Laptop Hard drives

Beest · 11-13-2013, 09:35 AM

Monsters laptop is throwing up a "your hard drive has errors and is about to die' window every few minutes.

I'm shopping replacement hard drives and see only two choices of brand Western Digital and Seagate.
Does either of these have a better reputation, user reviews on NewEgg and generally positive for both, with some complaints of short life for both, WD seems to be worse though.

5400 rpm drives 320 GB are $45-$50 from Seagate or WD and come with a 2 yr warranty.

I am also seeing a WD Scorpio black 7200 rpm with 5 yr warranty for $60, besides higher performance does the higher end prouct and warranty promise more reliabilty form this drive, worth the extra few bucks?

I don't think we are in the market for a cool SSD or SSHD in a nealry 3 year old laptop.

I beleive the swap should be fairly simple.

Back up data.
Create new restore discs ( I have these from when it was new, but one make fresh ones anyway)
Open door on botom and remove HD, slot in new one.
Put in restore discs and turn on, will boot from disc and re image the HD as factory new install.

If I am wrong here, or there is a better way I can manage plaease ket me know or any other helpful hints.

Is it possible to run some kind of repair utility and fix the drive, quarantine errors etc. I don't think the error it is reporting is bad sectors, but just that it is about to die.

tw · 11-13-2013, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beest

Is it possible to run some kind of repair utility and fix the drive, quarantine errors etc. I don't think the error it is reporting is bad sectors, but just that it is about to die.

If the laptop is from one of the better manufacturers, then it comes with comprehensive hardware diagnostics (for free). Those will report on everything in the laptop. Exist exactly for problems such as yours.

To be useful, diagnostics must execute even without Windows. So computer manufacturer diagnostics are on another partition of the disk, on a provided CD, and downloaded from the manufacturer web site.

If those diagnostics do not exist, then download diagnostics from the component manufacturer. Identify the current disk drive manufacturer. Then download his diagnostics. These can also be obtained from bootdisk.com

Nothing in software repairs hardware. Nothing. If a diagnostic reports hardware problems, then your drive is about to completely fail. Get the old data off without delay.

Another product called Spinrite can help to recover data lost but still stored on that drive. Its a temporary fix of data on that drive damaged by a 'slowly getting worse' hardware defect.

Beest · 11-13-2013, 10:21 AM

It's a Dell, I saw a suite of diagnostics on their support website, and I'm sure they are on the computer as well.
The message that comes up indicates an unrecoverable hardware issue and just offers the option to back up now. ( I keep a regular back up anyway). Just thought I'd check.

Undertoad · 11-13-2013, 11:03 AM

The message you're getting from Windows is from SMART errors reported on the drive.

This is the exact same information that all manufacturer diagnostics will look for and report. It is really the only worthwhile information you can get out of a hard drive. Whatever test one may run, one time under one condition, is less interesting information than a catalog of all the failures the drive has ever noticed.

(If you prefer to go the diagnostic route, perhaps because you like to waste your time, the hard drive manufacturer will have better tools than Dell. Figure out if your current drive is WD or Seagate and go to their web site.)

Spinrite is ancient history. It was most useful in the early 90s. It has not been updated since 2004.

And now, to actually answer your question. Everybody in data seems to have a preference -- but in actual usage, Western Digital and Seagate rank about the same in reliability. Studies I have seen don't even rank one higher than the other, suggesting that they are within a statistical deviation of each other. If there was a huge difference, we would have noticed it by now. IBM Deskstars had a higher failure rate, and it was noticed quickly, to the point where IBM sold their drives division.

There are many huge operations that use thousands of drives and catalog their reliabliity very closely. I personally have had better luck with WD but that is all it is, luck. That said I always use WD Black with their five-year warranty. Best bet in a laptop is to avoid hard drives altogether and install an SSD. The reliability may be only slightly higher, but you'll save on weight and battery life. Good luck.

Beest · 11-13-2013, 12:21 PM

looks like I can walk into Bestbuy and pickup a WD drive for $50, a basic 5400 rpm one.
Other than that I would go with the WD Black

BigV · 11-13-2013, 12:47 PM

I've had much success with this product, Acronis True Image. I'd use the disk imaging function for the situation you describe. And I'd do it, if possible, starting with your current failing disk already/still in the laptop. If there's a way for you to access the new drive via usb (or esata or whatever) then you can go direct disk to disk. Then, pop the new drive into the laptop and fire it up. But this is gonna be practically impossible unless you have some sort of tray/interface that gets power and data to the new drive. Perhaps instead of a naked drive, you could buy a new "external" drive, do the deed, then scavenge the drive from the enclosure?

Heck, I have a couple enclosures here that I'm not using, perhaps one could be of use to you.

Undertoad · 11-13-2013, 02:04 PM

Beest, how large of a drive do you need?

Beest · 11-13-2013, 02:33 PM

C: drive capacity is 283 so I'm assuming 320.

WD drives come with acronis.

I'm sure we had the cable to hook up a hard drive to USB around at work, though I've been wanting to do a wipe and reinstall for a while so this would achieve that too.

11-24-2013, 11:31 PM

I want to buy a laptop for my personal usage and I also use it in my office but I am little confused and need someone’s help if anyone like to guide me then you must suggest me. What is better I install in my laptop for getting maximum speed. Also guide me the hard ware that I need to place in my laptop.

Undertoad · 11-25-2013, 12:00 AM

ip pakistan.

Clodfobble · 11-25-2013, 10:09 AM

Well with those English skills, I would certainly hope so.

BigV · 11-25-2013, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

ip pakistan.

Ip Man?

mbpark · 11-30-2013, 10:03 PM

You can get Roadkil's Raw Copy from www.roadkil.net and just do a straight raw copy of old hard drive to new with an adapter. It will read past the bad sectors and do a straight copy.

I have done this several times, most recently last week. I use rawcopy more than Linux to do this. It just works.

Now if 320gb laptop hard drives could stop throwing up errors, I would be happy.

11-13-2013, 09:35 AM	#1
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	Laptop Hard drives Monsters laptop is throwing up a "your hard drive has errors and is about to die' window every few minutes. I'm shopping replacement hard drives and see only two choices of brand Western Digital and Seagate. Does either of these have a better reputation, user reviews on NewEgg and generally positive for both, with some complaints of short life for both, WD seems to be worse though. 5400 rpm drives 320 GB are $45-$50 from Seagate or WD and come with a 2 yr warranty. I am also seeing a WD Scorpio black 7200 rpm with 5 yr warranty for $60, besides higher performance does the higher end prouct and warranty promise more reliabilty form this drive, worth the extra few bucks? I don't think we are in the market for a cool SSD or SSHD in a nealry 3 year old laptop. I beleive the swap should be fairly simple. Back up data. Create new restore discs ( I have these from when it was new, but one make fresh ones anyway) Open door on botom and remove HD, slot in new one. Put in restore discs and turn on, will boot from disc and re image the HD as factory new install. If I am wrong here, or there is a better way I can manage plaease ket me know or any other helpful hints. Is it possible to run some kind of repair utility and fix the drive, quarantine errors etc. I don't think the error it is reporting is bad sectors, but just that it is about to die.

11-13-2013, 12:47 PM	#6
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	I've had much success with this product, Acronis True Image. I'd use the disk imaging function for the situation you describe. And I'd do it, if possible, starting with your current failing disk already/still in the laptop. If there's a way for you to access the new drive via usb (or esata or whatever) then you can go direct disk to disk. Then, pop the new drive into the laptop and fire it up. But this is gonna be practically impossible unless you have some sort of tray/interface that gets power and data to the new drive. Perhaps instead of a naked drive, you could buy a new "external" drive, do the deed, then scavenge the drive from the enclosure? Heck, I have a couple enclosures here that I'm not using, perhaps one could be of use to you. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

11-24-2013, 11:31 PM	#9
kethy Guest Posts: n/a	programming I want to buy a laptop for my personal usage and I also use it in my office but I am little confused and need someone’s help if anyone like to guide me then you must suggest me. What is better I install in my laptop for getting maximum speed. Also guide me the hard ware that I need to place in my laptop.

11-25-2013, 10:09 AM	#11
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Well with those English skills, I would certainly hope so. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

11-13-2013, 10:21 AM	#3
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	It's a Dell, I saw a suite of diagnostics on their support website, and I'm sure they are on the computer as well. The message that comes up indicates an unrecoverable hardware issue and just offers the option to back up now. ( I keep a regular back up anyway). Just thought I'd check.

11-13-2013, 11:03 AM	#4
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The message you're getting from Windows is from SMART errors reported on the drive. This is the exact same information that all manufacturer diagnostics will look for and report. It is really the only worthwhile information you can get out of a hard drive. Whatever test one may run, one time under one condition, is less interesting information than a catalog of all the failures the drive has ever noticed. (If you prefer to go the diagnostic route, perhaps because you like to waste your time, the hard drive manufacturer will have better tools than Dell. Figure out if your current drive is WD or Seagate and go to their web site.) Spinrite is ancient history. It was most useful in the early 90s. It has not been updated since 2004. And now, to actually answer your question. Everybody in data seems to have a preference -- but in actual usage, Western Digital and Seagate rank about the same in reliability. Studies I have seen don't even rank one higher than the other, suggesting that they are within a statistical deviation of each other. If there was a huge difference, we would have noticed it by now. IBM Deskstars had a higher failure rate, and it was noticed quickly, to the point where IBM sold their drives division. There are many huge operations that use thousands of drives and catalog their reliabliity very closely. I personally have had better luck with WD but that is all it is, luck. That said I always use WD Black with their five-year warranty. Best bet in a laptop is to avoid hard drives altogether and install an SSD. The reliability may be only slightly higher, but you'll save on weight and battery life. Good luck.

11-13-2013, 12:21 PM	#5
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	looks like I can walk into Bestbuy and pickup a WD drive for $50, a basic 5400 rpm one. Other than that I would go with the WD Black

11-13-2013, 02:04 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Beest, how large of a drive do you need?

11-13-2013, 02:33 PM	#8
Beest Adapt and Survive Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Mi Posts: 957	C: drive capacity is 283 so I'm assuming 320. WD drives come with acronis. I'm sure we had the cable to hook up a hard drive to USB around at work, though I've been wanting to do a wipe and reinstall for a while so this would achieve that too.

11-25-2013, 12:00 AM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	ip pakistan.

11-30-2013, 10:03 PM	#13
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	You can get Roadkil's Raw Copy from www.roadkil.net and just do a straight raw copy of old hard drive to new with an adapter. It will read past the bad sectors and do a straight copy. I have done this several times, most recently last week. I use rawcopy more than Linux to do this. It just works. Now if 320gb laptop hard drives could stop throwing up errors, I would be happy.

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