Hard Drive revs + troubles

[Goku1981]

When I try to copy a file to my 500GB SATA internal HDD I can hear it revving up in bursts lasting a couple of seconds and repeating over and over while the file does not seem to be copying or making any progress. I can run files from the drive....and sometimes unzip files to the drive and can burn data dvd's from the drive. I cant cut or copy to or from the drive itself though. Drive is only half full. Have run defragment read ok first time and didnt finish the second. I have started trying to back up what I can off the drive onto dvd but thats a long process.

So any advise or help would be appretiated.

Windows XP
3.46 GHz Intel celeron
2048mb RAM
2 HDD 60GB IDE/500 GB SATA
NVIDIA 9800GT

 

[Yami]

Go to My Computer, right-click on the drive in question, click on Properties. Go to the Tools tab, and do Check Now... on the Error Checking option. It may require you to reboot for it to scan - make sure to tick the 'Scan for and attempt recovery etc.' box.

 

[Goku1981]

I keep getting the final result as "Windows was unable to complete the disc check"

 

[Yami]

Sounds like the drive is on it's way out; you should back up anything you may want to keep, in the event that it dies.

 

[KSoD]

Sounds like the drive is on it's way out; you should back up anything you may want to keep, in the event that it dies.

I fully agree with this statement. Any time when you are having issues getting a check disk scan done, that is a very bad sign. The constant speed bursts and the fact that you can not add or remove files from the drive only furthers back this up.

 

[Goku1981]

thanks for the help....are there any good hard drive back up programs you can suggest? preferably ones that I can easily access the individual files on the dvd without said backup program.