Strange HDD issue? Need help ASAP.

[MooseHead]

Hello fellow TH-ers!

I've been having a strange issue with my rig... And it's irking me so I'm looking for a fix.

I have 1x500GB Western Digital Caviar Black(games and media), 1x320GB Seagate(games and system), 1x160GB Western Digital (backups). For a few months now, my rig systematically fails POST checks and S.M.A.R.T SATA detection procedures.

Either my 320GB fails to pass SATA detection or S.M.A.R.T checks, and I need to do a shutdown-start procedure a bunch of times (or fiddle with the SATA wires, but that isn't consistent because it can either work fine for a month after, or drop again the next hour).

Recently, I can't run my 320GB and my 500GB together... Until 2 months ago, I only had issues with the 320GB HDD, now my rig won't past SATA detection and/or S.M.A.R.T testing most of the times I got both the 500 and the 320 HDD's online.

Sometimes, it works for a few days. Sometimes, it won't even detect it. Both HDD's are less than 2 years old, and never hit/bumped/dropped. I need some help to solve this, as it's annoying as hell.

Is it my HDD's, the SATA cables, or the motherboard?

Cheers!

 

[rolli59]

Single drive problems most likely the drive or cable multiple drives motherboard controller. Run manufacturers utilities on the drives to check them, the utilities can be downloaded from manufacturers website!