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PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 18 Jun 2000 22:56:13 -0400
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PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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From:
Rick Glazier <[log in to unmask]>
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Most (if not all) "modern" hard drives have a section of extra sectors for defect management.
In this way, a hard drive that is not PREFECT will appear so when new, and for a long while after that too...
Back in the old days, a list was required on the outside of the hard drive of the bad sectors, and they were entered manually on
installation of the drive...
This was a pain, and any drive that had a slightly longer list of imperfections was frowned on and passed over on the shelf...
It was a "kiss of death" list...
So the manufacturers made the process of handling defects invisible...
And automatic... Up to a point...
When you reach that point you start to get reports of defects.
A very small number of "known" defects can be tolerated, but ANY increase that is steady or quick is the result of an on-going
problem and could be caused by power problems, operator error, (both "flickering" power), or loose junk flying around inside the
drive grinding up the surface.
Cigarette smoke particles inside a drive are about three times the size required to damage a drive...

To answer your question... Keep an eye on it, and keep your fingers crossed.

I have NEVER had a drive I bought new show ANY bad sectors.
I have run drives as long as six years before getting rid of them in perfect condition.
A return question to you is... How much is YOUR DATA worth?    Rick Glazier

----- Message -----
***Answer Moved to PC-Build list.
>From: "Stephen K. Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
>Hard Disk Problem
>Does one bad sector indicate that a hard drive is failing?

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