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Thread: Can a virus ruin a hard drive?

  1. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by directhex View Post
    or it could just reflash the drive firmware with garbage
    Ah! so in theory you could re flash the hard drive with Maxtors code.

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    Quote Originally Posted by max99 View Post
    A lot of people will automatically blame a virus when things go wrong, but it's just as likely to be a hardware or other software problem. In this case it's a failing hard drive.

    As you said it is 'your hobby playing with computers', now may be a good opportunity for you to experiment with various data recovery programs. Even if there's nothing on the drive which needs to be rescued, it's a skill which will be sure to come in handy one day.
    erm Well when I started yes, but I've cocked up the hard disk completly by doing nothing wrong or to re-phrase that..............I haven't done anything that didn't work on another hard disk.

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    If you want your data, then you need to consider repairing the partition. However, if the data is of no value, avoid using the same hard disk drive again, it is not worth the headache. Buy a Hitachi-IBm, perhaps sata rather than ide drives
    "I have put my genius into my life, whereas all I have put into my work is my talent-Oscar Wild - UniRecovery Data Recovery Specialists."

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    Try getting the hard-drive scanning + repair software

    here

    this will tell you if its goosed or not and if its not it should be able to fix it for you

    EDIT: try using a boot up disk and doing it in dos rather than in windows just to be sure. If there is a write drive with zeros option i would maybe go for that rather than standard format
    Last edited by Biscuit; 21-03-2007 at 03:57 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Biscuit View Post
    Try getting the hard-drive scanning + repair software

    here

    this will tell you if its goosed or not and if its not it should be able to fix it for you

    EDIT: try using a boot up disk and doing it in dos rather than in windows just to be sure. If there is a write drive with zeros option i would maybe go for that rather than standard format
    Thanks......changed over to the faulty drive, but the Maxtor file didn't work on making the floppy bootable erm well until I can rectify this, thought I would try fdisk again from a floppy:-

    1..Deleted primary etc....ok
    2...create primary dos partition...ok
    3..verifying drive integrity...ok
    4..create max and active...ok
    5..verify drive integrity..ok
    6..reboot..ok
    7..format c:
    8..formatting 12,62.95M.....HUH it's an 80 gig drive
    9..reaches 3%...message trying to recover allocation unit 84,872....huh oh well it does it.
    10..reaches 6%..message> not ready, format terminated
    11..a:\

    This drive is on magic mushrooms.

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    yeah its nackered. Take it back and get a replacment if you can

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    Maxtor hard drives are considered some of the worst, so I would get a different make if you have to purchase a new one.

    As you have already done a low level format, then I assume there is no important data on the drive. A great utility I use all the time for completely wiping a hard drive is called DBAN

    http://dban.sourceforge.net/

    Download the ISO (or setup app) and burn it to a CD. Boot using this CD and do a single-pass wipe of the entire drive. If this does not complete, you have a problem with the drive. If it does complete, then use the XP installation CD to partition the drive and install XP.

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    The best thing about IBM (Hitachi) is their warranty service. I have even had a raid pair fail within 1 day. I will never buy again. Maxtor I have had no problem with, but I am told they have dropped their quality since the takeover.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Defenestration View Post
    Maxtor hard drives are considered some of the worst, so I would get a different make if you have to purchase a new one.

    As you have already done a low level format, then I assume there is no important data on the drive. A great utility I use all the time for completely wiping a hard drive is called DBAN

    http://dban.sourceforge.net/

    Download the ISO (or setup app) and burn it to a CD. Boot using this CD and do a single-pass wipe of the entire drive. If this does not complete, you have a problem with the drive. If it does complete, then use the XP installation CD to partition the drive and install XP.

    The maxtor software does the same/similar thing and has failed so i very much doubt any 3rd party boot up software is worth the effort. If the Maxtor official software fails to sort the problem i would say you're in a good position to give up and claim under warranty (is still possible) as the issue is clearly something screwed up within the actual device itself rather than within any sofware or operating system. If your out of warrenty, fair enough keep trying bu to be honest i would just get myself on scan and order a western digital or seagate drive
    Last edited by Biscuit; 22-03-2007 at 04:53 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Defenestration View Post
    Maxtor hard drives are considered some of the worst, so I would get a different make if you have to purchase a new one.

    As you have already done a low level format, then I assume there is no important data on the drive. A great utility I use all the time for completely wiping a hard drive is called DBAN

    http://dban.sourceforge.net/

    Download the ISO (or setup app) and burn it to a CD. Boot using this CD and do a single-pass wipe of the entire drive. If this does not complete, you have a problem with the drive. If it does complete, then use the XP installation CD to partition the drive and install XP.
    Handy link thanks, but there was nothing important on the 2nd partition on the HD.
    Looks like another thumbs down for Maxtor as IMO if the drive is running "sweet" you shouldn't have problems.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Biscuit View Post
    If the Maxtor official software fails to sort the problem i would say you're in a good position to give up and claim under warranty (is still possible) as the issue is clearly something screwed up within the actual device itself rather than within any sofware or operating system.
    Very true.

    Quote Originally Posted by Biscuit View Post
    order a western digital or seagate drive
    ... or Samsung SpinPoint.

  12. #28
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    yeah my dad has a couple of samsungs and they are very reliable.

    I have a maxtor 250gb one and its b*llocks tbf. Loud, Hot and slow

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