How can I keep a failing HDD for a bit longer?

Rafael Mestdag · Aug 31, 2016

I have a 160gb Seagate which I need right now and I want to keep it for a while until I get another HDD. But everytime I connect it, the system won't boot unles I use Hiren's Boot disk.

An error message appears right after POST saying there's no system and that I should try to remove any devices without any system on them. So I disconnect the 160GB disk and my PC boots normally.

How can I keep this drive for a while longer without the hassle of having to use Hiren's Boot disk?

PS: S.M.A.R.T is disabled in the BIOS, so that's not it.

JohnBonhamsGhost · Aug 31, 2016

could be bad SATA cable, bad connections on the motherboard, bad boot sector. or a lot of other issues.
have you run disk checks for bad sectors or damage?
if there's anything you absolutely need on the disk i would hurry to back it up just to be sure before it may fail.

is this disk containing your main OS?

13thmonkey · Aug 31, 2016

with any degree of data security, you don't. Assume it will fail utterly the next time you start it up, what is it that you would do now under this assumption.

basroil · Aug 31, 2016

You do NOT keep it longer. Do NOT use the disk until you have a replacement.

After you have the disk replaced and OS installed, place the disk in a freezer bag (double lined, wrap in dry towel) and place it in the fridge (NOT FREEZER) for half an hour. That sometimes helps with certain types of failure, but should only be used once!

boosted1g · Aug 31, 2016

How do you keep it longer, you hope and pray.

Every amount of time you have the drive running is potential for it to go completely dead.
If you don't already have your data backed up from that drive then you assume that there is a good chance you wont.

Bottom line, if you have data that would impact you to loose then you should have a backup solution already in place. Whether this is something as simple as a flash drive, to an external hard drive, to backing up your entire PC to your own file server/NAS.

jsmithepa · Aug 31, 2016

If you have irreplaceable stuff in there, this is the time to ignore the accountant in you, and run down to the shop to get a new drive, give them the cc and don't even ask how much.

13thmonkey · Aug 31, 2016

with a 160Gb drive you could do most of it with a 64GB memory stick, always a deal on amazon somewhere

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How can I keep a failing HDD for a bit longer?

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