hdd HDDs Caution

[Russboy360]

So my gaming performance has been really bad the last few days. Games are dropping to low 10s and just bouncing from 30 to 50 fps.

Also the other day I tried installing the anniversary update to Windows 10 and it failed, so I rolled it back to what it was on before.

Anyway, my HDD, or all three of them are showing a Caution sign in Crystal Disk Info. These were here before I the update tried to happen.

 

I'm now in the process of doing a full backup to ensure I don't lose anything, but are these drives on there way out.

I am just wondering how quickly I need to get a new drive for this and if this is actually a "data threatening" problem.

 

Spoiler

d

 

 

 

[Russboy360]

Just now, Darrenl81 said:

Run a HDD stress test and compare it to a brand new model....one way to see if it's going out. Also i hate to say it but try doing a defrag, you never know

I will finish backing it up then I will try the stress test and defrag. I guess it might be time for some new drives soon.

[Gonio]

Could be that windows update is screwing your performance? Since you mention the update failed...

[Vadise]

Before you defrag and start moving files around, I do recommend you use some hard disk testing tools such as HDD Regenerator, to see if you have got bad sectors. If you start moving files around with defrag while having bad sectors, you may lose data.

[DarkEnergy]

Perhaps use Window's error checking tool in "properties" under whichever disk you select. It might rescan and confirm whether or not what crystal disk says is true or not. 

[DarkEnergy]

Just now, Darrenl81 said:

Chkdsk right?

Yes.

[Russboy360]

2 minutes ago, DarkEnergy said:

Perhaps use Window's error checking tool in "properties" under whichever disk you select. It might rescan and confirm whether or not what crystal disk says is true or not. 

Just now, Darrenl81 said:

Chkdsk right?

I'm now running the Error Checking on one of the drives.

 

[Russboy360]

Just now, Darrenl81 said:

Running through cmd is usually easier imo

I will try that for the other two drives, CHKDSK

[Russboy360]

OK, the first one has finished and it says this.

 

 

 

[Enderman]

6 minutes ago, DarkEnergy said:

Perhaps use Window's error checking tool in "properties" under whichever disk you select. It might rescan and confirm whether or not what crystal disk says is true or not. 

Crystaldiskmark just reads the SMART stats from the HDD, like any other program that checks drive health.

 

 

I would replace the drives within a month, and possibly unplug them for the time being and stop using them.

Maybe get some WD HDDs as a replacement, I've found them to be pretty durable.

 

[Russboy360]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

Crystaldiskmark just reads the SMART stats from the HDD, like any other program that checks drive health.

 

 

I would replace the drives within a month, and possibly unplug them for the time being and stop using them.

Maybe get some WD HDDs as a replacement, I've found them to be pretty durable.

 

Thanks, I have nearly got everything backed up, then I will take them out and get some new ones on order.

On the topic of HDDs, what is the difference between WD Blue and Black

These being the two in question:

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/6tb-western-digital-wd60ezrz-wd-blue-35-hdd-sata-iii-6gb-s-5400-rpm-64mb-cache

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/4tb-wd-wd4004fzwx-wd-black-4tb-35-hdd-sata-iii-6gb-s-7200rpm-128mb-cache-oem

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, Russboy360 said:

Thanks, I have nearly got everything backed up, then I will take them out and get some new ones on order.

On the topic of HDDs, what is the difference between WD Blue and Black

These being the two in question:

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/6tb-western-digital-wd60ezrz-wd-blue-35-hdd-sata-iii-6gb-s-5400-rpm-64mb-cache

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/4tb-wd-wd4004fzwx-wd-black-4tb-35-hdd-sata-iii-6gb-s-7200rpm-128mb-cache-oem

Black is faster but louder, runs hotter, and consumes more power.

If you need faster speeds you should get a red instead of black, since it's almost as fast but quieter/cooler.

If you want to save money just get the blue, it's got the best value and still decent speeds.

 

My old blue lasted over 5 years with 0 SMART errors, until my PSU killed it unfortunately. Would have probably lasted even more years.

[Russboy360]

Just now, Enderman said:

Black is faster but louder, runs hotter, and consumes more power.

If you need faster speeds you should get a red instead of black, since it's almost as fast but quieter/cooler.

If you want to save money just get the blue, it's got the best value and still decent speeds.

 

My old blue lasted over 5 years with 0 SMART errors, until my PSU killed it unfortunately. Would have probably lasted even more years.

Awesome, I will probably go for the Blue in 6TB to replace all of my drives, 2TB and 2x 500GB

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, Russboy360 said:

Awesome, I will probably go for the Blue in 6TB to replace all of my drives, 2TB and 2x 500GB

Sounds great.

Remember to format to GPT and copy/paste files in chunks instead of cloning an entire partition or copying terabytes at a time

[Russboy360]

19 hours ago, Darrenl81 said:

One test you can do it open a elevated CMD session by right clicking windows logo and clicking command prompt (Admin) then typing diskpart. Wait a few seconds, type list disk, choose an extra drive that's causing issues and enter select disk x (where drive number is x) then running command "clean" (IT WILL ERASE THE ENTIRE DISK) Now open disk management and initialize the disk as "MBR or GPT" (Choose what your OS drive is). Shut down pc, unplug all but that drive running a windows installer. IF IT FAILS INSTALL: restart the usb and go to repair my computer, then launch CMD and redo the said commands but DON'T DO "CLEAN" instead run "format FS=ntfs Label=(whatever)" DO NOT DO QUICK FORMAT!!!!! Then retry windows installer if it succeeds, set it up, DON'T UPDATE, and run chkdsk and also run a stress test. Hope it helps cus I've had to do that before.

Another thing, I am going to take my hardly used samsung ssd from my laptop and make that my new OS drive as it is double the size.

When I first installed my OS it was 8.1 that I upgraded to 10. How can I clean install Windows 10 on the "new" ssd, as I haven't been able to put the anniversary update on yet and I know that adds the key to the MS account.