bad sectors
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From: Irwin on 27 Dec 2005 07:50 Hello. I haven't been to this group in a while, work has been so crazy. But now I need some help. My son's computer just started the following weird behavior. It boot and goes right into the boot menu with safe boot, last good config, etc. Whatever you pick, it just reboots and comes back to the same menu. OK, so I figure the c drive is corrupted or windows is corrupted. Despite my monthly advice to make backups, of course he hasn't. So the only backup is from when we first put the computer together, which would be better than nothing. I fire up the Norton Ghost 2003 CD, and it stops with a 29004 bad sectors error. The drive is only 6 months old, shouldn't be having physical problems already, should it? In any case, I will today download the diagnostic diskette from the vendor and run it. Assuming that we confirm the bad sector errors, what is the best order to do things in? I want to back up the data, but Ghost won't run. Should I do any of the following, and in which order? 1) Try a different program to pull the data off with a different program? 2) Try to repair the bad sectors? 3) Take the drive out of the machine and put it into a different machine and pull off what I can? 4) Other suggestions? I forgot to mention that Ghost 2003 won't recognize my external USB hard drive, which works fine on other machines. I choose the USB 2 driver, and it just freezes when the driver is initializing. What is that all about? I tried it in both front and back ports. Thanks for the advice. I have lots of reading on this to do also, but would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. Happy Holiday, Irwin
From: Arno Wagner on 27 Dec 2005 10:52 Previously Irwin <ebct(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Hello. I haven't been to this group in a while, work has been so crazy. > But now I need some help. > My son's computer just started the following weird behavior. It boot > and goes right into the boot menu with safe boot, last good config, > etc. Whatever you pick, it just reboots and comes back to the same > menu. OK, so I figure the c drive is corrupted or windows is corrupted. > Despite my monthly advice to make backups, of course he hasn't. So the > only backup is from when we first put the computer together, which > would be better than nothing. I fire up the Norton Ghost 2003 CD, and > it stops with a 29004 bad sectors error. The drive is only 6 months > old, shouldn't be having physical problems already, should it? It can. Some faults have a probability per operating hour and can happen at any time. > In any case, I will today download the diagnostic diskette from the > vendor and run it. Assuming that we confirm the bad sector errors, what > is the best order to do things in? I want to back up the data, but > Ghost won't run. You need to use a bad-sector tolerant imaging tool. One option is dd_rescue under Linux. It is contained in Knoppix. You can also try to access the partitions with Knoppix and copy critical files. > Should I do any of the following, and in which order? > 1) Try a different program to pull the data off with a different > program? Yes. One that is known to work even if the source drive has errors. > 2) Try to repair the bad sectors? No! That could make mattters worse! > 3) Take the drive out of the machine and put it into a different > machine and pull off what I can? If that makes things easier, you can. > 4) Other suggestions? Concentrate on getting the data off. You might also want to try to copy especially critical stuff on a file-by-file basis. > I forgot to mention that Ghost 2003 won't recognize my external USB > hard drive, which works fine on other machines. I choose the USB 2 > driver, and it just freezes when the driver is initializing. What is > that all about? I tried it in both front and back ports. Bad driver? Maybe Ghost 2003 is not all that current? > Thanks for the advice. I have lots of reading on this to do also, but > would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. I hope I have provided some. Arno
From: Nicholas D Richards on 27 Dec 2005 13:37 In article <1135687858.998886.273290(a)g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Irwin <ebct(a)hotmail.com> writes >Hello. I haven't been to this group in a while, work has been so crazy. >But now I need some help. > >My son's computer just started the following weird behavior. It boot >and goes right into the boot menu with safe boot, last good config, >etc. Whatever you pick, it just reboots and comes back to the same >menu. OK, so I figure the c drive is corrupted or windows is corrupted. >Despite my monthly advice to make backups, of course he hasn't. So the >only backup is from when we first put the computer together, which >would be better than nothing. I fire up the Norton Ghost 2003 CD, and >it stops with a 29004 bad sectors error. The drive is only 6 months >old, shouldn't be having physical problems already, should it? Have you been to the Symantec site and looked up this error? There are a number of suggestions as to the cause and work round for this problem. One of causes is that the disk is faulty, but there are other alternative causes. Search technical support using 'norton ghost 2003 29004 bad sectors error' and ye shall find. As an aside to running Norton Ghost from a bootable floppy, do not write protect the disk. If Ghost has a problem it attempts to write to a text file describing the problem to the bootable floppy, and halts reporting the write problem, rather than the initial cause of the problem. > >In any case, I will today download the diagnostic diskette from the >vendor and run it. Assuming that we confirm the bad sector errors, what >is the best order to do things in? I want to back up the data, but >Ghost won't run. > >Should I do any of the following, and in which order? > >1) Try a different program to pull the data off with a different >program? >2) Try to repair the bad sectors? Absolute last resort. If there is problem with a disk, writing to it can (only) make things worse. >3) Take the drive out of the machine and put it into a different >machine and pull off what I can? Similarly the other computer may attempt to write to the disk. If your problem is actually a virus.......... >4) Other suggestions? Stick with option 1 and see if you can get Ghost to work, it is none destructive and may get you your data. As another poster has said there are other programs. I have found Ghost to be a life saver. > >I forgot to mention that Ghost 2003 won't recognize my external USB >hard drive, which works fine on other machines. I choose the USB 2 >driver, and it just freezes when the driver is initializing. What is >that all about? I tried it in both front and back ports The advice for Ghost 2003 is only to use the USB 2.0 drivers if all links in the chain are 2.0. Is the motherboard 2.0 compliant? I would suggest using the USB 1.1 driver option when you create your Ghost floppy. Note, that it can take some time for the USB initialisation. I have also had this problem when using a PCI USB 2.0 Card on a USB 1.1 motherboard >. > >Thanks for the advice. I have lots of reading on this to do also, but >would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. > >Happy Holiday, >Irwin > -- Nicholas David Richards - "O? sont les neiges d'antan?"
From: Rod Speed on 27 Dec 2005 14:12 Irwin <ebct(a)hotmail.com> wrote > Hello. I haven't been to this group in a while, work > has been so crazy. But now I need some help. > My son's computer just started the following weird behavior. > It boot and goes right into the boot menu with safe boot, > last good config, etc. Whatever you pick, it just reboots > and comes back to the same menu. Thats the default behaviour with XP, reboot on serious error. > OK, so I figure the c drive is corrupted or windows is corrupted. > Despite my monthly advice to make backups, of course he hasn't. > So the only backup is from when we first put the computer together, > which would be better than nothing. I fire up the Norton Ghost 2003 > CD, and it stops with a 29004 bad sectors error. The drive is only 6 > months old, shouldn't be having physical problems already, should it? Correct, it should keep going till its too small and slow to bother with. > In any case, I will today download the diagnostic diskette > from the vendor and run it. Assuming that we confirm the > bad sector errors, what is the best order to do things in? I'd check the SMART status using Everest too. > I want to back up the data, but Ghost won't run. I doubt anything else will either given that many errors. You could let it cool down and see if the errors go away. If the drive is stinking hot, the errors may be temporary. Same with a bad power supply too. > Should I do any of the following, and in which order? > 1) Try a different program to pull the data off with a different program? You can try a forensic clone which attempts to read the bads to see what it can get, but with that many, it likely wont achieve much. And you'll need another drive at least as big to write the clone to. > 2) Try to repair the bad sectors? No, dont try that. The drive itself should have tried sparing the bads and has run out of spares with that many bad. > 3) Take the drive out of the machine and put it > into a different machine and pull off what I can? Yes, I'd try this first, basically to eliminate the possibility that the bads are due to something outside the drive, the power supply, bad cable, bad controller etc. Dont use the same cable either. > 4) Other suggestions? If you still see the very high number of bads in the SMART data with the drive out of that system, you'd best give up and try to save the most important data on the drive manually. You wont be able to clone it with that many bads. > I forgot to mention that Ghost 2003 won't recognize my > external USB hard drive, which works fine on other machines. > I choose the USB 2 driver, and it just freezes when the driver is > initializing. What is that all about? I tried it in both front and back ports. Its way past its useby date now, it never was that great with USB drives. > Thanks for the advice. I have lots of reading on this to do > also, but would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. I'd try the drive in a different system, internally. Check the SMART status of the drive using Everest. See what the manufacturer's diagnostic says about the drive while its in a different system. If it still has lots of bads in a different system, try to get what you can of the most important data off that drive manually. If the drive is fine in a different system, fix the problem in the original box.
From: Rod Speed on 27 Dec 2005 14:24
Amended, I misread the error message. Irwin <ebct(a)hotmail.com> wrote > Hello. I haven't been to this group in a while, work > has been so crazy. But now I need some help. > My son's computer just started the following weird behavior. > It boot and goes right into the boot menu with safe boot, > last good config, etc. Whatever you pick, it just reboots > and comes back to the same menu. Thats the default behaviour with XP, reboot on serious error. > OK, so I figure the c drive is corrupted or windows is corrupted. > Despite my monthly advice to make backups, of course he hasn't. > So the only backup is from when we first put the computer together, > which would be better than nothing. I fire up the Norton Ghost 2003 > CD, and it stops with a 29004 bad sectors error. The drive is only 6 > months old, shouldn't be having physical problems already, should it? Correct, it should keep going till its too small and slow to bother with. > In any case, I will today download the diagnostic diskette > from the vendor and run it. Assuming that we confirm the > bad sector errors, what is the best order to do things in? I'd check the SMART status using Everest too. > I want to back up the data, but Ghost won't run. You could let it cool down and see if the errors go away. If the drive is stinking hot, the errors may be temporary. Same with a bad power supply too. > Should I do any of the following, and in which order? > 1) Try a different program to pull the data off with a different program? You can try a forensic clone which attempts to read the bads to see what it can get. And you'll need another drive at least as big to write the clone to. And they wont usually use an external drive either. > 2) Try to repair the bad sectors? No, dont try that. The drive itself should have tried sparing the bads and has run out of spares with that many bad. > 3) Take the drive out of the machine and put it > into a different machine and pull off what I can? Yes, I'd try this first, basically to eliminate the possibility that the bads are due to something outside the drive, the power supply, bad cable, bad controller etc. Dont use the same cable either. > 4) Other suggestions? If you see a high number of bads in the SMART data with the drive out of that system, you'd best try to save the most important data on the drive manually. > I forgot to mention that Ghost 2003 won't recognize my > external USB hard drive, which works fine on other machines. > I choose the USB 2 driver, and it just freezes when the driver is > initializing. What is that all about? I tried it in both front and back ports. Its way past its useby date now, it never was that great with USB drives. > Thanks for the advice. I have lots of reading on this to do > also, but would appreciate a nudge in the right direction. I'd try the drive in a different system, internally. Check the SMART status of the drive using Everest. See what the manufacturer's diagnostic says about the drive while its in a different system. If it still has quite a few bads in a different system, try to get what you can of the most important data off that drive manually. Hitachi's DFT will say which files are affected by bads from memory. If the drive is fine in a different system, fix the problem in the original box. |