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Thread ID: 136443 2014-02-28 20:30:00 HDD speed varying linw (53) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1369009 2014-02-28 20:30:00 Got this 160GB SATA drive that periodically goes really slow, like 3-4 MBs on HDTune . Then it will come right and behave itself .

Checked PIO (not that), chkdsk fine, HDTune error check fine, drive doesn't feel hot . Not sure what to do next . Really confusing as it sometimes runs fine then has these marked go slows .

Presumably it just needs replacing .

Any ideas?
linw (53)
1369010 2014-02-28 20:49:00 It might have difficulty reading some sectors, but hasn't failed completely so you don't get bad sectors in SMART.
I'm not sure if HDTune does an extensive check of SMART parameters, or only warns you if SMART itself has tripped. I would try something like the bootable HDAT2 utility and read the SMART data with that.

Alternatively post the SMART information here and we can check it

Could just be the data or power cable too, or even the power supply (unless it goes slow in multiple computers)
Agent_24 (57)
1369011 2014-03-01 00:45:00 Thanks, Agent, for your help . I have run HDAT2 but got so bamboozled with the options I didn't know whether I was Arthur or Martha!! I looked into a heap of logs and they were virtually all filled with hex zeroes .

Tried Seatools for Windows as the drive in question is a Seagate drive . It didn't even see the drive so that was a washout!

Attached is a png file of the HDTune test screen . It's not always like this - sometimes it stays at the 50-70MBps . This one is a really bumpy one .

Think I will bung it into another comp and re-check it .

Cheers .
linw (53)
1369012 2014-03-01 01:16:00 Think I will bung it into another comp and re-check it. Was just thinking that, it may be a power related problem. wainuitech (129)
1369013 2014-03-01 02:39:00 Thanks, Agent, for your help. I have run HDAT2 but got so bamboozled with the options I didn't know whether I was Arthur or Martha!! I looked into a heap of logs and they were virtually all filled with hex zeroes.

Attached is a png file of the HDTune test screen.

Sorry, to get to the SMART information in HDAT2:

1) Load the CD\whatever and type HDAT2 and press enter
2) Once loaded select your drive
3) You should get a menu where you can run tests etc. Chooose "SMART Menu"
4) Choose "Read Attribute Data" to show all the information. Problems with attributes and warnings are displayed in red and yellow, respectively.

Or you could post a screenshot if the "Health" tab in HDTune - I just looked it up online and it looks like that should do pretty much the same thing.
Agent_24 (57)
1369014 2014-03-02 23:41:00 Yep, the Health tab does it but on this drive it is blank. SMART must be inactive. As soon as I checked another drive I saw all the SMART stuff! Duh.

Update1:- Running multiple HDTune runs while the drive is attached to another comp. So far they seem OK. No big dives south probably because it is no longer the primary boot drive.

Update2:- Put drive back and changed PSU. Looks OK. Put orig PSU back. Still looks OK. Later, tested with several image backups with subbed PSU. All OK. Checked again this morning. OK.

Took comp back to owner and was slow!!! Rebooted - still slow.

Brought it back here and guess what? Runs fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really not sure what to do now. Owner is OK to buy a new drive but I really can't say this will fix the problem. Mmmmm. Thinks.
linw (53)
1369015 2014-03-02 23:49:00 Strange. Can you get the SMART data out of it with HDAT2? Maybe depend on what you have connected it to. Some SATA controllers do weird things may make SMART attributes inaccessible through the OS.

You could also try SpeedFan, that can read SMART too.
Agent_24 (57)
1369016 2014-03-03 00:56:00 Thanks, Agent. Ran Speedfan and it showed the SMART results. Says No Error. 8 entries show green OK and the rest have no side marker. Nothing sticks out. linw (53)
1369017 2014-03-03 01:54:00 What if you run the in-depth online analysis? Agent_24 (57)
1369018 2014-03-03 03:15:00 Sane result. No error. linw (53)
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