CHKDSK hangs -- HDD failing?

I have a fairly old but operational 2002 self-built system running
Windows XP Home SP3 from a Maxtor 15 GB HDD (mainly for legacy games
that don't like newer hardware). Windows has started reporting
corrupted system files, and when I attempted to "Ghost" the drive with
Acronis TrueImage Home, it aborted almost immediately with the error,
"Index Corrupted".

I attempted to do a full-sector CHKDSK on the system partition, but when
CHKDSK tried to run after restart, it immediately gave the error,
"Cannot open volume for direct access" and after a few seconds,
proceeded to boot Windows normally.

Increasingly puzzled, I attempted -- several times -- to run CHKDSK from
Recovery Console. Each time it gives the following output:

The volume Serial Number is bcff-a6ab
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...

It then *appears* to scan the disk giving its progress in %. But at
about 75% it jumps back to 50%, then slowly climbs back toward
75%, then falls back again to 50%... This repeats several times, until
it finally hangs (drive LED remains dark), at some point between 75 and
100%. I am forced to do a cold reboot at this point.

So is the drive failing? -- I also did a full SMART surface scan on the
drive with Maxtor's diagnostic software, but it claims the drive is fine
and dandy... ???

Any idea what's going on?


Dave

Dave Hardenbrook wrote:

I have a fairly old but operational 2002 self-built system running
Windows XP Home SP3 from a Maxtor 15 GB HDD (mainly for
legacy games that don't like newer hardware). Windows has
started reporting corrupted system files, and when I attempted
to "Ghost" the drive with Acronis TrueImage Home, it aborted
almost immediately with the error, "Index Corrupted".

I attempted to do a full-sector CHKDSK on the system partition,
but when CHKDSK tried to run after restart, it immediately gave
the error, "Cannot open volume for direct access" and after a
few seconds, proceeded to boot Windows normally.

Increasingly puzzled, I attempted -- several times -- to run CHKDSK
from Recovery Console. Each time it gives the following output:

The volume Serial Number is bcff-a6ab
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...

It then *appears* to scan the disk giving its progress in %. But at
about 75% it jumps back to 50%, then slowly climbs back toward
75%, then falls back again to 50%... This repeats several times,
until it finally hangs (drive LED remains dark), at some point
between 75 and 100%. I am forced to do a cold reboot at this point.

So is the drive failing? -- I also did a full SMART surface scan on
the drive with Maxtor's diagnostic software, but it claims the drive
is fine and dandy... ???

Any idea what's going on?

Post the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

In article ,
Rod Speed wrote:
Dave Hardenbrook wrote:

I have a fairly old but operational 2002 self-built system running
Windows XP Home SP3 from a Maxtor 15 GB HDD (mainly for
legacy games that don't like newer hardware). Windows has
started reporting corrupted system files, and when I attempted
to "Ghost" the drive with Acronis TrueImage Home, it aborted
almost immediately with the error, "Index Corrupted".

I attempted to do a full-sector CHKDSK on the system partition,
but when CHKDSK tried to run after restart, it immediately gave
the error, "Cannot open volume for direct access" and after a
few seconds, proceeded to boot Windows normally.

Increasingly puzzled, I attempted -- several times -- to run CHKDSK
from Recovery Console. Each time it gives the following output:

The volume Serial Number is bcff-a6ab
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...

It then *appears* to scan the disk giving its progress in %. But at
about 75% it jumps back to 50%, then slowly climbs back toward
75%, then falls back again to 50%... This repeats several times,
until it finally hangs (drive LED remains dark), at some point
between 75 and 100%. I am forced to do a cold reboot at this point.

So is the drive failing? -- I also did a full SMART surface scan on
the drive with Maxtor's diagnostic software, but it claims the drive
is fine and dandy... ???

Any idea what's going on?

Post the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

If the hardware looks good, suggest running the check with the OS sleeping
(i.e. boot a LiveCD and check from there). Ran into all kinds of bogus
file and disk corruption problems on my nephew's machine when he got
himself infected by a rootkit. All disappeared after removing the virus.

On 4-Aug-2009, (Mike S.) wrote:

If the hardware looks good, suggest running the check with the OS sleeping
(i.e. boot a LiveCD and check from there). Ran into all kinds of bogus
file and disk corruption problems on my nephew's machine when he got
himself infected by a rootkit. All disappeared after removing the virus.

Problem usually appears if the file tables are corrupt.


So is the drive failing? -- I also did a full SMART surface scan on
the drive with Maxtor's diagnostic software, but it claims the drive
is fine and dandy... ???

Maxtor's full scan tests read and write for the whole drive and
takes ages, it doesn't look at the file tables.

Dave Hardenbrook wrote:
I have a fairly old but operational 2002 self-built system running
Windows XP Home SP3 from a Maxtor 15 GB HDD (mainly for legacy games
that don't like newer hardware). Windows has started reporting
corrupted system files, and when I attempted to "Ghost" the drive with
Acronis TrueImage Home, it aborted almost immediately with the error,
"Index Corrupted".

I attempted to do a full-sector CHKDSK on the system partition, but when
CHKDSK tried to run after restart, it immediately gave the error,
"Cannot open volume for direct access" and after a few seconds,
proceeded to boot Windows normally.

Increasingly puzzled, I attempted -- several times -- to run CHKDSK from
Recovery Console. Each time it gives the following output:

The volume Serial Number is bcff-a6ab
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...

It then *appears* to scan the disk giving its progress in %. But at
about 75% it jumps back to 50%, then slowly climbs back toward
75%, then falls back again to 50%... This repeats several times, until
it finally hangs (drive LED remains dark), at some point between 75 and
100%. I am forced to do a cold reboot at this point.

So is the drive failing? -- I also did a full SMART surface scan on the
drive with Maxtor's diagnostic software, but it claims the drive is fine
and dandy... ???

Any idea what's going on?

Use a different SMART tools and post the attributes (raw and cooked)
here. We will have a look. The Maxtor tool just checks for a failed
SMART status and the thresholds are typically overoptimistic.

This can also be other problems, not disk related. As the
long SMART selftest did not run into errors, a different
reason seems quite possible.

Possibilities:
- Memory problem
- CPU problem (especially if overclocked)
- PSU flaky
- Disk corruption the very low quality MS chkdsk just cannot deal
with from any of the above sources or from software sources.

Arno


Dave

In article ,
says...

Post the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

--------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys, Inc.
]------------------------------------------------------------

Version EVEREST v2.20.405
Homepage
http://www.lavalys.com/
Report Type Report Wizard
Computer OZMA (Epox Sys)
Generator Dave
Operating System Microsoft Windows
XP Home Edition 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
Date 2009-08-05
Time 00:10


--------[ SMART
]-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------

[ Maxtor 51536H2 (F20K6EJC) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 0 253 252 1
OK: Always passing
03 Spin Up Time 63 229 228 6597
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 253 253 216
OK: Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 63 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
06 Read Channel Margin 100 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
07 Seek Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
08 Seek Time Performance 187 251 246 44852
OK: Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 241 241 3320
OK: Always passing
0A Spin Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0C Power Cycle Count 0 252 252 449
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 199 199 0
OK: Always passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
C9 vendor-specific 0 253 252 4
OK: Always passing
CA vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CB vendor-specific 180 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
CC vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CD vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CF vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D0 vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D1 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
60 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
61 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
62 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
63 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
64 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
65 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing

Dave Hardenbrook wrote
Rod Speed says...

Post the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

--------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys, Inc.

Version EVEREST v2.20.405
Homepage
http://www.lavalys.com/
Report Type Report Wizard
Computer OZMA (Epox Sys)
Generator Dave
Operating System Microsoft Windows
XP Home Edition 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
Date 2009-08-05
Time 00:10

--------[ SMART

[ Maxtor 51536H2 (F20K6EJC) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 0 253 252 1
OK: Always passing
03 Spin Up Time 63 229 228 6597
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 253 253 216
OK: Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 63 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
06 Read Channel Margin 100 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
07 Seek Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
08 Seek Time Performance 187 251 246 44852
OK: Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 241 241 3320
OK: Always passing
0A Spin Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0C Power Cycle Count 0 252 252 449
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 199 199 0
OK: Always passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
C9 vendor-specific 0 253 252 4
OK: Always passing
CA vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CB vendor-specific 180 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
CC vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CD vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CF vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D0 vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D1 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
60 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
61 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
62 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
63 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
64 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
65 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing

The drive is fine. The problem must be elsewhere.

Dave Hardenbrook wrote:
In article ,
says...

Post the Everest SMART report.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

--------[ EVEREST Home Edition (c) 2003-2005 Lavalys, Inc.
]------------------------------------------------------------

Version EVEREST v2.20.405
Homepage
http://www.lavalys.com/
Report Type Report Wizard
Computer OZMA (Epox Sys)
Generator Dave
Operating System Microsoft Windows
XP Home Edition 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)
Date 2009-08-05
Time 00:10


--------[ SMART
]-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------

[ Maxtor 51536H2 (F20K6EJC) ]

01 Raw Read Error Rate 0 253 252 1
OK: Always passing
03 Spin Up Time 63 229 228 6597
OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 253 253 216
OK: Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 63 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
06 Read Channel Margin 100 253 253 0
OK: Value is normal
07 Seek Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
08 Seek Time Performance 187 251 246 44852
OK: Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 241 241 3320
OK: Always passing
0A Spin Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 223 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
0C Power Cycle Count 0 252 252 449
OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 199 199 0
OK: Always passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
C9 vendor-specific 0 253 252 4
OK: Always passing
CA vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CB vendor-specific 180 253 252 0
OK: Value is normal
CC vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CD vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
CF vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D0 vendor-specific 0 253 252 0
OK: Always passing
D1 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
60 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
61 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
62 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
63 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
64 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing
65 vendor-specific 0 253 253 0
OK: Always passing



This disk does not have a problem. Look to the software side
and the rest of the system.

Arno

Looks like massive corruption of the MFT (index).
If Windows boots, back up Documents and Setting and any others,
then reinstall XP with a format.

"Dave Hardenbrook" wrote in message
k.net...
I have a fairly old but operational 2002 self-built system running
Windows XP Home SP3 from a Maxtor 15 GB HDD (mainly for legacy games
that don't like newer hardware). Windows has started reporting
corrupted system files, and when I attempted to "Ghost" the drive with
Acronis TrueImage Home, it aborted almost immediately with the error,
"Index Corrupted".

I attempted to do a full-sector CHKDSK on the system partition, but when
CHKDSK tried to run after restart, it immediately gave the error,
"Cannot open volume for direct access" and after a few seconds,
proceeded to boot Windows normally.

Increasingly puzzled, I attempted -- several times -- to run CHKDSK from
Recovery Console. Each time it gives the following output:

The volume Serial Number is bcff-a6ab
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additonal checking or recovery...

It then *appears* to scan the disk giving its progress in %. But at
about 75% it jumps back to 50%, then slowly climbs back toward
75%, then falls back again to 50%... This repeats several times, until
it finally hangs (drive LED remains dark), at some point between 75 and
100%. I am forced to do a cold reboot at this point.