Cannot Format "Partition Contain Open Files"

[gatot]

Folks,

Once I installed LimeWare, then I stop in the middle of install due to Java downloads that took ages .. My fault is to go into hibernation just after this. So, the next time I can't boot due to an error like "hiberfil.sys is corrupt" then there was an option to "delete corrupted hiberfil.sys and boot normally" .. But unfortunately it still did not boot ...

Since I gave up fixing it using "R" the recovery console (note: the console can not detect my OS boot drive, WinXP) then my focus goes for data recovery. I have two partition on that drive, OS and data, and luckily KNOPPIX would able to recover all my data (after Hiren's boot cd and Digiwiz XP Live failed).

The big problem is that I still cannot format the hard drive. After several test (especially using Dell Diagnostic), it say "DST Short Test fail 1000-0146, IDE Status failed". Error code 0F00:0244, Msg: Block 38301616, 38301617, 38301618 Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.
(All those Dell users on the net said that they must return the HD to Dell and have an exchange ... If the HD is still under warranty)

Using QTparted, these block belong to hiberfil.sys.

Zero fill (low level format) failed using Ranish, as it gives some error number (I forgot to note) but the reason is similar with Partition Magic report "Cannot format due to partition contain open files".

Any help how to format the drive? Thank you in advance.

 

[sweetpants]

Folks,

Once I installed LimeWare, then I stop in the middle of install due to Java downloads that took ages .. My fault is to go into hibernation just after this. So, the next time I can't boot due to an error like "hiberfil.sys is corrupt" then there was an option to "delete corrupted hiberfil.sys and boot normally" .. But unfortunately it still did not boot ...

Since I gave up fixing it using "R" the recovery console (note: the console can not detect my OS boot drive, WinXP) then my focus goes for data recovery. I have two partition on that drive, OS and data, and luckily KNOPPIX would able to recover all my data (after Hiren's boot cd and Digiwiz XP Live failed).

The big problem is that I still cannot format the hard drive. After several test (especially using Dell Diagnostic), it say "DST Short Test fail 1000-0146, IDE Status failed". Error code 0F00:0244, Msg: Block 38301616, 38301617, 38301618 Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected.
(All those Dell users on the net said that they must return the HD to Dell and have an exchange ... If the HD is still under warranty)

Using QTparted, these block belong to hiberfil.sys.

Zero fill (low level format) failed using Ranish, as it gives some error number (I forgot to note) but the reason is similar with Partition Magic report "Cannot format due to partition contain open files".

Any help how to format the drive? Thank you in advance.

Yea you will need to return that to Dell, if under warranty mind you, they should replace it no problem because it is also known as an Error Code 7. What happens is the diags scan 1000 sectors at beginning, 1000 at the end and 3000 in the middle, and if a certain amount of those sectors can't be read it will shoot you back that error.

The only thing they MAY want you to do (but I doubt it because of the DST Short Status test) is run a debug script which they will have you do manually.

 

[gatot]

I purchase it on eBay last year (almost 1 year up to now), but I think it is provided with 3 month service warranty only .. And now I live in Singapore (my eBay seller is in US). So, it looks like there is no option for returning to Dell.

I believe the harddisk is not physically damaged, it just some "file protection" from NTFS appear. What do you mean by special script? Should I ask it from Dell or is there some program out there can do exactly the same?

Tq again.

 

[sweetpants]

I'm sure there is, I just don't know of it.

It's not really special, it's a manual way to write zero's the hard drive. If you call into Dell and ask for a debug script they should know what you are talking about.

 

[Grimmy]

Well, I did a quick google search on:

DST Short Test fail 1000-0146

And found:

DST Code 1000-0146

Very possible that the HD is failing, according to the dell forum.

 

[sweetpants]

Well, I did a quick google search on:

DST Short Test fail 1000-0146

And found:

DST Code 1000-0146

Very possible that the HD is failing, according to the dell forum.[/q

Aye it is very possible but he said the blocks that it were retruning are the block the file is written on, so if Dell won't replace they will most likley have him run the debug script

 

[bhowell]

Here is a link to the page I have used many times on Dell website to help me clean up a hard drive.

Debug Script

 

[maury73]

You have a defective HD: the error shows up because the drive controller recorded a large numbers of failing sectors and refuses to format in order to allow a succesfull data recovery.
Recover and backup all your dara and RMA the device.

This is because I don't like Seagate HDD: they don't do accurate surface tests at factory, it's more earnful for them to skip the tests and substitute failing units. This is for price reasons because home users want to spend no money for big drives, but it's a very bad practice for a company like that, also because they don't deeply test ANY drive, server class too!

 

[juvealert]

hey dud newbe here just sugesting it might work, open for criticism

try:
1) find an extra hard disk and install on the IDE 1. Attach the Dell Hard disk on IDE 2 then try to format using third party formating utilities i use Dban. In this way the formating utility might consider the ide 2 as an extended partition which will than be able to format

else

2) fetch an extra hard disk and temporarly replace it with dell hard disk. install a copy of xp, attach del hard disk on ide 2 and try to acess the dell hdd trough windows. if u able to acess then try to delete/format/repair the partitions

cheers

 

[bmouring]

using that Knoppix CD you have, verify that the disk is going bad with smartctl (read the man page "man smartctl" or goto the website).

If the disk report returns a bad report, you need to get another one.

If not, using that same Knoppix disk, simply do the following "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdX", where /dev/hdX matches whatever the disk in qustion is (find out with "fdisk -l"). This is going to take a while, but is the most brute-force method available, if the disk can be reformated this will do it.

I've used this method to recover disks that even vendor-provided "zeroing" utils wouldn't fix.

 

[sweetpants]

You have a defective HD: the error shows up because the drive controller recorded a large numbers of failing sectors and refuses to format in order to allow a succesfull data recovery.
Recover and backup all your dara and RMA the device.

If it's a Dell hard drive and he is out of warranty he won't be able to.

 

[blue68f100]

You have run all of the utilites I know execpt SpinRite from grc. It's pretty good on repairing drives.

 

[maury73]

Dell doesn't make any hdd, usually it mounts low-end Seagate or Maxtor devices and theese manufacturers offer a minumum 3 years warranty for all devices.
I would contact Dell for this problem immediately.

 

[sweetpants]

Dell doesn't make any hdd, usually it mounts low-end Seagate or Maxtor devices and theese manufacturers offer a minumum 3 years warranty for all devices.
I would contact Dell for this problem immediately.

That's correct, but the 3 year warranty doesn't apply to the end user.

 

[blue68f100]

And OEM drives generally only have a warranty for 1 yr.

If seagate you can go to there home page and they will tell you if the warranty is valid aor not.

 

[sweetpants]

And OEM drives generally only have a warranty for 1 yr.

If seagate you can go to there home page and they will tell you if the warranty is valid aor not.

I may be mistaken here, but seagate and such may tell you to go through Dell

EDIT: as the warranty doesn't apply to the user

 

[gatot]

Thank you all guys ...

I have called Dell singapore and indeed they cannot replace my HD due to out of warranty and even if I insist, they said I must ask Dell USA for a replacement. My drive is Hitachi (IBM), and there is DST.exe in Hiren's. Not yet tried it for LLF (zero fill), as my focus is for data recovery that time.

using that Knoppix CD you have, verify that the disk is going bad with smartctl (read the man page "man smartctl" or goto the website).

If the disk report returns a bad report, you need to get another one.

If not, using that same Knoppix disk, simply do the following "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdX", where /dev/hdX matches whatever the disk in qustion is (find out with "fdisk -l"). This is going to take a while, but is the most brute-force method available, if the disk can be reformated this will do it.

I've used this method to recover disks that even vendor-provided "zeroing" utils wouldn't fix.

From this PC Guide, it is not advisable to LLF HD uses non-vendor LLF, especially uses BIOS, as new-modern HD has more complex structure blah..blah..blah.. Then, how safe is above knoppix zero fill to the drive?

Thank you again

 

[bmouring]

Well, if data recovery is the order of the day, I would still definately try to find out the status of the device with an actual SMART tool to read the SMART data/run some tests. Then, I would try some other recovery tools (but why were you trying to format if you still wanted to recover data? It's possible sure but there are other steps to try first like repairing the filesystem and the disk's partition table before doing a format)

The zero-fill using Knoppix isn't a true "low level format" in the same sense that they are refering to in the article you posted, rather it is akin to a traditional zeroing utility that is a bit more flexible about the actual contents of the disk (read: doesn't try to verify what's on the disk, which can hang up some of the vendor "zero-fill" disks).

I have never created a brick doing this method (I've been handed a brick that I verified that it would show up in BIOS/the OS but the SMART test revealed many critical problems including multiple head crashes, so I didn't even try the zeroing).

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Well, since the machine is out of warranty anyway, you might as well install a new hard drive, if this one is indeed unrecoverable.

Could also do some fun case mods, I'm sure there are ways to make the Dell a little cooler (looks or temps, your choice).

 

[gatot]

Well, if data recovery is the order of the day, I would still definately try to find out the status of the device with an actual SMART tool to read the SMART data/run some tests. Then, I would try some other recovery tools (but why were you trying to format if you still wanted to recover data? It's possible sure but there are other steps to try first like repairing the filesystem and the disk's partition table before doing a format)

I have run the SMART test using DELL Diagnostics, and it PASS. Also I have all my data backed-up now, so it is time to re-install the O/S. I guess, since some folks stated that usually this is hardware problem, then I will use the drive as external storage. Hopefully there is chance ..

Thank you again, and I will come back with the result ...

 

[gatot]

OK ..

I have tried the zeroing using Knoppix, however it did not works .

The console is just hang and no activities in the disk (no red blinking led).

BTW. my external disk is definitely IDE (parallel ATA). but why knoppix name it (fdisk -l) by sdb (i put the harddisk as external drive)? SD is for scsi, right?

so i make it:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb2
(sdb2 is partition that contains corrupted xp partition)

 

[sweetpants]

Did you try debugging?

EDIT:

So the hard drive diags pass from the one-time boot menu?

At the Dell Logo press F12 and you should see a choice for Hard drive diagnostics, choose that and see if it still passes.

There is also an option to run 32-bit diags on the drive itself but it is embedded in a FAT partition on the hard drive unless you wiped your drive clean. In which case you would need the Resource CD and boot from it as the diagnostics are on there too. Once booted to it you can choose Custom Test, and then run all tests for your hard drive, this usually lasts about 45 minutes to an hour and a half. IF ALL THOSE PASS, I would say debug the drive, which will manually write zeroes to it.

 

[bmouring]

OK ..

I have tried the zeroing using Knoppix, however it did not works .

The console is just hang and no activities in the disk (no red blinking led).

BTW. my external disk is definitely IDE (parallel ATA). but why knoppix name it (fdisk -l) by sdb (i put the harddisk as external drive)? SD is for scsi, right?

so i make it:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb2
(sdb2 is partition that contains corrupted xp partition)

Two things: sd refers to SCSI yes, but in the Linux kernel USB storage devices are interfaced with the general SCSI driver. If you want to find out why, I could explain but it's not really important.

Second, I would not try to zero-fill a single partition, rather I would try to do the entire disk (/dev/sdb) to make sure to get rid of any bad partition table information. Also, make sure to do this with root permissions (sudo dd if=/dev/zero /dev/sdb).

 

[jap0nes]

seems like bad blocks to me. the hibernation problem was just a coincidence that hiberfil.sys was written over badblocks. If i were you i'd buy a new disk

 

[bmouring]

I definately starting to agree here, but for just a little time and $0 cost we can see if there's any life left in the drive.