11%+ bad sectors

[TommyTwommy]

So I was getting errors when trying to download stuff or install stuff or play games. I was getting CRC errors all the time.. I googled it and it said it is probably bed sectors. So my scan is 70% finished and it already found like 10 bad sectors. How is my windows is still working and how bad is this?

[FanBlade]

1 minute ago, berny22 said:

So I was getting errors when trying to download stuff or install stuff or play games. I was getting CRC errors all the time.. I googled it and it said it is probably bed sectors. So my scan is 70% finished and it already found like 10 bad sectors. How is my windows is still working and how bad is this?

It's pretty bad. Immediately back up all your files then run chkdsk

If it doesn't work then it's time for a new hdd

[CookieGalaxy]

I've still been using a hard drive with 350 bad sectors however, the hard drive is not what I'd consider reliable for storing data, so personally I'd say that you should get a new hdd but If you haven't got anything important on the drive it should still be usable if you don't mind the risk.

btw, my hard drive could also still run windows fine so don't consider it ridiculous

[Enderman]

Back up your data and clean install windows on a new SSD/HDD.

[Energycore]

People running off HDDs with 200+ bad sectors assemble!

 

Although that's only cuz the WD I ordered was defective and its replacement was defective as well.

[mariushm]

Sometimes a hard drive marks sectors as bad due to errors unrelated to the actual quality of the disk surface. I've had hard drives report errors due to bad quality sata cables (or due to oxidized contacts on the sata connector on the motherboard) .. after changing the cable or simply moving to another sata port (or removing and re-inserting the cable several times to clean a bit of oxidiation by friction) the hard drive error counters no longer increased. 

 

By all means, run a chkdsk drive_letter: /F  to correct file system errors. Afterwards, my suggestion would be to move all the data you care about on another hard drive and then run WD's Data LifeGuard Diagnostics  (it will run perfectly fine and safely with non-WD drives) : http://download.wdc.com/windlg/WinDlg_v1_29.zip (or go to Downloads Page ) Select the drive, right click on it and select Run Diagnostics and then select ZERO FILL.  This will overwrite each sector of your drive with nothing (and you WILL LOSE DATA so make sure you copy everything important before, when you're done the drive will be basically unformatted) and also forces the drive to retest each sector to see if it's good or not. After finishing this test, and after you reboot your system, the hard drive should update its SMART information and remove those bad sectors from the counters if they were incorectly marked

[Energycore]

2 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Sometimes a hard drive marks sectors as bad due to errors unrelated to the actual quality of the disk surface. I've had hard drives report errors due to bad quality sata cables (or due to oxidized contacts on the sata connector on the motherboard) .. after changing the cable or simply moving to another sata port (or removing and re-inserting the cable several times to clean a bit of oxidiation by friction) the hard drive error counters no longer increased. 

 

By all means, run a chkdsk drive_letter: /F  to correct file system errors. Afterwards, my suggestion would be to move all the data you care about on another hard drive and then run WD's Data LifeGuard Diagnostics  (it will run perfectly fine and safely with non-WD drives) : http://download.wdc.com/windlg/WinDlg_v1_29.zip (or go to Downloads Page ) Select the drive, right click on it and select Run Diagnostics and then select ZERO FILL.  This will overwrite each sector of your drive with nothing (and you WILL LOSE DATA so make sure you copy everything important before, when you're done the drive will be basically unformatted) and also forces the drive to retest each sector to see if it's good or not. After finishing this test, and after you reboot your system, the hard drive should update its SMART information and remove those bad sectors from the counters if they were incorectly marked

Listen to this human, it knows what it's talking about

[Trevor87]

Backup fist.

Download the testing tools for the hard dive manufactures website because it tell if your drives in warranty. 

[TommyTwommy]

Well thats what I told my friend.. It's his mom's laptop so it really depends if she believes him she needs a new HDD. And she is really dumb when it comes to tech. Well she has 300GB of photos on that laptop so its her loss more than my friends ^^