Hard Drive Failure Message-Please help!  | | | 
November 5th, 2004, 08:37 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5
|  Hard Drive Failure Message-Please help!
My HP desktop is about 5 years old. For the last three days I have been receiving the following message when I turned it on:
SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk O: Maxtor 54098US-(PM)
WARNING: Immediately back-up your data and replace your hard disk drive. A failure may be imminent.
Press F1 to continue.
Is it what it says? Is there a way to find out if my HD is OK or not? Thanks for the help. | 
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November 5th, 2004, 08:44 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | It's the cheese guy! ¬_¬;
Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Gateshead U.K.
Posts: 9,167
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backup your data and start looking for a new hard drive, mate. it usually is what it says, in my experience. once you are done, go to maxtors website, they have utilities for diagnosing their drives. | |
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November 5th, 2004, 08:54 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Ultimate Member
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,173
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As paul said you should check, or double check in this case, your drive with the manufactures diagnostic software. Since it's a Maxtor you would use there software, PowerMax.
You should back up important data before running the tests.
WB | |
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November 5th, 2004, 09:10 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5
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Thanks for the info. I just downloaded Maxtor's PowerMax to run the test. Does the test erase data from the hard drive? Should I first back-up the HD and then run PowerMax? | |
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November 5th, 2004, 09:13 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5
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Answer to my question is right here! I'll back-up first then run the diagnostics. Thanks. | |
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November 5th, 2004, 09:40 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | It's the cheese guy! ¬_¬;
Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Gateshead U.K.
Posts: 9,167
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don't want to alarm you, but when you get a smart (Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology) warning that drive failure may be imminent, then you should backup immediately. you may not have more than a few hours of life left in your drive. bitter experience speaking. | |
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November 5th, 2004, 09:59 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5
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Thanks for the warning. I am doing it today. | |
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November 5th, 2004, 10:32 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Ultimate Member
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,945
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My experience has been...if I (or you) have about 6 months of warranty left on the drive...don't worry. If the warranty expired today...WORRY! | |
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November 5th, 2004, 11:11 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5
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My drive came with the HP computer. Its warranty expired about a year ago. I wonder if the drive would have a different warranty period. How would you find out? I do have the original sale documents. I wonder if Maxtor would honor a different warranty period! | |
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November 6th, 2004, 02:55 AM
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#10 (permalink)
| | It's the cheese guy! ¬_¬;
Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Gateshead U.K.
Posts: 9,167
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probably 3, 12 or 24 months, or as your system guarantee seemed to be 4 years, then that would normally extend cover on the hd to the same period. | |
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