http://forums.techarena.in/hardware-peripherals/1092536.

htm

dono
Member

Join Date: Feb 2009

Location: Halifax, Canada
Posts: 1

Re: How to fix bad sectors or clusters on hard drive ?

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by SANDESH49

Windows comes with a built-in hard disk utility software that scans your hard di
sk for errors and attempts to fix them.
1.On My Computer, select the disk drive that you want to diagnose and repair.
2.Right click on it and select Properties
3.Go to Tools tab.
4.Click on the "Check Now" button under "Error Checking Status".
5.Depending up on your choice, choose either "Automatically fix file system erro
rs" or "Scan for and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors."
6.Then click on Start.
ARRAGH! That is very bad advice; the last thing you ever want to do with a bad d
rive is to run chkdsk - that will only make things worse! Typically, the system
will delete all affected files. (Google for "chkdsk deleted files")

Quote:

How do I recover hard disks involving Scandisk and Chkdsk error

What is disk checking and repair software such as Scandisk, Chkdsk and Fsck?
Programs such as Scandisk, Chkdsk and Fsck are software utilities that are desig
ned to find different types of errors and correct some file system errors on har
d disks. Among other things, Scandisk checks the disk platters for defects and a
lso looks for lost clusters that are sometimes created when a program aborts. In
DOS, you can run Scandisk by entering scandisk at the prompt and pressing the E
nter key. In Windows 9X, you can run Scandisk by selecting Start -> Programs ->
Accessories -> System Tools -> Scandisk.
If a computer is shutdown incorrectly (e.g. it crashes or there is a power cut e
tc) then this disk checking software will often start automatically the next tim
e the computer is started. It will scan the hard disk and detect any errors to t
he file system and then attempt to repair them. On older Windows systems such as
Windows 98, you are given an option as to whether you want the repair utility t
o run. On more modern Windows systems such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the r
epair utility will run automatically.
The disk checking program is not capable of diagnosing the correct problem (i.e.
a faulty hard disk) and misdiagnoses it as a file system problem, and then atte
mpts to (often automatically!) repair the problem. Data that was often fully rec
overable now becomes damaged, fragmented and unrecoverable.
Why should I not run this disk checking software?
As mentioned in the above paragraph, Scandisk, Chkdsk and Fsck are software util
ities that are designed to correct file system errors on hard disks. They are no
t and can not correct non-file system errors on hard disks.
Where many people become confused is that because their computer is triggering a
disk checking utility, they automatically assume (as does the software) that th
ey have a problem with the file system. Infact they may have a problem with thei
r hard disk that has in turn caused a problem with the file system. So, although
the symptoms are in most cases identical (i.e. the automatic triggering of Scan
disk etc), the cause of the problem is rather different. In these instances, run
ning disk checking software is to be avoided at all costs.
But my disk is triggering this utility, what should I do?
Do not allow the utility to run (watch the boot process and press ESC to cancel
the utility when prompted - you have 10 seconds to do this), instead the compute
r will continue to boot into the Operating System. Then back up your important f
iles to another different media (e.g. CD ROM).
To recover files, you want Spinrite, there is nothing else even close. It's sole
function is to recover the data from bad sectors, so that you can get those fil
es copied off onto a new drive that is not failing. I work in IT, and trust me,
this is the ticket to repairing bad hard drives so files can be copied, and for
checking to see the health of your good drives.
Sorry, but I had to create an account to say this, lest others get their files d
eleted trying to fix hard drives!

Cheers,
...Dono

pcbugfixer

Posts: n/a

Re: How to fix bad sectors or clusters on hard drive ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------G'Day Folks,
Took me awhile to sort out my registration so I could post on this Thread, alas
I now can.
I read through all the comments on repairing HDD and would say this:
1. If a HDD has a mechanical failure, i.e. makes a clunking or clanking type noi
se (similar to a knocking noise) while you are attempting to use it,
or it does not power on or spin at all, then the HDD most likely is "Kaput"
2. If however the HDD is recognized by the BIOS and it does spin, then there is
hope.
I have used Spinrite 5 and 6 from the Steve Gibson site as well as the HDD REgen
erator both v1.51 and v1.71 from Dmitriy Primochenko many a time with success. T
he URL's I have provided are the defaults for their location.
Yes HDD's can be repaired and Bad Sectors can be recovered ! - It just takes a l
ong time to do so and may not be economical to do so.
When I say a long time I mean an 80GB HDD can take a week or more depending on t
he number of bad sectors found that need to be recovered.
3. another point to remember, is that after the repair, and can be attempted bef
ore, is to download the "Low Level Formatter" from the HDD's manufacturers web s
ite and load this on a bootable media (HDD, USB or CD or DVD) to be able to test
and perform the low level format, and then run the fdisk to see if the failed H
DD can accept partitioning , followed by a re-boot and then attempt a normal for
mat with the /u (unconditional) option.
E.G. at the cmd prompt type format ?: /u (replace the ? with the drive letter o
n which the HDD is mounted)
If it performs and does complete the tasks in item 3, which is good and you have
your HDD back.
If attempts in item 3 fail, then you can try the Spinrite or the HDD Regenerator
s, as the sectors must be in working order before any partitioning or formating
can be applied.
I am currently running such a repair on an 80GB HDD (Seagate) with the older HDD
Regenerator v1.51. It has so far run for 3+ days (continuously) and is at the 2
352Mb of the 80000 (80GB) and has so far discovered and repaired 29428 bad secto
rs.
This is not the first time I have used these utilities to repair HDD, this one i
s the 63rd HDD with the previous attempts being successful with 51 out of the 62

attempts.
In closing, I will say to all the sceptics that they are wrong and HDD's can be
repaired, if you have the know-how and patients to do so.
BTW: I also do forensic file recoveries from HDD's and recently recovered a file
that the User had deleted 9 month ago.
I must try the Flobo HDD Bad Sector Repair 1.5
pcbugfixer

pcbugfixer

Posts: n/a

Re: How to fix bad sectors or clusters on hard drive ?

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladerunner0023

Hi, I've just stumbled across this thread from an internet search.
I have begun using Spinrite and at the moment, and I stress at the moment, it's
saying that it will take 84 hours to complete!!!!!!! it's a 160 gig HDD.
Is it healthy to leave my laptop on for such a long period of time, even if it
is for the greater good?

If you have a Cooling Pad under the Laptop, or at least raise the Laptop off the
desk with 2 pieses of wood on either end to allow air circulation under it, it
would be OK.
Obviously if the outside or Room temprature is 40C then the Laptop will most lik
ely get too hot, so keep the Room cool (Air Conditioned = Ideal) at 28C is good.
Good idea is to shut it down and take the Battery out and then run it on Power f
or that time.
pcbugfixer

pcbugfixer

Posts: n/a

Re: How to fix bad sectors or clusters on hard drive ?

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladerunner0023

Also, is it normal for it to say it's going to take 1125 hours???!!!!
Spinrite - I don't remember, does not sound to be the norm. Report cCould be rig
ht however would not take that long
HDD Regenerator 1.71 from Boot CD or 2nd HDD partition accessed from a boot NTF
S floppy with regenerating every sector (Option 4 I thing) takes approx up to 40

0+ hours.
However I would not use this option with a 160GB HDD and opt for the 1st option
to Repair which is faster.
If you are using Spinrite, it also has different methods for performing these re
pairs - you need to read the Help or How to use files to find out which method b
est suits you.
pcbugfixer you do you don't.

Mmusicman
Member

Join Date: Dec 2011

Posts: 3

Re: How to fix bad sectors or clusters on hard drive ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------I registered here on this forum because I found some useful info here... just th
ought I'd share my experiences with my bad hard drive.
My drive crashed during a partition resizing. I attempted recovery with Partitio
n Magic 8, as well as dozens of programs on Hiran's Boot CD without success. Eas
us Partiton Master Home showed my NTFS partitions were still there, but deleted.
I was able to "recover" the partitions, but with errors. Chkdsk crashed, as wel
l as Spinrite. I ran the manufacture utility, which only told me my drive was ba
d.
I ran "HDD Regenerator v1.41" (included with Hiren's Boot CD) for an entire week
end...only to discover the following Monday that is was only 1/3 done on a 120G
HD. I then stopped the scan... and attempted other fixes.
After "undeleting" the partitions with Easus Partiton Master , I was able to ass
ign drive letters (in this case I used Windows XP "Disk Management". Suddenly li
ke magic, my first partition (of two) showed up! (the original c drive 20G parti
tion) I was easily now able to retrieve some important data and email.
Whenever I assigned the 2nd partition a drive letter, the "host" computer would
lock up and I was unable to access this drive letter. I assume it was because I
had recovered all sectors in range of the first partition 20G, but not the secon
d. My initial weekend scan covered 85,546,158 sectors, and repaired 117,246 bad
sectors, success with every bad one it found.
FYI: HDD Regenerator scans quite quickly over "good" sectors (1000 at a time)...
but as soon as it finds bad ones, it slows to a crawl and fixes them one at a t
ime, or 1MB/10min. I have been running the program for 4 days now, and I'm still
about 1/3 done, with an additional 48,000+ bad sectors recovered.
So just to wrap up.. I expect HDD Regenerator 1.41 to take over a week to fix my
HD.. considering the drive I almost full of bad sectors. I'm only attempting th
is level of recovery because I have data (mostly photos) on the 2nd partition I
do not want to lose, plus I want to see if I can actually bring this HD back! It
worked for the 1st partition... let's see if it makes it through the 2nd one.
Certainly NOT worth all the trouble when you consider a NEW 500G HD can be purch
ased at about $30. Plus who would want to RISK using a hard drive that failed (e
ven if revived)... although it may have been caused by some other issue.
QUESTION: I am curious (maybe I missed this), does FULL DELETION & REFORMATTING
automatically correct bad sectors? Or do BOTH processed need to be done?