Main > Everything Else

A strange HD crashing....

(1/11) > >>

Gray_Area:
It's like this: my PC will freeze, or sometimes start and say 'disk boot failure', I reach in the case and flick the connection of the PATA to SATA power connector, and I hear the drive start up, and windows loads. There's no environmental vibration other than the machine itself, and I tried another lead from the power supply. Still happens intermittently. It also bonks half my forum 'logged-on' cookies.

I replaced the ram. I guess I should replace the power supply. But I'm curious as to your diagnosis?

shmokes:
You should replace PATA to SATA adapter and if the problem persists you should replace the hard drive. You've already narrowed the problem to intermittent connection with the power connector. So the problem is either with the cable or the connector. You ruled out the cable. Luckily, since you're using an adapter, you've got one more thing to rule out before the problem becomes the connector on the drive itself. Unless you have the skills to replace that you'll have to replace the entire hard drive.

ark_ader:

--- Quote from: shmokes on July 19, 2012, 03:28:12 pm ---You should replace PATA to SATA adapter and if the problem persists you should replace the hard drive. You've already narrowed the problem to intermittent connection with the power connector. So the problem is either with the cable or the connector. You ruled out the cable. Luckily, since you're using an adapter, you've got one more thing to rule out before the problem becomes the connector on the drive itself. Unless you have the skills to replace that you'll have to replace the entire hard drive.

--- End quote ---

Good idea Shmokes, but I think it is the PSU.  What wattage is it, and what do you have running inside it?

I have 3 USB powered drives, a dual core 16gb and 4 Sata drives and a HD5470 all running inside a 350Watt PSU and I get that freaky random system reboot is kinda close to what you are experiencing (the hard drives are not getting enough power or the mainboard) with system intermittent issues or device failure (my USB powered drives sometimes never start) .  If you have a 500+ Watt PSU you should be OK.  I have a duplicate setup on the my other machine and that has a 500W PSU which never has a problem.

I would use the below calc to see if your PSU is the culprit and maybe look at replacing it before your system wakes up dead.

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

My calculation is 293 Watts based on my troubled system specification which explains why I have issues running any complex games like Crysis 2.

shmokes:
I doubt it is the PSU.


--- Quote from: Gray_Area on July 19, 2012, 03:23:04 pm ---I reach in the case and flick the connection of the PATA to SATA power connector, and I hear the drive start up, and windows loads.

--- End quote ---

Physically flicking a power connector would not cause an extra jolt of juice from a faulty or underpowered PSU to get the system going. I've seen plenty of crazy PSU related problems, but I can't see how a PSU could cause the behavior described here. What he's describing is a short. He's ruled out the wiring, leaving him with either the adapter or the connector on the drive.

Dervacumen:
You might try unplugging the SATA connector at the motherboard and using a different one on the motherboard, or even swapping out another SATA cable.  It's possible that the act of flicking the power adapter near your hard drive is also slightly moving the SATA cable from the drive to the motherboard.  I hate troubleshooting this type of stuff.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version