Troubleshoot HDD Issues

Overkill

Level 31
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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
Briefly explain your current issue(s)
sluggishness when opening anything
Steps taken to resolve, but have been unsuccessful
Nothing yet
I had to reformat my laptop last night because it was very sluggish (I couldn't even copy my keepass database file to my d drive) i'm not quite sure if this has anything to do with using RBRX but when I bought this laptop not too long ago, CrystalDiskInfo showed my drive in fine shape, now it shows some issues. Screens attached.
What is the best software to fix this if possible? I guess I won't be using it much until I can get me an external drive for backing up and a new drive for the laptop.
 

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H

hjlbx

I had to reformat my laptop last night because it was very sluggish (I couldn't even copy my keepass database file to my d drive) i'm not quite sure if this has anything to do with using RBRX but when I bought this laptop not too long ago, CrystalDiskInfo showed my drive in fine shape, now it shows some issues. Screens attached.
What is the best software to fix this if possible? I guess I won't be using it much until I can get me an external drive for backing up and a new drive for the laptop.

What security softs and virtualization softs are you using ?

Have you made any changes to system recently - or around the time the issue began to occur ?

Have you searched through Event Viewer to see what it has recorded ?

Does Reliability History report any particular failures ?
 
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Rolo

Level 18
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Jun 14, 2015
857
Have you searched through Event Viewer to see what it has recorded ?
This. Also, run CHKDSK /R (run before you go to bed...takes hours).

Additionally, on-board diags (PartEd Magic, also on Hiren's boot CD, is convenient but there are many utilities to start the ATA tests) to run the long test.

Before anything, though, make sure it's clean (internal heatsinks, vents) and the fans are working to ensure components aren't down-clocking due to thermal issues.
 
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jamescv7

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Mar 15, 2011
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Have you try to restart the system if still persist? Read and Write speed is sometimes one of the aging symptoms that your HDD might die but try to conduct second opinion from the post suggestions.

Optional: Consider to defrag your Hard Drive but try to analyse the hardware part.
 
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Overkill

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Just ran chkdsk
Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 5)...
74240 file records processed.

File verification completed.
36 large file records processed.

0 bad file records processed.

2 EA records processed.

44 reparse records processed.

CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 5)...
104104 index entries processed.

Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.

0 unindexed files recovered.

CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 5)...
74240 file SDs/SIDs processed.

Cleaning up 181 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 181 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 181 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
14933 data files processed.

CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
36848256 USN bytes processed.

Usn Journal verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
74224 files processed.

File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
26397859 free clusters processed.

Free space verification is complete.
Adding 12 bad clusters to the Bad Clusters File.
Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.

Windows has made corrections to the file system.

125849599 KB total disk space.
20035680 KB in 58072 files.
42260 KB in 14934 indexes.
48 KB in bad sectors.
180219 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
105591392 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
31462399 total allocation units on disk.
26397848 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 22 01 00 39 1d 01 00 5c 30 02 00 00 00 00 00 ."..9...\0......
2a 00 00 00 2c 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 *...,...........
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.

What security softs and virtualization softs are you using ?

Have you made any changes to system recently - or around the time the issue began to occur ?

Have you searched through Event Viewer to see what it has recorded ?

Does Reliability History report any particular failures ?
When this happened check my config, currently only running sbie.
No changes that would effect a hdd, no I haven't
 
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H

hjlbx

Just ran chkdsk

Next step see if Windows was successful at repair; see if reported symptoms persist.

If they do you can also try your HDD manufacturer's utilities. Run msinfo32 and look under Storage > Disk to see HDD information. Copy and paste HDD model # into browser and perform search. Goto HDD mfr site and find disk utilities and run them precisely according to instructions.

NOTE: Some HDD utilities take hours to complete their scans.

If after all these steps symptoms persist, then it is likely a failing HDD...

Sorry I have to throw that out there, but you should be made aware of it...
 
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Overkill

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I have defragged already. I have to backup my data before I can do too much and I do not have any spares that are empty or that have enough room for roughly 300gb of stuff

I wonder if spinrite would fix it?
 
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hjlbx

I have defragged already. I have to backup my data before I can do too much and I do not have any spares that are empty or that have enough room for roughly 300gb of stuff

Do your backup now... ! If you wait you can potentially lose everything !
 
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hjlbx

I have nothing but sbie, ccleaner, chrome, hmp and auslogics installed currently

Did you uninstall Rollback RX before or after the issue began ?

Anyhow, when you uninstalled it might give an indication that RX had something to do with it, but it will be just an educated guess and not definitive.

The drive has bad clusters. To go on any further with the system risks total data loss... unless you perform a backup.

Are you online using a different\second system ?
 
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LabZero

The HDD has pretty much run out of spare sectors.

HDD Regenerator can correct only the"pending' sectors , nothing can do with those already reallocated.

PS: not even need a "slow" formatting, which only temporarily hides those sectors. The first attempt to write, they come back out.

HDD end of life.:D
 
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Rolo

Level 18
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Jun 14, 2015
857
  1. Run CHKDSK /R until it doesn't find any new bad clusters; this is so your backup doesn't fail
  2. Next, run a full bare-metal backup (your backup of choice; I like Windows and Paragon Rescue Kit 14 Free)--or just back up your data and do a clean install (what I like to do)
  3. Delete all partitions
  4. Boot Windows (or other utility CD) and format (normal, NOT quick) the entire drive with one partition. Run CHKDSK /R again to see if it finds any bad clusters. If it doesn't, you should be fine; if it does, you'll want to run a low-level diagnostic--see if Toshiba has one. Spinrite, et. al may also work. When that's finished, try a normal format and CHKDSK /R again
I just went through this with my wife's backup drive (seagate 3TB) and, fortunately, a new format brought the drive back to a usable state, no bad clusters.

Note that 'sectors' and 'clusters' are two different things: a cluster is the file system formatted block comprised of hardware-formatted sectors. You want the hardware to sort out its sectors first and then format what's left with your file system (clusters).
 
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LabZero

The reallocated sectors count (05) indicates the number of disk sectors that have been reallocated due to various problems (C5 pending sectors).
Basically, when a hard drive detects an error in reading, writing or check at any given point on the surface of the plates, make these areas as "reallocated sectors", and transfers the data contained in them in special areas (which are the "spare"). It follows that in all modern disks is unable to locate bad sectors following a superficial analysis since they are all automatically reallocated, showing a seemingly intact. However, we must also consider that this process involves a performance penalty because of the swap, which heads must move continuously from defective sectors in the areas of backup, which is why it is preferable to work with discs with low rate of reallocated sectors. Everything still warns wear status and indicates that the hard drive is deteriorating (it would be better to replace it, if you do not want to run the risk of losing important data).
 
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Overkill

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Feb 15, 2012
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Did you uninstall Rollback RX before or after the issue began ? After

Anyhow, when you uninstalled it might give an indication that RX had something to do with it, but it will be just an educated guess and not definitive.

The drive has bad clusters. To go on any further with the system risks total data loss... unless you perform a backup.

Are you online using a different\second system ? Yes

I have to wait a couple weeks to buy a new hdd. Thanks for the replies guys.
 
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Rolo

Level 18
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Jun 14, 2015
857
(it would be better to replace it, if you do not want to run the risk of losing important data).
It depends. It could have been just a head bounce and not indicative of imminent failure. This is why we have regular backups: assume your hardware will fail one day without warning, because we typically don't get warnings. I would torture test the thing and if it performs without issue, I'd still use it even if I could replace it immediately.
 
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Overkill

Level 31
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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
I bought a Seagate 1tb External Portable drive and everything backed up fine! I just have to buy a new internal drive but it's running ok currently.
 
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