Surface scan errors

[emperor76]

Hi all, I have been trying unsuccessfully to fix a friends laptop, tried to reformat and freshly install windows and succeeded after about 10 times, however it still didn't work properly, all the programs would freeze and updates wouldn't install, so I tried to low level format, this also failed on about 3 different programs, so I have started surface scan and the amount of LBA errors is colossal, and it's still only at 4.7%, is it likely the hard drive is finished or is there another possible solution other than replacing the hard drive?

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Anytime hard drives have surface errors, the drive should be replaced.
It's like a cancer that can spread.

However. If you use a program like Spinrite you can possibly mark those areas unusable. It may get you a little further. But I don't recommend it.

 

[emperor76]

Anytime hard drives have surface errors, the drive should be replaced.
It's like a cancer that can spread.

However. If you use a program like Spinrite you can possibly mark those areas unusable. It may get you a little further. But I don't recommend it.

Thanks for the reply, can spinrite run from boot as its that bad that if I do get windows running again it's unlikely it will be able to run any sort of program, but I think if that's the case then you could be right because there are absolutely tons of bad sectors so if I did mark them unusable would there be much left?

 

[BuzzStPoint]

When you get spinrite, it'll come as an ISO and you'll burn to disk.
I think there have been some that have also got instructions to do it via USB.

You'll then boot with the Spinrite cd.
There will be 5 different levels. Each level is explained on how in depth of a scan you want to do. You don't have to do each level. Read through them and simply select the level of scan you want to do.

As for the bad areas of the disk. Can it be used further? Even if those areas are able to be marked for non use? Depends on the area that is damaged.

A work pc that kept rebooting on us I ran Spinrite level 2 scan. It corrected areas and/or marked for non use. And it been fine since. (about 3 months now). Each case is different. There may be no saving your friends HD.

 

[emperor76]

When you get spinrite, it'll come as an ISO and you'll burn to disk.
I think there have been some that have also got instructions to do it via USB.

You'll then boot with the Spinrite cd.
There will be 5 different levels. Each level is explained on how in depth of a scan you want to do. You don't have to do each level. Read through them and simply select the level of scan you want to do.

As for the bad areas of the disk. Can it be used further? Even if those areas are able to be marked for non use? Depends on the area that is damaged.

A work pc that kept rebooting on us I ran Spinrite level 2 scan. It corrected areas and/or marked for non use. And it been fine since. (about 3 months now). Each case is different. There may be no saving your friends HD.

I tried spinrite, not sure if I was just doing something wrong but it kept flashing working at the bottom of the screen and nothing, I decided it was time to give up on the hard drive, I took a hard drive out of a laptop I have in a cupboard upstairs first time I have installed hardware on a laptop, only usually use desktops, downgraded from 250gb to 160gb but it works none the less, the laptop is now working well, I also noticed there was a crack on the hard drive cover as well as the crack on the hinge, i'm thinking the hard drive must have been hit pretty hard, thanks for all the help with the laptop, if nothing else I have gained more knowledge so all's good I suppose

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Glad you got it sorted out.

 

[MMM]

Once a hard drive starts to give you problems with surface scans it is best to replace as it will eventually fail.