HD death rattle

[Arkroyal]

Switched on the old pooter today. No boot up, but ticking noise from within.

Clouted the (ticking) hard drive with a screwdriver, and all appears well..............................until I turn off maybe?

I'm backing up stuff to my networked PC, but is it possible to change the HD to a new one, and retain all the stuff on this one?

Words of one syllable please, a lot of chat on this forum goes way over me.:E

[WG774]

Hi AR,

Obviously you should back up as frequently as you can. However, sometimes hard-drives can go noisy without any apparent compromise in performance or reliablilty.

Up until the mid-'90s I worked as a hardware engineer (not on the PC-platform). The company used to purchase HDs by the hundred from the Far-East, and out of a batch you would always get a few noisy ones that sounded unhealthy. These drives were sold off to employees cheaply, and I still have a SCSI from '93 that makes an awful racket but works perfectly.

As a rule, if a HD changes its "tone" I would recommend replacement pronto, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't go on for a few months / years yet.

[Arkroyal]

Thanks, Fairy Delta.

I'd like to replace it pronto, but need to know how to instal a new one, and then copy all my valuable stuff across from the old one.

I'm a bit slow, sorry!

[BOAC]

There is a program called 'ghost' which enables drives to be mirrored, and I know there is a lot on this forum about how to install a new drive. Try searching for 'new drive' and 'ghost'. I think Norton do it, but I have a basic programme which will run in DOS if you need (610k). Most new drives come with software to enable drives to be 'mirrored' old to new. Of course, if the failing drive is your C drive it gets more complicated, I think, but one of the experts will have a way to do it I'm sure.

If you have a spare drive plug in your 'pooter (I believe you can have a total of 4 including CDRoms/DVDRoms) it will make life much easier.

Might be best NOT to switch off until that new drive has winged its way to you!!

Good luck!

[Front_Seat_Dreamer]

Arkroyal

Can't help but think that if you are able to copy your data to another PC. Why not make sure you have everything you need across on the other machine then pop in a new drive into the troublesome machine, reinstall windows then copy your data back.

Uaing Ghost or similar can be daunting, but if you have the ability to transfer the files you already have I think you should be OK.

If not drop back in here.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

One more thing you can try after you have backed up all your data:

My Computer >> Right Click on the Hard Drive and go to Properties >> Tools Tab >> in Error Checking click on the Check Now Button.

In there put a check mark in both boxes. The computer will want you to reboot in order to run the Hard Drive Checks. Reboot and let it run.

If you still have the "Clicking of Death" coming from your Hard Drive, replace it immediately.

I would use True Image (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/) in order to clone the Drive to the new Drive. :ok:

Take Care,

Richard

[TR4A]

Western Digital drives come with software that will set up your drive. Install the drive with your existing drive as a slave. Boot up the install disc in the CD. You can select the option of an additional drive or replacement drive. For a replacement drive it with make a copy of your old drive on your new drive. Shut down computer and remove the old drive and put the new drive in it's place.

[Arkroyal]

Hey, guys, it's still working for now.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll go through them tomorrow when I've the time

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

Let us know what you find out.

Take Care,

Richard

[Arkroyal]

Richard,

Done the ChkDSK thing, and it passes.

It sounds more mechanical than anything else

Had no more problems, so far, but intend to replace it anyway.

I'll investigat True image. I think.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

The reason I wanted to run the error checking because enough corrupted data on the Hard Drive can lead to the very clicking sounds you are hearing. 99.9% of the time it is a Hardware Issue, but I wanted to be sure before we replace the Hard Drive.

Have you thought about which Hard Drive to replace it with? (You want at least a 7,200rpm Hard Drive with an 8Mb Cache on it.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Arkroyal]

Should have a western digital 80 gig job tomorrow. That way, I can try the aged Trinmph sports carr's idea without buying extra software.

If I go quiet for a while, you'll know why:ok:

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

If the Drive is the WD800JB, I know you will be very happy with it. :ok:

Take Care,

Richard

[Arkroyal]

The very one.

I'll keep you posted

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

We will be here. :ok:

Take Care,

Richard

[Arkroyal]

I'm back,

Not before the old disk failed partially just before the new one went in.

Much data lost, but nothing important.

Thanks all for your help:p

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

You cannot win them all, but at least you learned a lot and did not lose anything important. ;)

Take Care,

Richard

[Arkroyal]

I've now got my old damaged HD runing as E drive, and have managed to retrieve more stuff.

One big loss was all my old emails as I couldn't get Outlook express to run after the partial crash.

Does anyone know where old emails are stored? I might be able to copy them over if I can find them.

Thanks to all

[TR4A]

Try this web site:

Inside Outlook Express

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/

[BOAC]

Ark - in W2000 they are stored in 'Documents and Settings/''USER??"/Application Data/Identities', and you can change the store location for OE through 'Tools/Options/Maintenance'.

Suggest you copy both your 'currrent' and any 'old' store folder somewhere else (not 'E' :D ) before you try to 'import' emails, which you do via 'File/Import/Messages' then select OE4/6, NEXT, 'Import from Store Directory' - browse to chosen - and awa you go. Good luck!

[Arkroyal]

BOAC,

You are a splendid chap, and if I were femail, I'd have your babies.

Fantastic, got them all back once I realised that the files were hidden.

Love ya:D :D :ok: :ok: :O

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

That is great news. Is there anything else that you were not able to get or not able to find?

Take Care,

Richard

[BOAC]

You are a splendid chap, and if I were femail, I'd have your babies - I guess I take that as a compliment then:=

[Arkroyal]

It sure was BOAC.

I'm constantly amazed at the speed at which pruners come to the rescue, thanks to all.

Naples, I've recoverred a lot of stuff now, and the rest is not too important, just a few games for which I no longer have the CDs.

Just one further question:

When I loaded my XP professional, I cheched yes to being part of a network, though I didn't really need to. It's a network of two home machines.

Now it thinks I'm an administrator and requires an additional click to start windows.

Can you reload XP without disturbing the rest of the HD?

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Arkroyal,

Games without the original CD is very hard since you would need the registry info and other files in order to get them working on another OS without doing the install.

In the end it is best to do the install from a CD. (You might be able to borrow a CD from a friend so you can reinstall them.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Paterbrat]

Had a sadness while traveling in the rear. Bloke in front opened the overhead pulled out his coat and with it my computer. Bounced of seat top, arm, floor. Continued to work for a bit, however will not now boot up. How can I check if this is hard disc failure or simply a disconnection of the HD?
Thanks.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Paterbrat,

Without any info what so ever about your comp, I am going to take a stab in the dark. (I might have better luck tossing darts at a dartboard while blindfolded though.)

You should be able to open the Drive Bay if it is a Notebook Computer and remove the Hard Drive, you could try reconnecting it to see if it will work or not. (There are also adapters that will let you use a Notebook Hard Drive on a Desktop Computer so you can hopefully get the Data off of it.)

You should be able to remove the case, if it is a Desktop Computer, and check the cables to see if the Hard Drive is still connected. Also with a Desktop, you can remove the Drive and connect it to another comp in order to remove the Data.

Take Care,

Richard

[Paterbrat]

Many thanks Richard will explore and see what gives. Have new notebook so am getting by in the meantime.