chkdsk - not enough space to replace bad clusters

Forgot the screen shot!
Not-enough-space.JPG

Is HDD Regenerator anything like Spinrite? I have run Spinrite on the disk and it didn't find any surface errors.

see

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/chkdsk-an-unspecified-error-occured/21ea7f9c-2617-45fc-baad-c68e5d29c58a

IanTh

I've pretty much done everything I can suggested in the link you posted. I have the drive attached to another PC via a USB adapter in order to run chkdsk /r

I am interested in your first suggestion of HDD Regenerator but don't want to invest in yet another tool unless it is highly rated.

Have you used it successfully?

Thanks

yes to fix laptops but on their website it does work on raid successfully

Okay t hanks - I'll have a punt at that

Hi,

I don't know if you are able to boot from the disk you are refering to, but you can try:

1. boot using Windows DVD, choose repair and check the disk (use /F /R options within CHKDSK)
2. place the disk in another PC, use SMART disk utility software to check if the disk electronics are okay, check the disk within Windows. Try these:
 - TestDisk http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
 - HDDScan http://hddscan.com/,
 - Gsmartcontrol http://gsmartcontrol.berlios.de/home/index.php/en/Downloads
 - SeaTools http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools

It seems like drive has some electronics problems but can't tell much without testing.

Good luck!

SasaK - I can still boot from the drive (into Windows 8). I 'll take a look at your suggestions.

Thanks

I would still boot from another drive so that OS or application can dismount the drive if needed.
Please be careful - any repairs and interventions can make data unavailable/unusable. Try to make a backup first if possible.

If you get random errors on the HDD, while getting no error with HDD diagnostic utilities, then you should check the power source: starting with the connectors at the HDD (do they fit firmly?) and finishing with inspecting capacitors in the power source itself; they may be bloated or dried out.

Weifai - thanks for your comment. Since I had problems with this disk when it was in place in the PC and when it was connected to another PC via a USB adapter I can't see that it is a power source issue?? The reason I noticed the problem initially was the other day, when I installed Macrium Reflect backup and tried to take an image backup of the disk so there were read errors then. I must admit that, running chkdsk on it via the USB adapter seems to generate more and more sector issues each time I try however the adapter I am using has been used on many other drives without a problem.

Aha. So, the HDD is plugged via an USB enclosure? Hmm, then try to plug it through an USB hub with an additional power source, not to the computer's USB directly. I admit that the HDD itself might be failing, but it may give you the chance to back up at least.

Weifai,

The USB adapter has its own mains power source. I managed to get a Windows 7 image backup when it was in place in the PC but it said there was some data it was not able to save so I don't know if the restore to a new drive will give me a working PC. I have just received some new hard drives and I plan to try this out tomorrow.

Thanks

Thanks for all the comments. I managed to get the image via Windows backup before the disk got too messed up and have successfully restored it to a new drive. I think HDD Regenerator may be useful in the future but probably only for a drive where I am not first trying to image it but am trying to get Windows to recognise the drive before trying to recover lost data.

I think the most useful comment is to use a direct Sata connection in the future rather than a USB one. I was not aware that the USB interface could introduce its own problems!

Many thanks

agreed, and tx for feedback - not many people know that; they think it's all the same...