Hard drive issue

[grautskaahl]

Hey guys! If this thread is hopelessly misplaced, please tell me - I couldn't find any specific forum/subforum for this...

My laptop hard drive has recently started removing folders on its own. It started with one or two less important folders that I could easily retrieve from backup, but today my *entire* 55gb music folder vanished, save for two subfolders within it. Disk usage tells me that the folder is still there, because the amount of space used on the drive is still the same. Is this some sign telling me that my computer is getting really old? Because I've only had it for two and a half years. I'm using a Dell Inspiron 1545 with a Ubuntu 10.10/Vista dual-boot.

Appreciate any input! :)

[MG&TL]

Old hard disks do, unfortunately, die-this is a possible reason for randomly missing folders. You can see if yours is on its last legs by going to the disk utility program and running the SMART tests.

[grautskaahl]

The SMART test currently tells me the drive has 1 bad sector, but otherwise it looks fine. Anything specific I should look for?

[MG&TL]

Not a hard disk expert. I think if there is nothing "bad" showing up, your disk is probably fine and we can move on.

[miegiel]

Bad sectors are bad news :( you'll need to replace the disk. Bad sectors are a sign of a failing disk or a disk that's damaged (physically).

But DON'T PANIC

With fsck (file system check) you can check your disk for errors and bad sectors. And you can block bad sectors from being used so you won't loose data till you get a new disk. With a bit of luck fsck can save the music.

See http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/maverick/man8/fsck.8.html

If you run fsck from a ubuntu liveCD it's easier to check partitions that would be mounted if you boot from your disk.

[CharlesA]

Bad sectors are bad news :( you'll need to replace the disk. Bad sectors are a sign of a failing disk or a disk that's damaged (physically).

But DON'T PANIC

With fsck (file system check) you can check your disk for errors and bad sectors. And you can block bad sectors from being used so you won't loose data till you get a new disk. With a bit of luck fsck can save the music.

See http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/maverick/man8/fsck.8.html

If you run fsck from a ubuntu liveCD it's easier to check partitions that would be mounted if you boot from your disk.
+1, Most, if not all drives have spare sectors on them. I've got a couple drives that have a few bad sectors but the count hasn't gone up in a long time (about a year or more) so I just leave them.

But as always, have a good backup of anything you deem important. :)

[mips]

Bad sectors are bad news :( you'll need to replace the disk. Bad sectors are a sign of a failing disk or a disk that's damaged (physically).

A few bad sectors are not the end of the world as long as the bad sector count does not keep on increasing. Bad sectors will be reallocated to spare space on a drive and the bad ones marked so they don;t get used again.

If the bad sector count keeps on climbing then replace the drive!

[grautskaahl]

The number of bad sectors doesn't seem to increase, but I think I'll invest in a new hard drive soon. I've never done this before - is it in any way more complicated than Youtube makes it look like?

[miegiel]

The number of bad sectors doesn't seem to increase, but I think I'll invest in a new hard drive soon. I've never done this before - is it in any way more complicated than Youtube makes it look like?

A piece of cake by the looks of it. Easier than my laptop.

Make sure the new drive isn't thicker than the current drive. Some models are thicker or thinner because they have more or less platters inside. And make sure you have the right size screwdrivers (PH1, PH0, PH00 and/or PH000).

[grautskaahl]

Thanks! Are there any compatibility issues I should be aware of with regards to hard drive brands and such?

[miegiel]

Thanks! Are there any compatibility issues I should be aware of with regards to hard drive brands and such?

All disks are built according to standard specifications regarding width, length, mounting (screw) holes and power and data plugs. The only thing you need to consider is the thickness (height) of the drive. I don't know your laptop, but some thin laptops only have room for thinner 2-platter (the number of disks inside) drives.

On the disk manufacturer's site you should be able to find the exact dimensions if you want to verify before ordering.

[MisterGaribaldi]

You might want to invest in a SATA/IDE-to-USB adapter. Usually they're about $20-$30 and will let you hook up HDDs quickly without the need to buy an enclosure. I have one (got it through TigerDirect) and it has proved invaluable for both myself and friends who've gotten into tight scrapes.

This is the one I've got: http://m.tigerdirect.com/aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aWdlcmRpcmVjdC5jb20vYXBwbGljYXRpb2 5zL1NlYXJjaFRvb2xzL2l0ZW0tZGV0YWlscy5hc3A/RWRwTm89MjMyOTMwMCZDYXRJZD0zNzcw