Disk and Ftdisk errors in system log?

[jimnms]

This problem started 3 days ago, but I didn't notice it until yesterday when I had just started to download a large file. The computer started pausing for a microsecond every few seconds like it was under heavy load. I opened the task manage to see what was causing it, but the computer locked up.

After it restarted, I checked the Event Log. There were 12 of these errors in the log right before it locked up.

Event Type:	Warning
Event Source:	Disk
Event ID:	51
Description:
An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk1\D during a paging operation.

I looked back farther in the log, and the day before that there were 6 more of the same error during the day, but I didn't notice anything wrong that day.

This error also appears every now and then in the System log, the first one being on July 4.

Event Type:	Warning
Event Source:	Ftdisk
Event Category:	Disk 
Event ID:	57
Description:
The system failed to flush data to the transaction log. Corruption may occur.

When you click the link for more info on the error, they both say the error is likely caused by bad sectors on the drive. I have two drives in my system, C: is a 250GB WD, and D: is a 400GB Seagate. I ran scandisk with a surface scan on both drives and no errors were found. Used Seatools to scan the Seagate and WD's DLG to scan the WD drive. Again, no errors were found.

The even log contains events going back to June. The first Ftdisk error shows up July 4. There are only 14 of those events between July 4 and yesterday (it hasn't occurred today). The Disk error doesn't show up until July 18 though.

Last night I got a BSOD, the error message showed that it was something to do with nvata.sys, which is the Nforce4 SATA driver. I un-installed and re-installed the driver last night. I have gotten one more disk error, which was when I turned on the computer this morning, but it was slightly different. Until today, the errors were all on "\Device\Harddisk1\D", but the one today shows "\Device\Harddisk0\D".

Could the disk controller on my MB be dying? I don't know of it is a coincidence or not, but on July 3rd, my power supply died (the day before the first Ftdisk error). The computer wouldn't turn on that morning even though it was fine the day before. Then hours later, it just turned itself on and the power supply caught fire. Why is it then that the disk errors didn't start until 3 days ago?

 

[jimnms]

The computer was working fine this morning. I go to the store this afternoon, and when I get home, I'm greeted with a no operating system found message when I turn the computer on.

I still had my UBCD in the drive, so I boot it up and run a quick test of the C: drive, it reads it fine and it passed. I'm thinking Windows is gone bonkers, and I'm going to have to re-install, but first I want to make sure it is not a hardware failure before I go to all the trouble.

My MB has another SATA controller on it, so my plan was to enable it and move the drives over to it. I open up the case, pull out the HD cage and set it to the side leaving it plugged in. I unplug the D: drive's SATA cable from the MB and remove the power. Then for some reason, I decided to turn it on, and the damn thing boots right into Windows.

Now I'm thinking it is the Nforce4 SATA controller. I plug the D: drive back up expecting it to fail again, but no, it boots up just fine. I check the SATA and power connections, boot it up and shut it down a few times. Then I put it all back together.

It's working just fine now. Maybe it was a loose SATA connector, but beats the hell out of me how it could have come loose on its own. It's actually running much faster now booting up and shutting down. I had noticed that it was taking longer to shut down than usual a few days ago.