Did a defrag kill my HDD?

[Hufty]

I have an old (well, 3.5 years) Samsung VM6000 laptop at home and as it was getting slow to open things I decided to defragment the hard disk. Unfortunately the defrag hung about 10% of the way through and the only thing I could do was to power off the machine.

Then, when I tried to turn it back on, it claimed not to be able to see Windows. I tried all sorts of things but after a while had to re-format the C:/ and lose all my data!!! Anyway, I tried to reload Windows 98 from the CD and it kept hanging in the same place, accompanied by a load of clicking/whirring noises from the HDD! I created a Boot disk so I could get into DOS and managed to get it to run scandisk which was clear. However, when I try to run a surface scan of the disk, it always hangs in the same place (cluster 4220) and I get the same clicking noises.

I am trying to find a way to repair the disk, but I don't really know what I'm doing and despite trying to run a couple of diagnostic programs, I can't get anywhere.

I understand that is might be possible to isolate the damaged clusters so the machine doesn't try to use them???

Any thoughts (even if it is to bury the HDD) welcome!!

Thanks in advance................Hufty

[ORAC]

Try a low level format, then FDISK it, the format it again. Fingers crossed.

LLFs are a last resort, you also should use the utility from the HDD maker. I'm presuming your HDD is a Samsung. Regardless, you'll find a link to the right manufacturer here. (http://www.disk-utility.com/hard-disk-low-level-format.html) For Samsung, see HUTIL, then SUTIL.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Hufty,

If you come to the conclusion that the drive is in fact dead, you could try to see if Samsung would replace it. Even though it is out of warranty, they usually have some sort of exchange program for hard drives for a small fee.

The other option would be to try some place like Dabs. Here is a list of notebook hard drives:

Dabs.com notebook hard drive list. (http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-search.asp?action=search&tid=734&ob=price&stab=ref)

Take Care,

Richard

[Mac the Knife]

Here's a good dodge from long ago to get around isolated bad clusters.

Create a primary (or secondary) partition up to the bad clusters. Now create a secondary partition spanning the bad clusters. Then create a secondary (or primary) partition after the bad clusters. Then delete the partition containing the damaged clusters.

But when modern HDDs start whimpering it's usually best to bin 'em.

[allthatglitters]

I would agree, sounds like it’s time to get a new HDD, a standard 2½ inch drive should fit the Samsung adaptor.
Several years ago I had the same Samsung VM6000 laptop model; the hard disk drive was an IBM Travelstar. Surprisingly after 3 months, with exactly the same, "accompanied by a load of clicking/whirring noises from the HDD" started just before it died the drive failed.

[Hufty]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I am going to try all this tonight, but maybe it is time to replace it. I might treat myself to a new battery at the same time - it will be nice not to have the machine shut down 2 seconds after I accidentally pull the mains lead out!!

Thanks again....

Hufty