Is this thing a sign of a failing Hard drive?

[Torchizard]

Before I upgraded to a SSD, my laptop had a 1TB WD Scorpio Blue HDD. After around a year of operation, it started randomly saying "OS not found" at boot sometimes. I found a way around this by using the boot menu and selecting the drive which would successfully boot Windows.

is there any particular reason why this may have happened and as it isn't my main OS drive any more, would it be safe to use it as a data drive or is there a possible drive failure imminent?

[jaclaz]

It sounds more like a cable issue.

I would change the cable, verify connectors, then check the SMART data.

Though those data are COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE - in the sense that a failing hard disk may have all it's SMART data "perfect" one split second before dying - IF the counters show issues, THEN there are issues.

Also use the manufacturer tests to verify the condition of the disk drive.

jaclaz

Edited December 20, 2013 by jaclaz

[Torchizard]

It sounds more like a cable issue.

I would change the cable, verify connectors, then check the SMART data.

Though those data are COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE - in the sense that a failing hard disk may have all it's SMART data "perfect" one split second before dying - IF the counters show issues, THEN there are issues.

Also use the manufacturer tests to verify the condition of the disk drive.

jaclaz

Firstly, with SMART the only things that seem 'not normal' are G-Sense errors (since the HDD used to be on a laptop) and Total Host Writes\Reads are in the range of billions (I don't know whether that's fine or bad).

Also, since it was on a laptop which I believe would have a direct mobo-hdd connection and the fact that the SSD upgrade did not produce such a problem I don't think it's cable-related.

[jaclaz]

I am losing you.

You have BOTH a SSD and a hard disk in the same laptop or are you exchanging them (still on the same laptop)?

I thought you were re-using the HD on another machine after having upgraded the laptop to the SSD.

In any case, running the manufacturer's tests is the next step.

jaclaz

[Torchizard]

I am losing you.

You have BOTH a SSD and a hard disk in the same laptop or are you exchanging them (still on the same laptop)?

I thought you were re-using the HD on another machine after having upgraded the laptop to the SSD.

In any case, running the manufacturer's tests is the next step.

jaclaz

The HDDs were exchanged so the SSD is now the only drive in the laptop and the HDD is now in an external enclosure.

8 hours 51 minutes and 33 seconds later, the WD utility comes back with a pass.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Torchizard

[jaclaz]

The HDDs were exchanged so the SSD is now the only drive in the laptop and the HDD is now in an external enclosure.

8 hours 51 minutes and 33 seconds later, the WD utility comes back with a pass.

So, the disk itself is good.

It is possible that the external enclosure (or cables/contacts in it) cause the issue.

jaclaz

[bphlpt]

Also, since it was on a laptop which I believe would have a direct mobo-hdd connection and the fact that the SSD upgrade did not produce such a problem I don't think it's cable-related.

Maybe not, but since your intermittent problems began while the drive was still installed in your laptop and the drive was your OS drive, then when you removed the drive and replaced it with your SSD the problems went away, the problems could have been connector related, either barely loose or the slightest bit of corrosion. Just the matter of unplugging the HDD and securely plugging in the SSD could have fixed the problem. Since the WD utility said the drive is OK, it probably is, so as long as you are using it as external storage, and another copy of the data on it is stored elsewhere as well, then you are probably fine. Just keep an eye on it and don't keep the only copy of anything mission critical on it.

Cheers and Regards