Should I return my hard drive?

[alegator]

I bought this brand new 320GB EIDE Western Digital hard drive to be used as 2nd internal in my XP Pro SP2 PC. So I installed it as a second internal drive. I went thru the WinXP Computer Management procedure to initialize the disk, create primary partition and quick NTFS format.No problem till there. After using it for one day, the drive made a funny noise and the system froze forcing me to reboot. I managed to boot back into WinXP so I run the WD Diagnostics Extended test (a specific Western Digital diagnostic test software). The test reported bad sectors and gave me the option to repair it,so I went ahead to repair the drive as prompted and ran the Extended Test again and it passed OK without any bad sectors reported. I called Western Digital to ask them if I should return it, they said that if the Extended test gave me the option to repair it and then the test passed OK, that the drive is 100%reliable as if there were no bad sectors in the first place, so that although there's no need to return it, I'm free to return it if I want.So should I return the drive to Western Digital for replacement, or is the drive fine? I fear that even if a bad sector is repaired, it's an open invitation for future trouble.

[Bodyslide]

To be safe Return it....

[jameshgross]

All HD have bad sectors. You can usually view the bad sector table by using the manufactures low level format tool. How to decide if the drive should be returned - look at the bad sector table. If the bad sectors are clustered then that is good. If there are a large number of bad sectors scattered over the whole of the disk then return it.

[jagabo]

All hard drives have reserved sectors that can be used to replace defective sectors that are present at manufacturing or that develop later. So the WD diagnostic has substituted some of those reserve sectors for the bad ones.

The question is, why did those sectors go bad? Is it a one-off or is this something that's going to happen again and again. There's no way of knowing until you've used the drive for a while. I'd return it as Bodyslide suggested.

[lordsmurf]

Return it.

[oldandinthe way]

If you return it to WD you may get the same drive or another drive with the same behavior.

Your drive now passes its diagnostics. Unless there is a flaw which will be found by the factory's own test equipment your drive will wind up returned to you or to some other user with a problem.

The only way to be sure of getting a new drive is a return to the retailer. And even then if there is a design or testing flaw you may have to go through this again.

Backupp frequently and follow the path which makes you feel mpst comfortable, there ain't no ideal answer.

[tug_hill2]

Hello alegator, I believe that your problem began when you used "Quick format" on the drive as the quick format feature presupposes that the drive is perfect. You should have done a normal format. Yes.... It would take a bit of time, but it would be time well spent.


tug_hill2

[alegator]

All HD have bad sectors. You can usually view the bad sector table by using the manufactures low level format tool. How to decide if the drive should be returned - look at the bad sector table. If the bad sectors are clustered then that is good. If there are a large number of bad sectors scattered over the whole of the disk then return it.

Can you be more specific as to how to view the bad sector table using the low level format tool? Is this performance test destructive,i.e., will it wipe the files already stored in the drive? Thanks

[oldandinthe way]

All modern drives have bad sectors.

Today's modern drives have virtual geometries and the manner in which you access the drive has little relationship to where the data actually is on the drive.

The bad block table and associated remapping is handled by firmware within the drive, which can affected by the manufacturer's diagnostic software. The bad block table is not usually available to the computer - the information would be useless.

If you do a normal format, the drive will check the disk for what the operating system sees are bad clusters and lock them out. This is usually unnecessary since bad blocks do not generally occur between the factory and the initial installation.

Had you done a normal format on your drive it is likely you would have found the same bad sectors the WD diagnostics did and you would now have less usable space than you actually have.

Unfortunately it sheds no light on what you should do.

I'd take frequent backups and wait to see what happens.

[alegator]

All modern drives have bad sectors.

So you mean that bad sectors are not a bad thing as they were regarded in old drives? In what respect? In that they can be repaired and make a drive be 100% reliable?

The bad block table and associated remapping is handled by firmware within the drive, which can affected by the manufacturer's diagnostic software. The bad block table is not usually available to the computer - the information would be useless.

So then I should disregard what jameshgross suggested? (low level format tool)

I'd take frequent backups and wait to see what happens.

So you mean to say that repairing the bad sectors with a Windows XP standard scandisk or full format is exactly the same as with the WD Diagnostic Tool software? WD told me that their software is specific for their drives, as if the repair I get with their software is "better" than the one I would've obtained with a regular Windows scandisk. Since repairing the drive with the WD Diagnostic Tool it's been permanently connected for 12 hours approx, I've created a new partition in it to create a clone of my main drive, and in the 2nd partition I've copied/accessed several video files and no weird sound or trouble so far.

[oldandinthe way]

Their diagnostic is specific to their drives. It differs from format or scan disk in that it remaps bad sectors to reserved areas of the drive. It also can disable error-correction, so that it finds potential errors which other tools cannot.

Scan disk will simply lock the bad sectors and reduce the usuable size of your drive, and it will not lock out correctible sectors.

The strange noise you heard during boot may have been caused by an inadequate power supply causing a head crash. Are you certain that your power supply is of adequate wattage to support a second internal drive?

It has been many years since any manufacturer produced drives without bad sectors,, yet almost every drive today shows no bad sectors due to the firmware. Growing NEW bad sectors continues to be worrying, but it may be caused by the drive or other parts of your system.

[alegator]

The strange noise was not heard during boot, but during actual PC usage with Windows already logged. And actually it was not strange, it was the typical clicking sound a hard drive makes when it's trying to access a bad sector. The sound was made only once, freezing Windows and as said, forcing me to reboot (I actually shut it down and let it rest for a while before powering it on again and run the Extended test)
You also mentioned to take frequent backups. I guess that is true for any hard drive, or are you saying that specifically for this drive I should backup more frequently than for any other drive?
My common sense tells me that if I keep this drive connected live for say 1 or 2 weeks nonstop and everything is normal, then it should be as reliable as any other drive. Am I right? Or there's no way to know?

[oldandinthe way]

I am suggesting some extra care ntil the drive has regained your confidence.

[Capmaster]

If your diagnostic is reporting bad sectors, chances are you will have more as the drive gets older.

I would return it.