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re: Harddrive shuts off during large file reads Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 1:11 am Posted by Ricer46 (23825 messages posted) Odds are pretty good that you are looking at the initial stages of a dying disk. Go to the manufacturer's web page and see if they have a diagnostic program to test it. Buy another disk quickly if you have data you want to save. On Saturday, October 22, 2005 at 10:28 pm, Gernader8 wrote: >Untill recently I have started having trouble with my master harddrive. The drive >just turns off at what seems like random times. I will be using my computer, and >if I try to access a large file, have several programs open (Ex: Adobe Photoshop, >Itunes, and a few background programs), write a DVD, or try to play a game the drive >will make a "click" noise and the entire system will freeze 5 seconds later. > >Now I know the "click" noise is it turning off because it makes the same noise when >I shut down the computer. I am guessing the probelm can be A)the drive going bad >B) Insufficient power, not getting enough electricity C)It shuts off when under >strain because of option 'A' D) Bad IDE/power cables. > >Do you think the drive is about to die? I doubt it is the cables, since they a fairly >new. > >As for the insufficient power, I am running a 420W PSU in my computer. It has two >harddrives(120, and a 80gig), a DVD writer, a CD writer, 4 case fans, motherboard, >and the video card required an extra power plug. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Harddrive shuts off during large file reads Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 9:47 am Posted by Gernader8 (7 messages posted) I found a dignostic tool online, and ran it. It had three different tests, Quick Test, Full Test, and Burn in Test. I ran all three and the harddrive past all of them. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Harddrive shuts off during large file reads Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 1:44 pm Posted by C K (6910 messages posted) Those tests can't detect everything. From experience, a drive that clicks off in this manor is having a catastrophic failure and at some point soon will not start back up. Many times it is due to heat failure in the electronics. Diagnostics doesn't detect that type of problem IME.. Image or back it up ASAP! Any pro recovery service will tell you the same thing. Clicking off when it should be running can also be causing head crashes and it won't take but a few to start doing damage to your data. On Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 9:47 am, Gernader8 wrote: >I found a dignostic tool online, and ran it. It had three different tests, Quick >Test, Full Test, and Burn in Test. I ran all three and the harddrive past all of >them. > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Harddrive shuts off during large file reads Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 8:19 pm Posted by Gernader8 (7 messages posted) Ever since I started this topic, my computer has been off, and I have been using my laptop. I wish thinking of what you said, C K. The games/programs I was using were somewhat harddrive intensive. So there would be alot of heat generated, causing the electronics to overheat. Currently I am unable to image or back up my master drive, untill my new drive comes in. So my computer will remain off until then. Once my new drive comes in, and I begin to image the drive, is it possible for my old drive to overheat and shut off on me? Currently there are two partitions I would have to copy off it. The first one contains the OS and some basic programs. Its is roughly 15 gigs. The other has the larger programs, games, etc on it, and is 110gigs. Do you think I can copy both without the drive locking up? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Harddrive shuts off during large file reads Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 11:44 am Posted by C K (6910 messages posted) All of my systems are built with hard drive bays that have fans in front of them. This blows air over and under them into the case (from the front) to keep them cool. If in doubt and you have no fans ahead of the HD to blow air over it, I would try to rig up a way of doing just that to keep it cool while you are doing the imaging. Hopefully you can get through it. Many of the big OEM type computers are bad for not having a good airflow through the case or fans where they should be to provide proper air flow over the componants. If wires are in the way, it doesn't help either. In short, if you must, you might remove the drive and lay it outside of the case or in a position that you can provide airflow over it. Just make sure not to short the bottom side of the circuit board. In cases where I have to remove the drive, I use a spare case fan and just set the drive right on top of it. I also use the SCSI drive cooling specification when setting up a new machine even though IDE drives run cooler than SCSI drives just to be safe. (can find it on Seagate's website) Good Luck!! On Sunday, October 23, 2005 at 8:19 pm, Gernader8 wrote: >Ever since I started this topic, my computer has been off, and I have been using >my laptop. I wish thinking of what you said, C K. The games/programs I was using >were somewhat harddrive intensive. So there would be alot of heat generated, causing >the electronics to overheat. Currently I am unable to image or back up my master >drive, untill my new drive comes in. So my computer will remain off until then. Once >my new drive comes in, and I begin to image the drive, is it possible for my old >drive to overheat and shut off on me? Currently there are two partitions I would >have to copy off it. The first one contains the OS and some basic programs. Its is >roughly 15 gigs. The other has the larger programs, games, etc on it, and is 110gigs. >Do you think I can copy both without the drive locking up? > [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum