Is my HDD broke?

[aetherh4cker]

Well, I just built my first computer and decided to go with Windows Vista Home Premium x64. I was having all sorts of weird problems, and I just attributed them to Windows Vista bugs.

After looking into it more, the problem seemed to be with my hard drive. A couple of times the computer would BSOD on startup, and when I went to do a repair installation, it didn't detect any hard drive!

So I finally was able to run Check Disk, and there was 100-200 files that were in 'bad clusters' or something like that.

Windows Sidebar also just doesn't work, for no apparent reason.

Should I RMA my 7200.11 500GB Seagate drive?

 

[atomic tofu]

that's not a brand new hd bought just for the Vista install?

are your bios settings at factory default? maybe reset it to that...then go back and disable all functionality you don't use.

possible fixes for sidebar culled from me searching:
Live Search: windows sidebar doesn

---
1. Open a command prompt by being Administrator (Right click on Command Prompt and click Run as Administrator)
2. CD to C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar ( cd drive letter:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar )
3. Run these commands in this order:
1. regsvr32 -u sbdrop.dll
2. regsvr32 -u wlsrvc.dll
3. regsvr32 atl.dll
4. regsvr32 sbdrop.dll
5. regsvr32 wlsrvc.dll

---
1. Open a command prompt by going to Start/all programs/accessories/ and right clicking on the icon - select 'run as administrator.

2. When the command window opens type:
regsvr32 scrrun.dll
and press the enter key

3. Now type
regsvr32 jscript.dll
and press the enter key

4. Now type
regsvr32 msxml3.dll
and press the enter key.

Now restart your machine

If that's a brand new harddrive and the above bios reset doesn't do it for you, then might be a bad hd

edit: did a search to see what I could find to check hds...I am trying this now on this computer, XP machine. Will take it home and test on vista too:
HD Tune

 

[aetherh4cker]

Well, your first method fixed my side bar.

... and I'm actually not having any more weird problems, or at least nothing to make me suspect the hard drive.

Though, I did download SeaTools for DOS from the official Seagate site and ran the diagnostic on my hard drive. My hard drive had like 50ish bad sectors. It repaired the sectors and then gave me a "PASS after repair" result... but if I run the diagnostic again it detects that the same 50ish sectors are bad.

So they aren't actually being repaired... I don't know what it is dong to them when it repairs them.

*sigh*

Now I'm not sure what to do... I really don't want to keep a drive that could give me problems in a month... however, I've never RMA'ed something across the internet. Sounds troublesome...

What should I do!?

 

[atomic tofu]

i tested out hdtune...give that a go, might work better for you...though that thing takes forever, but I think it looks at every piece on your harddrive

you can do a quicky with it too

edit: oh and your rma should go fine...just make sure you follow their steps. Some companies are so anal if you miss a step. I think you call in/email first to get the authorization claim number...and go from there. I don't have to do that much, lucky me

 

[aetherh4cker]

Well, that thing ran for 1hr 45min, and gave me all green with a 0.0% damaged areas.

I suppose I'll keep my drive and see what happens. Thanks for the help.