WD800JD "Disk Read Error"

[jedihobbit]

Think I may have been bitten by a bad drive off of ebay. Sadly didn't get it into a system to test before the return time!

Anyway here is what I have.........

Installed the hdd in Kermit the Folder and finally got around to formating. At initial startup the XP-Home CD spun up and loaded all of the initial files then went into the format mode. When it had finished it did the re-boot to finish the install and that is when I got the read errors.

I've removed and reset the sata comm cable, changed mobo headers, and even tried a different copy of XP with no joy.

Oddly when the hdd's power cable came unplugged the install started until it couldn't find the hdd. This kinda tells me I'm SOL!

Comments?

 

[nitrobass24]

Run the WD diagnostics

 

[jedihobbit]

Run the WD diagnostics

Even as a "new" drive?

 

[nitrobass24]

Well you said you thought it was bad...this will let us know for sure.

 

[Dangman]

Even as a "new" drive?

Even "new" drives are defective from time to time. For a Western Digital drive, you could use Data Lifeguard Tools for DOS to test a Western Digital drive.

BTW love your worklog!

 

[sabregen]

spinrite FTW, if the BIOS can see it at all.

 

[jedihobbit]

Well you said you thought it was bad...this will let us know for sure.

Question didn't come out right! What I ment was "Can you use the diagnostics disk even though it isn't finished being formated?" Stuck at work, but will give it a try when I get home.......think I"ve got a copy floating around.


Thanks Danny Bui!

 

[BinarySynapse]

Question didn't come out right! What I ment was "Can you use the diagnostics disk even though it isn't finished being formated?" Stuck at work, but will give it a try when I get home.......think I"ve got a copy floating around.


Thanks Danny Bui!

Yes you can. the diagnostics go below the filesystem layer and access the drive's sectors directly.

 

[jedihobbit]

Here's a weird one....... I've created both a floppy and a cd with the WD diagnotics on them. They will boot into the program, but will not recognise any kb I have hooked up to it so I can't get past the "agreement" screen (hit ESC to continue or use the up / down arrows to scroll)!

What ya think?

 

[jedihobbit]

Okay, it seems when I changed the usb kb setting in bios from OS to Bios it started seeing the kb. Tests are running!

 

[DonDon]

Here's a weird one....... I've created both a floppy and a cd with the WD diagnotics on them. They will boot into the program, but will not recognise any kb I have hooked up to it so I can't get past the "agreement" screen (hit ESC to continue or use the up / down arrows to scroll)!

What ya think?

USB or PS2 kb? If it is a USB, try a Ps2. I doubt the other way would make a dif.

Oops, nice timing. Let us know what you find out.

Don

 

[jedihobbit]

USB or PS2 kb? If it is a USB, try a Ps2. I doubt the other way would make a dif. Don

Actual both!

According to the diagnostics there were no errors!

Soooooooooo I'm zeroing the whole drive and will start all over again.

 

[Dangman]

Actual both!

According to the diagnostics there were no errors!

Soooooooooo I'm zeroing the whole drive and will start all over again.

Download the CD image of Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, burn the ISO file to a CD, and then boot from it, just like you would do with the XP/Vista install CD. Test the hard drive and see if any problems are found. DFT will run on most manufacturers' hard drives.

 

[jedihobbit]

Download the CD image of Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, burn the ISO file to a CD, and then boot from it, just like you would do with the XP/Vista install CD. Test the hard drive and see if any problems are found. DFT will run on most manufacturers' hard drives.

Just did that with WD's version so we'll see what happens after the zeroing is completed!

 

[jedihobbit]

Don't know what is different from last night (morning) other than zeroing the drive and starting over, but it is now loading windows.

 

[Old Hippie]

Don't know what is different from last night (morning) other than zeroing the drive and starting over, but it is now loading windows.

I've had that several times.

Anymore, I just zero the drives before even trying the install.