Fixing a 1st-gen Raptor WD360 and suggested partition size for WD6401AALS

[khovanskiian]

Hi pals!

I am new to this forum and like it very much. I arrived here through Google when I was doing some before-buying research looking for matches of "WD5001AALS", "WD6401AALS", etc.

Reading the posts in this forum, I became convinced of buying the WD6401AALS for my current PC desktop. I used to have a first generation WD Raptor WD360 as my Boot/System disk and I really loved it, until I burned it doing some experiments with Window 7 Beta. Fortunately I did have all my important data backed up, so I was only in need for a replacement. As I said, I ended up buying the WD6401AALS even though I wanted and could buy one of those new Velociraptors, but I can't allow myself to do it for my current system, which is not very "high-end" anymore (it was 4 years ago! )

My 1st question is: For Windows XP Pro, what is your recommended partition scheme/layout for this WD6401AALS drive. I have always resorted to my instinct and through several re-installations I became comfortable with assigning 16 GB to OS and other essential heavy programs, such as Visual Studio, SQL Server, development frameworks, etc.; then I put my other "heavy" programs in another partition in the remaining space in the Raptor; and all my data, music, videos and other files in an entirely separate disk (that's why I didn't suffer too much after my Raptor went kaput.)

But now, this is my first 640GB disk which I use for the OS. I am really interested in hearing and learning of any tricks anyone else might know to maximize performance.

My 2nd and last question is: Is there a way I could try to fix my Raptor? As I said, I was playing with Window 7 Beta's Disk Manager and converted my Raptor from Basic to Dynamic... I think that might have damaged some of the MBR sectors and from that point on, after reboot, I COULD NOT EVEN GET TO THE BIOS... In fact, POST was telling me in an infinite loop something like:

Booting Device Secondary Master WD360 detected and ready to use...
Booting Device Secondary Master WD360 detected and ready to use...
Booting Device Secondary Master WD360 detected and ready to use...
Booting Device Secondary Master WD360 detected and ready to use...
Booting Device Secondary Master WD360 detected and ready to use...

and so on, but I could not get beyond that point... I repeat, not even to the BIOS.

 

[DonDon]

Wow, you really hosed yer drive good.

You can try connecting the drive through a USB adapter. That may isolate it enough to let it boot. Hooking it toa different brand of MOBO might work too.

I like to make a partition around 100 gig for my OS and partitions. You don't want it to small as the fuller the partition is, the more the files will fragment The other reason to put the programs with the OS is you have to reinstall them if the OS gets hosed anyway.

Hard drives are really cheap, and it would help speed things up if you had your data on a second drive instead of on the same drive as the OS. You could also move the page file there.

Get the WD diagnostics software from their web site in the support section. Get the bootable CD version. With the Raptor unplugged, set the system to boot from the CD, and delete the HD from the boot order completely. Plug the HD in and see if it can boot from the CD then.

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Don

 

[Old Hippie]

Is there a way I could try to fix my Raptor?

Looks like you already did that!

J/K!


I'm with DonDon on the USB adaptor/case thing but I'd also be trying The Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren's Boot CD.

I'd probably start with the HD testing tools and move to a HD eraser or an MBR tool and then see if it would boot.

 

[khovanskiian]

Get the WD diagnostics software from their web site in the support section. Get the bootable CD version. With the Raptor unplugged, set the system to boot from the CD, and delete the HD from the boot order completely. Plug the HD in and see if it can boot from the CD then.

Looks like you already did that!

J/K!

LOL, yeah, I tried to mean s there any other thing I could try to fix my Raptor?

I thank you both for your answers, I didn't know there was this bootable diagnostics CD from WD so I am going to try it.

Besides....

Hard drives are really cheap, and it would help speed things up if you had your data on a second drive instead of on the same drive as the OS. You could also move the page file there.

You mean, you advice having a pagefile even if you have 4 GB of RAM??? (of which, of course, Windows XP only recognizes 3454 MB )

Years ago, I did experiments moving the pagefile to a different HD and getting rid of it, just to find out that without it, the OS was forced to use as much of the RAM available causing my programs to simply run faster (that is, do not depend on silly paging for starting up, or managing large files, etc...) Ever since I dumped the whole pagefile and never used for the last 4 years. You just need enough memory.

 

[Old Hippie]

I didn't know there was this bootable diagnostics CD from WD so I am going to try it.

I believe either of those boot cds I mentioned contain the WD DOS diagnostics along with other HD manfs programs of the same thing.

Regardless, everyone that does computer repair should have a copy of these discs for their tool box.

If your drive is being seen, there's a chance for recovery.

Good Luck!

 

[artless1]

My 2nd and last question is: Is there a way I could try to fix my Raptor?
As I said, I was playing with Windows 7 Beta's Disk Manager and converted my Raptor
from Basic to Dynamic. I think that might have damaged some of the MBR sectors and
from that point on, after reboot, I COULD NOT EVEN GET TO THE BIOS...

Another option is to try installing the Raptor in a SATA hard drive rack

I had a similar issue with my 750GB main storage drive (tons of TV shows )
and it would Not behave and stay put, no matter how or what I tried to tame it

I installed it in a SATA hard drive hotswap rack and it shows S.M.A.R.T Event
for the drive now, but <knock wood> at least it's up and running for me again

 

[DonDon]

LOL, yeah, I tried to mean s there any other thing I could try to fix my Raptor?

I thank you both for your answers, I didn't know there was this bootable diagnostics CD from WD so I am going to try it.

Besides....



You mean, you advice having a pagefile even if you have 4 GB of RAM??? (of which, of course, Windows XP only recognizes 3454 MB )

Years ago, I did experiments moving the pagefile to a different HD and getting rid of it, just to find out that without it, the OS was forced to use as much of the RAM available causing my programs to simply run faster (that is, do not depend on silly paging for starting up, or managing large files, etc...) Ever since I dumped the whole pagefile and never used for the last 4 years. You just need enough memory.

You can NOT get away from page files. If you turn it off, windows will simply continue to page out to the system disk. It's like crack, windows is hooked on it now.

I currently have 8 gig of ram on this XP install. I use Ramdisk + to make a 4 gig ramdisk. I can't get windows to use the ramdisk for my page file for some reason, but I moved all the other temp stuff over to it.

Don