Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

Something on computer is fubar

<< < (6/10) > >>

4wd:
@cmpm: Been there, done that :)

Besides, I've changed network config so that both of my computers are now networked via a Gb switch and are then plugged into a single port on the modem/router - the other computer that's on 24/7/365 has no problems at all and neither does another that's connected via the routers wifi - it's just something that affects my work/game rig and it does it even with no network cable attached.

@nite_monkey: If I might enquire, can you tell me what manufacturers the HDDs in your computer are?

I think I've found another lead to follow and it's possibly bearing some fruit on my rig.

nite_monkey:
My main drive (which might be the culprit) is by hitachi
My backup drive (which I have no problems with that I know of) is a WD

4wd:
I completely pulled apart, (CPU, RAM, HDD, motherboard, PSU - everything), and rebuilt the computer from scratch removing any contamination, (dust, etc), as I went - made no change.

My drives consist of: 2 Samsung 1TB, WD 640, WD 750 and WD 1TB.

I found this thread which describes a problem similar to what I'm experiencing, (except I don't get any noises from the drives).

So, having added a Seagate 1.5TB so I could get the data off of my HDDs, I thought I'd give it a try - low level format every drive in turn using the appropriate manufacturers util.

Watching Win7s' Resource Monitor Disk Activity, I see when it happens that the Response Time blows out to 1-3 seconds on access on only 2 of my HDDs, (WD 640 and WD 1TB), even though another HDD is in use, (Samsung 1TB), it's access times are normal.  The WD 640 just happens to be my system drive and the WD 1TB is where the portable apps I use are located - so I think those two are next for the low level format.

Maybe that's why I see it most when using Firefox, all that caching of small files just happens to make it more likely to hit a defect on a HDD.

Maybe something to try if you have somewhere to shift data to - took 4.5 hours to low level format one of the Samsungs.

4wd:
Well, after error checking the the two WDs using their own tool they both reported as being OK, (a few hours later).

So, both HDDs then got full formatted, (not quick formatted), and Win7HP installed on the WD 640 no problems until..............I plugged the WD 1TB, (newly mindwiped), back in and started copying things to it.

The freezes returned, so out came the 1TB and the system began behaving normally.

So, even after a few formats, error checking, etc, etc which all reported OK, the drive has some bad blocks somewhere, possibly the firmware has gone buggy or it just may be a firmware incompatibility with the new motherboard.

Bit annoying, now to dig out a receipt and see who I got it from since it's only about 3 months old.

cranioscopical:
Well, after error checking the the two WDs using their own tool they both reported as being OK, (a few hours later).
So, even after a few formats, error checking, etc, etc which all reported OK, the drive has some bad blocks somewhere, possibly the firmware has gone buggy or it just may be a firmware incompatibility with the new motherboard.

--- End quote ---
Glad to see that you found the source of your problem.  :up: :up:
Tools from WD have passed as A-OK a couple of WD's of mine that proceeded to fail (what seemed like just) moments later.

I don't think I'd have had the patience to track down your problem. Out of sheer frustration I'd probably have kicked the entire machine into touch some time back.
On more than one of my boxes, if I have >3 HDs then drive problems seem to occur. Since I run only Windows XP I don't know if that's OS related.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page