Disappearing harddrives

[Galapagos]

I recently purchased another cheap harddrive for my tower.

Here are the specs on my comp:

 

Intel® Core2 CPU

6400 @2.13GHz

AT/AT COMPATIBLE

3,397,428 KB RAM

 

I run Windows 2000, and have 4 500 gig harddrives(including the most recent one).

 

About a week after installing/partitioning, I decided to move a couple hundred gigs of files over. The next day I observed the following error:

windows was unable to save all the data for the file /device/harddiskvolume4/$Mft. the data has been lost. This error may be caused by a afailure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere. 

delayed write fail

 

This prompted an inspection of my "My Computer" folder, where I observed one partition missing from the new disk. A day later, the other partition disappeared, the disappearance accompanied by the same error. I have since been busy with exams, and did not have time to look at it. Today while busy cleaning up after a leak, the error occurred again, and another harddrive at full capacity disappeared.

 

I have tried googling and posting on other forums, I now turn to you hypography.

 

thanks in advance

[alexander]

bad drive/ drive controller/ driver....

 

here's the problem:

I run Windows 2000

[Galapagos]

bad drive/ drive controller/ driver....

 

here's the problem:

 

I know very little about computers, so go easy on me! :hyper:

 

Can you explain what the problems might mean or how I would confirm/diagnose.

 

i looked up drive controller and it seems like this could be the problem. everything was fine until I loaded the 4th hard drive on.

im assuming drivers are something i can download online.. where would i get them from, and how would i know which ones to get?

 

as for the drives being bad, im kind of hoping this isn't the case. im assuming if the drives went bad, then there is no way i am getting any of my files back..

 

 

also- thanks for the speedy response alex.. i have to spread the rep around more first, but i owe you one!

[Symbology]

I'd try and take the files to some reputable professionals and see if they can recover the data. Then I would go out and buy an Apple ;)

 

Ok sorta kinda kidding. The next thing would be to try and step up to XP. I expect you know what we all think about Vista, aka The Patriot Act for computers.

 

You might also run a virus check on the off chance it is wiping things out... though I personally doubt it.

[Symbology]

I know very little about computers, so go easy on me! ;)

 

Can you explain what the problems might mean or how I would confirm/diagnose.

 

i looked up drive controller and it seems like this could be the problem. everything was fine until I loaded the 4th hard drive on.

im assuming drivers are something i can download online.. where would i get them from, and how would i know which ones to get?

 

as for the drives being bad, im kind of hoping this isn't the case. im assuming if the drives went bad, then there is no way i am getting any of my files back..

 

 

also- thanks for the speedy response alex.. i have to spread the rep around more first, but i owe you one!

 

Typically your data will be mainly intact. It might have had some boot sectors damaged. If something wiped your File Allocation Table or NTFS index then you are hosed. But professionals will be able to tell you. By "professionals" I mean somebody more competent than the Geek Squad. In dealing with them I have found they typically just have procedures, and don't really understand the fundamental issues involved.

 

We have a wonderful little shop called Impact Computer Solutions in the east side of Houston. About 4 guys and they rock.

[alexander]

Geek Squad is a real life oxymoron.

 

Here is an explanation. Windows 200 does not by default use LBA, which allows use of only 138 or so Gb worth of addressing.

 

Here's how to go about enabling it. Please read the whole threadL

 

Tech Patterns :: Windows 2000 / XP maximum hard drive size 137 gigabyte limit

[Tormod]

Windows 200

 

That must have been somewhere between Windows ME and Windows 2000! :phones:

[maddog]

That must have been somewhere between Windows ME and Windows 2000! :shrug:

That was another one of those Y2K problems.... :)

 

maddog

[freeztar]

Did you ever get this fixed G?

 

Some harddrive vendors allow you to download diagnostic software from their site (Seagate, Western Digital). That will at least tell you if the disks are failing.

 

Also, how were you doing the partitions? I recommend gparted for doing any partitioning.

[alexander]

That was another one of those Y2K problems.... :hihi:

 

maddog

 

you mean like their famous "Built on NT technology" paradox? NT stands for "New Technology"...

 

Freezy, there are some nice tools to check the hard drive, and i have had the manufacturer tools mess up my drive before. Ultimate boot cd has hard drive diagnostics tools and drive stress test that tend to be less intrusive then some of the manufacturer checkers...

[freeztar]

Freezy, there are some nice tools to check the hard drive, and i have had the manufacturer tools mess up my drive before.

 

Really? Can you post the situation(s)?

 

Ultimate boot cd has hard drive diagnostics tools and drive stress test that tend to be less intrusive then some of the manufacturer checkers...

 

I like UBCD and it has helped me many times no doubt. :D

Nonetheless, I use the Seagate software on my own drives and have never been let down. :hihi:

[alexander]

had 2 maxtors, ruined by their oen diagnostics tools, a toshiba drive ruined by the toshiba diag tool after i ran a nix-based tool that showed me there were problems, i ran a disk i downladed from toshiba to check sectors, to double check (btw, double checking is never a bad thing, ya know), then after hours, drive failed to be recognized in bios... and i didnt even attempt recovery yet... Then i had a seagate diag tool fail to tell me which part of the HD was bad, after figuring out it was the electronics that ran the reader heads, i took the drive apart, and threw the platters into a very similar HD, read it off, and recovered info (many hours of quirky genetic algo code)

 

BTW, the most common notion, that you have to have a dust proof room, is total BS, i've taken platters out of many drives, i had hard drives running out in the open for days, without covers, as longs as you dont purposely start a dust shower over the top, and yes i have done so, or scratch the platters (means you gotta be careful), the centrifugal force on anything that touches those platters (at 7400 rpm) is enough to keep them clean enough to read off info fairly safely. As long as you take precautions, like using a fairly clean surface to disassemble and reassemble the drives, as long as you use decent gloves, i liked the medical ones more, they didnt have talc on the outside, you can safely transfer platters in the convenience of your own home, and recover the data. Also, another popular missconception is that its mostly something wrong with the platters that kills the drives, no, most of the time its electronics or the motors that drive the arm, or reading heads, and all of that means only that taking out the platters and putting them in another drive would let you recover information.

 

Note, i am talking only about using this to get the data back, not about using this as a repair method and running the hard drives for extended periods after recovery (extended period = weeks, months)

 

quick centrifugal force calculation for absolutely rotating mass:

[math]F=m\Omega^2r[/math]

 

m=mass of particle for us its a mass of a skin flake, or about 2.86 nano grams

omega = rpm 7400rpm = 123.33 rps

r = radius of the platter smaller this number, less force, in the least its about 30mm

 

so

[math]F=2.86\times10^{-9} * 123.33^2 * 30[/math]

its about 0.0013N at the center 0.003 towards the edges

 

mind you our particle has a weight of [math]2.75\times10^{-10}N[/math], so the magnitude of force needed to move it even at mid-high coefficients of friction (on highly polished surfaces CoF is not so high) would be much smaller then the centrifugal force exuded on such a light particle at such high rotation speeds....

[Galapagos]

Did you ever get this fixed G?

 

Some harddrive vendors allow you to download diagnostic software from their site (Seagate, Western Digital). That will at least tell you if the disks are failing.

 

Also, how were you doing the partitions? I recommend gparted for doing any partitioning.

 

I downloaded the stuff in the link alexander posted, then I restarted and switched all my SATA cables and everything came back. Since then, it has still been screwy off and on. it lets me access the files on the newest drive, but it gives me errors and occasionally freezes. I have the westerndigital diagnostic program and it said the drive passed everything, but I have yet to call tech support or anything. I have access to everything I need right now, so it hasn't been that pressing of an issue. I may just end up giving in and taking it to the local computer repair shop :)

 

When I did the partitions i went into disk manager and just added them i think... I just searched on google and figured out what to do. On my other three 500 gig drives I have no partitions because I didn't know what one was or that I needed them at the time of installation.

[alexander]

dude update to xp if you like windows, seriously, you will have a tonn less problems. Y2k didnt support large drives nor sata, nor a lot of current day stuff... please update and you will have a hell of a lot less headache (go with pro)

[Galapagos]

dude update to xp if you like windows, seriously, you will have a tonn less problems. Y2k didnt support large drives nor sata, nor a lot of current day stuff... please update and you will have a hell of a lot less headache (go with pro)

 

Thanks again, alex, I will give this a try. I can get copies of the OS and I know someone who will advise me on how to install. I will post back with results.

[ChunTzu]

bad drive/ drive controller/ driver....

 

here's the problem:

Quote:

I run Windows 2000

 

 

I lol'ed.

[alexander]

if you wanted to isolate the real question, let me narrow it down :)

 

I run Windows 2000

 

but it doesn't matter the version

 

I run Windows

 

person is inconsequential

 

run Windows

 

or more grammatically correct

 

running Windows

 

now with addition of logic

 

Windows, running

 

and to accentuate the emotion

 

Windows, running?

 

now to add a bit of irony to it

 

Windows, running? ahhahahaha

 

there, there is your real question :)