hardrive errors

[Poppa_Meth]

We've got a color computer here at the paint store where I work. yesterday I was trying to do an Acronis backup, just like I do every week. Acronis gave me a message that it couldn't read from the certain sectors of the hard drive. This is the second time this has happened. Like last time I ran the newer version of SealToolsDOS on the 20GB Maxtor drive. It found and repaired three errors. Now Acronis works fine again. What I'm wondering is, especially since it's the second time this has happened, would it be best to get a whole new drive and clone it over now? I doesn't seem I can trust this one. I'm wondering if it is even worth trying to use at all, even for extra storage. Or is it too risky to trust it for anything? This is the only drive I've ever had that has had to have sectors repaired.

[Krispy Kritter]

Most likely it will continue to get worse until it finally fails or you loose sectors with needed OS or application data.

Best to just replace it now.

[ozymango]

I'll second replacing the drive -- it sounds like this is a "mission critical" computer, and being a new drive is maybe a hundred bucks, if it does go bye-bye in the middle of a work day, and the store's busy ... hardware is notorious for failing just when you need it most.

[redwudz]

If that computer has the capability of running S.M.A.R.T. for the hard drive, that may give some warning of impending disaster. But I would replace it anyway.

[TBoneit]

Replace it. The drive is going bad. The key indicator to that is the fact that you have had to repair it twice. Replace it before it fails totally, always when you need it badly.

Why play around. And do yourself a favor, don't buy the cheapest brand around (Maxtor).

Replace it and chuck it. If your Boss won't spring for it and it sounds like important equipment to me. Try and explain about penny wise, dollar foolish. When it goes down and you lose customers......

[Poppa_Meth]

Oh I plan on either a Seagate or WD to replace it. I never have liked Maxtor. Smart hasn't been triggered according to diagnostic tools, but I'm not relying on that alone.

[TBoneit]

One other slight possibility, I say slight based on the drive size. I'm guessing it is a older computer?

Vibration can cause damage. Or somebody tapping/banging on the computer.

I see all kinds of things here at work. Boot drive set to off in the Bios or IDE cable off so the computer won't boot. Parent brings it in for repair, kids saying it's slow. Lets just get a new faster one that can run my games.....

You draw your own conclusion, I know what mine was. I just hooked it back up charged $10 told em what had happened and what to check next time, set a Bios password and away they go.

[Poppa_Meth]

No it's only about 3 years old. It was just a budget build through the paint provider that set up the color system.