing up 40tb is very expensive

compared to backing only pictures or text of the folders

I think I'm gonna have to do it manually (printscreen)

maybe I could open a new thread and ask for this? in case someone would know how to do it.

Merely storing 40TB is expensive. It's like owning a car. Why spend x amount on a car if you can't afford to maintain it?