My HDDs' abnormal behavior, assistance required

[Eurotrap]

I'd just like to start by admitting that I'm new to this forum if that wasn't obvious, and that I'm not particularily knowledgable about computer components or how exactly they work both individually and together. But I like to think I do know the basics, and know how to navigate within the system for more detailed information.

So, hi all, I hope you will accept me attempting to participate in this society.

To elaborate on the title of this thread, I want you to know I've been having this issue for a little while now, and have frequently attempted to research similiar issues, but to little success. I haven't been able to locate any post anywhere in which I would recognize this exact problem (nor a relatively close one for that matter). This is why I decided to post a thread on this forum in hope of someone out there being able to help me out, or at least give me a few tips.

As a side note, here are some hopefully relevant computer specs of the respective system extracted from SiSoftware Sandra:

Model : FoxConn RENAISSANCE Series High-End Desktop

Mainboard : FoxConn RENAISSANCE Series

Total Memory : 6GB DIMM DDR3

Processors
Processor : Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz (4C 8T 2.67GHz, 2.13GHz IMC, 4x 256kB L2, 8MB L3)

Chipset
Memory Controller : Foxconn X58 I/O Hub 2x 2.4GHz (4.79GHz)
Memory Controller : Foxconn Core Desktop (Bloomfield) UnCore 2x 2.4GHz (4.79GHz), 3x 2GB DIMM DDR3 1GHz 192-bit

Video Adapter : 2x ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series (800SP SM4.1 750MHz, 2GB DDR5 3.6GHz 256-bit, PCIe 2.00 x16)

Graphics Processor
Compute Shader Processor : 2x ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series (800SP 750MHz, 2GB DDR5 3.6GHz 256-bit)

Storage Devices
WDC WD1500HLFS-01G6U0 (150GB, SATA300, 3.5", 10000rpm, 16MB Cache) : 140GB ( C: )
Seagate ST3500418AS (500.1GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 16MB Cache) : 466GB ( D: )
Seagate ST31000528AS (1TB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm) : 932GB ( E: ) ( F: )


Logical Storage Devices
Hard Disk ( C: ) : 140GB (NTFS) @ WDC WD1500HLFS-01G6U0 (150GB, SATA300, 3.5", 10000rpm, 16MB Cache)
Hard Disk ( D: ) : 466GB (NTFS) @ Seagate ST3500418AS (500.1GB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm, 16MB Cache)
Volum ( E: ) : 466GB (NTFS) @ Seagate ST31000528AS (1TB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm)
Volum ( F: ) : 466GB (NTFS) @ Seagate ST31000528AS (1TB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm)

Peripherals
Disk Controller : Foxconn 4 port SATA IDE Controller
Disk Controller : Foxconn 2 port SATA IDE Controller
Disk Controller : Foxconn JMB36X PCIE-to-SATAII/IDE RAID Controller

So let me attempt to explain to the best of my abilities:

My computer has been operating smoothly for the past 4 years with no upgrades except for adding an additional HDD (Seagate ST31000528AS (1TB, SATA300, 3.5", 7200rpm) : 932GB ( E: ) ( F: )). However, since around mid-December last year I experienced some form of data stream lag from this particular disc, specifically from E:, which is the most frequently used of the two parts. Around New Year, the condition also appeared on F:, before it eventually started happening with D: as well. By then I had already started looking into the problem, of course, but to little success.

What exactly happens during these "experiences" is quite annoying. Here's a quick example of a typical situation. This is also how I first experienced it:

I am watching a video file with a media player, such as VLC, while the file is stored on the E: drive. All of a sudden, with no warning or no indication of error, the video freezes still as if the media player crashed, and nothing happens. Out of confusion (or frustration), I attempt to click a button, say, pause - and the media player pauses as if the video was actually playing. Everything works, the system operates normally, but it's as if the stream of data is halted. If I then try to press play again, it usually doesn't start, but rather does so automatically by itself once it feels like it. I can exit the media player if I wish and try open the file again, but that would usually lead to the disc freezing up and becoming unresponsive. During this freeze-up, I cannot navigate through the disc as it's entirely unresponsive, but doesn't give any indication of a crash - just unwillingness to cooperate.

Similar incidents have also happened with some programs such as Spotify; sudden interruption of played song, also leading to the program freezing up entirely until the data stream returns. All other computer functions would work normally meanwhile.

This started happening more and more frequently with similar situations before it spread, and it has now reached the C: drive, which worries me. It has recently lead to a series of system crashes and HD recoveries in the BIOS during startup.

So please, if you have any experience with this issue, or have any tips, I'd be grateful for receiving any help. If you need additional information, or think I was unclear at some points (or could elaborate), just ask and I'll do what I can to provide.

Meanwhile, I will attempt to contain the problem. Thank you in advance.

 

[brinks]

Try running chkdsk on the hard drives or other software which can check the status of drives.

Get memtest86 to check if any errors on ram.

Try using different sata ports.

Not sure if your able too, but remove/disconnect the other hard drives except the c: drive and see if any crashes occur.

 

[Joe C]

You can also try running SeaTools for DOS on the drive in question in order to check the health status of the drive, if there's any problems with the drive, Seatools will tell you, and possible offer a fix or give you an error code for Seagate's RMA procedure
http://www.seagate.com/support/inte...-electronics/ld25-series/seatools-dos-master/

 

[carnageX]

Check your power settings for the drive. Go to Power Options under Control Panel > click the name of the plan you're currently on, go to advanced and check the value under "Hard drive sleep after: "

Set it to 0 for it to not sleep. See if you still have issues.

 

[Eurotrap]

Thanks to all of you for your replies.

I have looked into your suggestions and tried several of them, including letting chkdsk run a process on my drives, and adjusting the power settings. Neither of these have succeeded, so I have now followed Joe C's advice and ran SeaTools on my system, and it appeared it had recently incorrectly installed some form of driver update for the hard drives. That's how I understood it at least.

I was successful in reinstalling the driver and am now looking into the result. It's difficult to be certain whether or not this fixed the problem (as it comes and goes), but I'll get back to all of you once I deem it successful or unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, I'm still happy to receive further options.

Again; thanks.

 

[sPlAtOiD]

Take a look in your Control panel , admin tools , event viewer , windows logs , and check under the apps ans system section. You sometimes get clue's to problems there.

 

[Eurotrap]

I've taken some time to just run everyday testing on the hard drives in question now, after trying out some solutions, and I believe the issue at hand is more or less solved. I haven't experienced any further malfunctions (yet), so I take it it has been fixed.

Thank you for your suggestions, good folk. It was very helpful.