Hard drive not reconized by Windows but is with Linux, please help.

[alforber183]

Hi,

Hope someone can help me out here, I have a WD 500GB external sata hard drive. It started giving me I/O errors a few weeks ago, but was still accessible, now it cannot be accessed. When it’s plugged in windows runs the WD button manager, but the hard drive is displayed as "local drive" and any attempt to access it ends in windows freezing up. The hard drive still has power and seems to be spinning fine.

When I plug it into Linux, it starts up no problems and I can browse through and open any file's I want.

My question is, is there any way to repair the hard drive without coping all the data out through Linux and reformatting it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, cheers guys.

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

Have you tried checking the drive for errors and fixing them with Windows? You can run disk checking from the command line by typing chkdsk volume: /r to check the drive, repair errors, and locate bad sectors. Or, go to 'My Computer' and right-click the eSATA drive and select 'Properties' from the context menu. Select the 'Tools' tab and click the 'Check Now...' button under 'Error-checking'. Check off both boxes to repair file system errors and recover bad sectors and click the 'Start' button to begin the error checking. After Windows has finished checking the drive and repairing any errors, see if the drive is accessible.

- How to perform disk error checking in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[alforber183]

Yeah, tried doing that both through properties and cmd prompt. When trying through properties, Windows freezes and then have to end process through task manager. The cmd promopt way begins to check but then fails after only a few seconds with a message "chkdsk incountered an error" or something along those lines then cmd prompt closes.

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

Please provide the model name and number of your Western Digital drive.

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[alforber183]

It is a WD 500GB sata drive. Silver caddie with USB and firewire 400 & 800.

Caddy Model:WD5000E032
Hard drive model:WD50000KS WD Caviar SE16

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

Download and run the "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows" utility from Western Digital's website. Run the Extended Test diagnostic and check the results of the test after it has finished running. It should provide you with information about what is going on with the drive and if it is on its way out the door or not. Also, it may possibly be able to correct errors on the drive. I have provided the link to the utility below.

- Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=3&lang=en

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[alforber183]

Thanks, started running the extended test a few hours ago, so i will let you know the results of that. I did try the quick test but that failed almost straight away.

Do you have any idea why the hard drive would run with Linux but not WinXP??

Thanks

 

[alforber183]

Quick test and extended test results as follows

Test Option: QUICK TEST
Model Number: WDC WD5000KS-00MNB0
Serial Number: WD-WCANU1023024
Firmware Number: 700.E270
Drive Type: USB
Capacity: 500.11 GB
SMART Status: FAIL
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 06-Quick Test on drive 3 did not complete! Status code = 04 (Unknown failed test element), Failure Checkpoint = 64 (SMART Attribute Test) SMART self-test did not complete on drive 3!
Test Time: 18:55:32, March 19, 2009

Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD5000KS-00MNB0
Serial Number: WD-WCANU1023024
Firmware Number: 700.E270
Drive Type: USB
Capacity: 500.11 GB
SMART Status: FAIL
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 08-Too many bad sectors detected !
Test Time: 23:41:59, March 19, 2009

Will a format cure my problem? Just have to find a Linux PC to copy 500GB worth over!!

 

[BadBigBen]

Will a format cure my problem?

Probably not...

I would go about it in this way:

1. Boot into a Live Distro, e.g. System Rescue CD or Knoppix (both have excellent NTFS support), then copy the data to a local drive...

2. take out the drive from the USB enclosure, and place it physically into another PC as a SLAVE (if IDE)... Then run the WD Diags again... Reason: SMART status usually cannot be read or detected over USB, and thus any SMART errors are to be viewed as false or non reliable...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[Grenage]

Your drive is only going to get worse, download a live CD (such as knoppix) and copy your data over to another drive.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area" - Major Mike Shearer