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My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

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Tags: Hardware

I’m getting memory errors, it struggles to load up my computer sometimes, and occasionally my browser and stuff I have open in general will crash because of memory problems, and I just got a unknown hard drive error warning now. Is there any way to restore a hard drive’s health, or should I just invest in a new hard drive and transfer my operating system to it? It’s a Samsung SSD, 1TB, and only 3 years old. Thanks in advance.

Topic

Re: hard drive

In reply to My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

Usually, memory means RAM and hard drive is storage. So it’s very unclear what causes the crash you mention and what that “crash” exactly means.

Usually, an error and a warning are different things, so it’s unclear what your “error warning” is.

That being said, what are the SMART values of that SSD? Does chkdsk find any errors? Does Samsung somewhere on their site have a diagnostic program you can run?

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In reply to Re: hard drive

I’ve just used Samsung magician and checked it with command prompt, both says the hard disk is healthy. It seems to work perfectly fine for a while sometimes, and then my browser will crash, and whatever’s open along with it. I have two sticks of Corsair DDR4 3200 MHz dominator ram, and it’s not like I’m running anything too memory heavy, so I really don’t know what the problem could be…. I also still have 65 gigs of space left on the drive, so it shouldn’t be a problem with programs failing because of a lack of storage.

Re: memory

In reply to .

Things you can try:
1. Test RAM with memtest86 (free download)
2. Test with 1 stick of RAM instead of two. Check both.

You still didn’t tell what exactly happens when it “crashes”, what error message lets you think it’s a problem with memory and what that “unknown hard drive error warning” exactly is.

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In reply to Re: memory

Thank you, I updated its firmware with Samsung Magician and so far touch wood I haven’t had the same problems, but if I do get the same problems I will definitely test my RAM, or I might do it anyway just because

Re: failing because of a lack of storage.

In reply to .

That’s not disk space, I think. Maybe virtual memory settings; just settings, not hardware at all.
What are your settings (check in Control Panel>System)?

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In reply to Re: failing because of a lack of storage.

Another thing to note is that it happens often when I leave my computer running and it goes to sleep, when I go back on after sleeping things will be not responding, and I’ll have to close stuff down, and then reopen everything. I downloaded that memory checker but it looks like you have to put it on a USB for some reason? So I haven’t done that yet.

[edit] My virtual memory settings are 22031 mb.

Re:virtual memory

In reply to .

Set it to managed by Windows without an upper limit. Does that make any difference?

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In reply to Re:virtual memory

I think I might have underestimated how much memory a browser can take up. I use Opera, and I had the same problem, a game I was playing crashed, so I closed a load of tabs and I didn’t have memory issues again, and the game didn’t crash either. So I think I just need to limit how many tabs I have open in my browser, possibly… I can have close to a hundred tabs open at a time sometimes

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In reply to .

Scratch that… it’s not my browser, pretty sure it’s a driver issue, I got a Driver Power State Failure bluescreen recently.

Re: driver issue

In reply to .

Since there are no drivers for RAM, and only generic drivers for a hard disk (they come with Windows, not with the disk drive) I really doubt if it’s a driver issue.

Since there is no way to replace the drivers for the hard disc in Windows, you’ll need to stop using Windows and start using Linux in stead to get rid of a possible driver issue.

Are you sure?

In reply to My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

“Unknown Hard Error” is another common error so I want you to double check what the error on screen is saying.

more data needed

In reply to My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

Hello,
Please share what errors are you getting?
Moreover, please check the hardware health by using the tool.
Also, check for malware and ransomware.

Is it giving any warning signs?

In reply to My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

If your hard drive is giving any of the below indications or warning signs then there are chances that your drive might be failing:

1. Drive is undetectable or unrecognized.
2. System fails to boot.
3. Drive begins to make strange noise.
4. System gets heated soon.
5. BIOS unable to detect the drive.
6. Files or folders become invisible or corrupt.
7. Slowing down of the system.

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Hope it will help!!

Reply To: My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

In reply to My desktop hard drive seems to be failing

The most common signs of a failing hard drive are an overheating computer, strange noises (like clicking or whirring sounds), and data or file corruption. Hard drive failure symptoms can quickly lead to major problems, so you should act immediately to save your files and prevent any data from being lost.

Hope this helps,
John

[Author]

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