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How to fix Hard Disk that has many Bad Sectors

9
Hi everyone, I'm a using dual boot system (Linux(ubuntu) and Windows XP). A few days after installing Ubuntu, I started it and a message greeted me saying my hard disk has a problem and that it has too many "bad sectors". But when I boot Windows, I dont get this kind of error. I would really appreciate it if anyone explains this problem to me (what caused this, etc) and any recommendations on how to fix it (preferably one that doesn't include buying a new hard disk.)

Note: Please know that I am not very knowledgeable in technical stuff so if you try explaining things to me in simple terms, I'd really really appreciate it. Thanks in advance. :)
Jul 12 '10 #1
5 8573
numberwhun
3,509 Expert Mod 2GB
The reason Windows isn't saying anything is:

1. Windows is installed on a different part of the disk than Ubuntu is.
2. Windows won't complain about the disk, it will simply stop working when it cannot function
3. Ubuntu tends to check the disk, something that Windows fails to do on its own.

The fix: Buy a new hard drive. Bad sectors really cannot be "repaired" with any software. If its bad, it will remain bad.

Regards,

Jeff
Jul 12 '10 #2
Hydaral
24
Actually, Windows will complain, it says something like "there are bad blocks on drive C:".

Wikipedia for a definition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_sector

It basically means there is a bit of your disk that has been damaged and can no longer be used.

There is an app called Spinrite that claims to fix bad sectors, apparently it works.

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

If the number of bad sectors on your disk is increasing every few months or less, it generally means your disk is dying.

The only cost effective fix for this is a new drive, there are a few freeware cloning tools around, I suggest you use one to clone your current disk to a new one.

DriveImage XML is pretty popular:

http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

There is also Clonezilla:

http://www.clonezilla.org/
Jul 13 '10 #3
rhen18
9
I'm wondering why this error came up shortly after i've installed ubuntu. does it have to do something with my installation?
Jul 15 '10 #4
Oralloy
985 Expert 512MB
Also, you can check the Windows system event viewer. Windows logs disk errors there.

Regardless, if you are getting enough disk errors that either of your operating systems is complaining, the disk is failing. Back up your data and replace the disk. $100 and a little time now is a lot cheaper than trying to reproduce 100 hours work lost, later on.
Jul 15 '10 #5
dwblas
626 Expert 512MB
@rhen18
The partition where Ubuntu is installed was probably not being checked previously, certainly if it wasn't being mounted by Windows.
Jul 15 '10 #6

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