How to check for errors/ faulty hard drive.

[technodean]

I have 2 Hitachi deskstar 5k3000, The one which is constantly being wrote too never has a problem, however, the second one has. 6 months ago the my pc wouldn't boot into windows without going to the check screen with the drive installed, so let it do its thing but still wouldn't boot with out cancelling the check, removed drive, used a usb to sata as the pc wouldn't recognise the drive. found the drive to be wiped clean, over 1 tb of info gone. formatted the drive via the usb and installed back with sata, the pc once again see's the drive. Yesterday, turned the pc on to find the pc needs to check the drive, let it run but after 20mins it said it found errors it was done, but had to turn it off manually, started and says error with drive. restarted again, error with drive, cancelled the check, copied my files to another drive, formatted the drive and now it boots back to windows without the check. I am running check disk and has been stuck as pictured below for the past half hour. What can I do? it has a 3 yr warrenty, but if it works if I send it back they will call me a lier.

[cam1986]

Can you not download an utility by Hitachi that can check the drive and then you can let them have the info for an RMA?

http://www.hgst.com/hdd//support/download.htm

http://ibm-hitachi-drive-fitness-test.en.softonic.com/

[technodean]

Thanks cam, sadly can't use the ibm-hitachi fitness test as its not supported for win 7, but did give an alternative, so going to try that. CheckDiskGUI

[DanceswithUnix]

Assume the drive is faulty, go to the website and start looking at the RMA procedure.
Not used the Hitachi one, but with others I *had* to run the fitness test to get an output code to process the RMA. That way they can't call you a liar, only their diagnosis software

Note that if the drive is failing rather than full on wreaked, the fitness test may do some shuffling around of the sectors and tell you all is fine.

As for Win7, I notice there is a bootable CD version on the download site. If you can get that burnt to a CD, then it doesn't matter what OS you are running. Remember, if you are trying to RMA the only drive on a PC it probably can't boot into any OS so they have to allow for things like that.

[rtyall]

HDDScan is free and easy to use, just need to right click and run as admin for windows 7, but have used it to confirm faults on 3 disk so far (now refuse to by seagate disks).