Diagnose this HD problem for me

[Allnatural]

Potential hard disk(s) issue here. The specs, focusing on the IBM drives.
The story thus far:

Six days ago the computer locked up, completely. Reset the computer and was treated to a detection error by the RAID bios; the primary drive could not be found. I replaced the IDE cables, and upon completion everything was working again.

So it was a bad IDE cable. However...

Two nights ago the computer locked up again, and again I was treated to a detection error by the RAID bios; the primary drive could not be found. Shut down the computer and checked all my HD connections. Started the computer and everything was working, but Windows had been corrupted and couldn't start. No repair disk available so I reinstalled (I wanted to do it anyway). Everything was working normally. Expecting the problem to reoccur, I swapped the power connectors to the two drives. I figured if the secondary drive failed detection next time, it would likely indicate a bad molex connector.

Last night the problem repeated, and it was still the primary drive failing detection. Powered down the computer for a few minutes, and upon restarting the drives were fine, but Windows was buggered again (registry stop error). I shut down the computer for the night. Upon starting today, everything is (presumedly) normal. The hard drives and Windows are both working fine, for now.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? I'm well aware of the evidence (though largely anecdotal) of issues with IBM drives, and I do suspect an impending drive failure. I ran IBM's drive fitness test utility and it found no problems with either drive. Any chance that it might be the RAID chip and/or mobo? I have two, new Western Digitals sitting here waiting for installation, but I'd hate to put those in and find out later that the IBM's were not the problem.

 

[neoak]

For your description of the problem, i'd say that is the RAID chip the one that is damaged.

The only way to be sure is to install another RAID chip.

 

[ShinjiIkari]

My suggestion:

Don't buy IBM. But I suppose that is just from bad personal experience with their products

 

[Allnatural]

Ahh, it's definitely the hard drive. Time to rebuild.

Thankfully the Western Digitals I bought were on sale.

 

[Flash]

My suggestion:

Don't buy IBM. But I suppose that is just from bad personal experience with their products

Since infamous DTLA series all IBM IDE HDDs is crap.

But even worse most of modern IDE drives
is nothing but junk. They work one, maximum two years and one fine day you'll find that your hdd is dead.

5400rpm drives will work longer but still it can't be compared with my 1.6GB HDD which was bought in 1995 and works as big floppy without any BBs.

Strange but fact - new Samsung HDDs is very good - we've got 2500pcs of 80Gb SP8004H - all working fine while almost half of 40Gb Maxtor DiamondMax is dead now :evil:

SCSI drives is waaay better but $300-1500....

So it's better to buy DVD-RW or CDRW
and backup, backup, backup...

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Since infamous DTLA series all IBM IDE HDDs is crap.

But even worse most of modern IDE drives
is nothing but junk. They work one, maximum two years and one fine day you'll find that your hdd is dead.

5400rpm drives will work longer but still it can't be compared with my 1.6GB HDD which was bought in 1995 and works as big floppy without any BBs.

Strange but fact - new Samsung HDDs is very good - we've got 2500pcs of 80Gb SP8004H - all working fine while almost half of 40Gb Maxtor DiamondMax is dead now :evil:

SCSI drives is waaay better but $300-1500....

So it's better to buy DVD-RW or CDRW
and backup, backup, backup...

A 1.6 GB? Those older hard disk drives, chiefly the
Western Digitals are noisy even when not that much hard disk
drive activity and unfortunately for me, I'm now starting to see
more of those hard disk drives failing (usually bad sectors)
and can't access parts of the hard disk now.
Speaking about the Maxtors, I have been getting good word
about them and my 13 GB Maxtor UDMA 66 7,200 RPM
hard disk drive purchased back in November, 1999
is still A-OK as far as I know, thus you probably just got a bad batch of Maxtors.

 

[Flash]

A 1.6 GB? Those older hard disk drives, chiefly the
Western Digitals are noisy even when not that much hard disk
drive activity

WD is not nearly weak and noisy as old
Seagate Medalists. Sounds and works like old rusty tractor

and unfortunately for me, I'm now starting to see
more of those hard disk drives failing (usually bad sectors)

Main problem of old WDs (Caviar) is that
glued stripe. If used break it, hdd begins to suck dust and soon will die with badblocks or jammed bearing. And its easy to rip that stripe when you remove or insert that hdd.

Speaking about the Maxtors, I have been getting good word
about them and my 13 GB Maxtor UDMA 66 7,200 RPM
hard disk drive purchased back in November, 1999
is still A-OK as far as I know, thus you probably just got a bad batch of Maxtors.

Or you got good drive I have 4 Maxtor 2B020H1 drives, all working as big floppies (shake me well, hit me hard
) and all fine (no badblocks) But people from various tech forums and FidoNet tech echoes reports that this drive is piece of crap. And i got 10 of them with dead Poker c.6 chip - no reason to repair it i've just connected working PCB to each of them and copied data to another drives.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

WD is not nearly weak and noisy as old
Seagate Medalists. Sounds and works like old rusty tractor



Main problem of old WDs (Caviar) is that
glued stripe. If used break it, hdd begins to suck dust and soon will die with badblocks or jammed bearing. And its easy to rip that stripe when you remove or insert that hdd.


Or you got good drive I have 4 Maxtor 2B020H1 drives, all working as big floppies (shake me well, hit me hard
) and all fine (no badblocks) But people from various tech forums and FidoNet tech echoes reports that this drive is piece of crap. And i got 10 of them with dead Poker c.6 chip - no reason to repair it i've just connected working PCB to each of them and copied data to another drives.

Actually, a Western Digital Caviar 1.2 GB hard disk drive did
sound more like a rusty tractor and and will get noisy if
with Windows 95 and Windows 98 when you booting
in safe mode then choose to boot to normal mode.
and, even when the stripe was not pulled off, that one
still failed with bad sectors and more than 238 MB of the
hard disk drive was unaccessible. It would just make
repeated clicking sounds and the OS will lock up with any
attempt to access past 238 MB.

 

[Flash]

Actually, a Western Digital Caviar 1.2 GB hard disk drive did
sound more like a rusty tractor and and will get noisy if
with Windows 95 and Windows 98 when you booting
in safe mode then choose to boot to normal mode.
and, even when the stripe was not pulled off, that one
still failed with bad sectors and more than 238 MB of the
hard disk drive was unaccessible. It would just make
repeated clicking sounds and the OS will lock up with any
attempt to access past 238 MB.

It looks like somebody dropped or kicked (yes it can happen if you use you hdd as floppy and put it in the bag, then somebody stumbled over it and you'll get that "click-click-click"(scratched
surface or damaged head) or drill-like sound (broken bearing)

In second case (broken but not yet jammed bearing) you have chance to backup all files and drive can be used
as floppy for not so important data

 

[ShinjiIkari]

Sorry if I offended any IBM employees or fans

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

It looks like somebody dropped or kicked (yes it can happen if you use you hdd as floppy and put it in the bag, then somebody stumbled over it and you'll get that "click-click-click"(scratched
surface or damaged head) or drill-like sound (broken bearing)

In second case (broken but not yet jammed bearing) you have chance to backup all files and drive can be used
as floppy for not so important data

It did not get stepped on. It just was sitting.
One day, in summer, 2002, I copied some Nintendo 64
ROMs to it and in December, 2002 one day, unable to access the hard disk drive past 238 MB and after when I was unable to access a part of the hard disk drive, I decided to reformat it. Then after I decided to reformat the hard disk drive, the DOS hard disk drive formatting process with the format command failed and terminated with the message:

Format terminated.

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

After the above, the OS would lock up with *any* attempt to access past 238 MB of the hard disk drive and the hard disk drive
would repeatedly emit clicking sounds.

BTW, those hard disk drives are always noisy anyways.
Even just booting Windows 95 and Windows 98, with almost any hard disk drive access, you can hear it clearly.

 

[Allnatural]

Sorry to break up the discussion gentlemen, but it has ventured just a bit off-topic. Not to mention that I answered my own question long ago. You'll have to continue elsewhere.

/closed