Having a problem with my hdd.

[radon]

I think it is my Hdd is getting bad sectors because every say...4-5 months I have to re install everything cause it says it cant find a file. So I am wondering where can I get a scan disk or whatever. I dont think XP has one.

[Dax_Brandy]

it's a long wait though.. so what happens from the first to the 4th month? how often has this problem occuring? how old is the hdd? you can start off by checking the drive for some bad sectors.

[radon]

Yeah, I dont know exactly, but its a 200 Gig Western Digital, just got it end of last summer and I know. I need a scan disk or something close.

[Jeordiewhite]

Drives today don't actually get bad sectors like they used to because of problems with the making of the drive itself. However the filesystem usually get's corrupt, sometimes system crashes and maybe noise or motion like too loud of speaker system, 50dB is operational and 55dB is unoperational, or lets say you walk by it and it is disturbed.
Things like this aren't good for a drive.

Windows has a scan disk in XP, you right click on the partition you want to scan in explorer and go to properties you should be able to find it under the tab tools I think it is.

However it doesn't work great, it flags bad sectors and doesn't do a a repair.

I recently came accross some on a drive, so i recently found this program, it seems useful: HDD Regenerator
http://dposoft.net

If that continues for you, give that a try, seems quite useful.

[Dax_Brandy]

possible disturbances like voltage fluctuations can cause a drive to corrupt some files.

[thegladiatorgy]

You can run a command prompt and use chkdsk. Use "chkdsk /?" to see the various options available.

If it is bad sectors you prob won't be able to repair them since bad sectors are a physical problem.
U should get 3 years warranty on that size HD. Consider RMA.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Have you run WD's diagnostic utilities on the drive?

Data Lifeguard Tools

Bill