Sudden Hard Disk Failure warnings on multiple computers

Hi,

Is there anything going on lately with increases in Intel SMART events or Windows detecting hard disk problems? I ask because I received the error messages on my HP laptop a couple of weeks ago, began the checks and troubleshooting, accepted I needed a new HD, purchased one, just ready to start the process to clone and replace when suddenly yesterday my Dell laptop started the same errors out of the blue - different hard drive manufacturer. Both do use the same chipset family, so I thought I'd check online to see if there's some false reports occurring or something weird going on before I strain myself with unnecessary work. I can't find anything current from the past 6-12 months on the internet of this happening to others on separate computers at the same time.

Let me give basic computer info before I begin:
Two computers involved.
First one: HP Compaq 6730b Energy Star Notebook PC

Current OS: Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1
Intel Processor Core2 Duo P8400 2.26GHz
Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family
BIOS F.20
4GB RAM
Current HDD: Fujitsu MHZ2160BH G2 ATA Device
New HDD preparing to install: WD Scorpio Black 750GB SATA 3 GB/s 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Internal​

Second one: Dell Inspiron 1545 Laptop

Current OS: Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1
Pentium Dual-Core CPU T4500 2.3 GHz
Mobile Intel 4 Series Express Chipset Family
BIOS A14
4GB RAM
Current HDD is Western Digital WD2500BEVT-75A23T0 250GB
Purchased November 2010 - Kept all drivers updated and was about to do my periodic check/updates again​

HP laptop was purchased through school district used - 3 years old with Vista Business x32 installed. I upgraded to Windows 7 Professional x64 end of December with no problems. Hadn't finished configuration due to holidays and was about to get all drivers updated, etc. when I started receiving the Windows detected a hard disk problem message which tells you to back up your files immediately and contact computer manufacturer to determine if I need a repair or to replace the HDD. Upon reboot, I received the SMART event "1720 - Imminent Hard Disk Failure" message on the black screen and it told me to back up before proceeding. I had the choice F1 continue or F10 to run setup utility.

I chose F10 and entered the System Diags Menu. I selected F4 to perform the Hard Disk Test. Results showed Test 1 - Quick..... and then Error: Unknown Failure Error: Unknown Failure.

I was able to reboot and bypass doing F1 at the SMART event again. When it tried to boot to Windows, I got "file record segment is unreadable." Somehow I was able to get to Windows again, I don't know how, and I looked in my Event Log which showed the following events:
Event ID7. The Device \Device\Harddisk0\DR0\ has a bad block.
Event ID55. NTFS. File System Struture on the Disk is corrupt & Unusable. Run Chkdsk Utility on volume \Device\Harddisk Volume 1.

I ran the Chkdsk Utility a couple of times because it always ran for many hours, 3 to more than 12 hours once, stating to wait as it performed repairs and it could take a few minutes.

Suddenly I couldn't even boot to windows again and kept getting the file record segment unreadable at a black screen. I was able to burn the BIOS upgrade to a CD and upgrade the BIOS. It was an outdated BIOS not compatible with Windows 7 so I figured it was having a hard time booting now that there was this hard disk error. This worked fabulously and I was able to log into Windows after F1 at the SMART event black screen again. This time, the chkdsk utility completed and successfully made corrections to the file system. I took periodic pictures of my screen during the chkdsk to capture everything.

After reboot, all appeared o.k. for about 2 minutes and then I received the Windows detected a hard disk problem error again.

I backed up my files to an external WD 1TB drive. I accepted the inevitable and ordered a new WD harddrive to replace. I defragged the old hard drive first using Piriform's Defraggler and noticed that while it completed no problems, it showed (and still does) Status: ready Disk Health: ERROR (in big read letters.) Just as I'm getting ready yesterday to perform the Cloning process, my Dell laptop all of the sudden pops up with the exact same windows hard disk error!!!! It has the Intel Matrix Storage Console installed and the View Hard Drive Status within that states, "A hard drive has reported that it might fail." Detail: A hard drive is reporting a SMART event. Refer to the user manual for replacement instructions. arrgggghhhh!

Is this possible? Two separate hard drives, two separate computers, both getting this problem within the same two weeks?? I find it suspicious that they both use the Mobile Intel 4 series express chipset, however I thought that was for graphics. There are no other similarities other than dual core Intel.

I have NOT rebooted my dell yet as I am frantically trying to back up all the photos and videos from that laptop. I will run a chkdsk afterwards and report results. I am also considering going to Seatools and Western Digital sites to obtain reputable disk checking utilities first.

Is there something going on suddenly with Intel? Am I about to enter hours of maintenance on two computers and have to purchase ANOTHER hard drive to replace....all for nothing?

I appreciate any help and insight I can receive from you.
Thank you so much!

 

Welcome to Major Geeks.

I suspect you're just a victim of dumb luck or coincidence. I'm not aware of any instances where a motherboard chipset has had a cause/effect relationship on hard drive failures.

Hope this helps.

 

I have exactly the same problem with exactly the same hardware. It all begun after a Windows update fix on Windows 7 x64 ultimate.

WHAT THE HEEL IS GOING ON!

did you find a solution?

 

I did not find any reason and actually still haven't replaced either hard drive. However, I did just get the new hard drive for the Dell last week. I never bought into this all just being a coincidence and strongly believe it had something to do with some kind of update. I do maintenance tasks on a regular basis, cycling through each of my four computers until done. Both of my desktops are fine and only my laptops were affected so it has something to do with laptop firmware/hardware. Both laptops were under 3 years old with hard drives under 3 years old, so the odds that they both died within the same week with entirely DIFFERENT hard drive manufacturers is suspicious and points to an operating system problem - Windows 7 x64 and Windows *#@!%!* Update.

Windows Update has killed computers of mine before and there is no way to protect from that or prove it. However, every single fatal problem I have had with any PC has always occurred within 24 hours of an automatic windows update. I no longer do anything unless it's listed as critical. The problem now is that they list MANY things as being a "critical" update these days or state that it's related to security and then it gets a critical label. I'm plain sick and tired of Windows - in every way - period.

I did try to restore both laptops to earlier periods, but the restores displayed a failure message stating it did not work. Life has been too busy to constantly stay on top of these problems which is why I still have not fixed either and have two new hard drives still in their packages.

For the first time ever, I am seriously considering replacing all of them for Macs. I bought my graphic design daughter a used Macbook last Christmas. It was used, 2008 or 2009, fully upgraded and we have not had a single hiccup at all, not one blink of concern, over the entire past 8 months. I have not had to do one single "maintenance" or security task with it and it works like the day it was purchased new by it's first owner in 2009! I'm so sick of the amount of time PCs require to maintain and keep "secure" and it sure seems to me Apple has always and will always do that best for us - by making computers that don't require the owners to have to worry about it all the time and require weeks of support to solve ridiculous and unnecessary problems.

As soon as I'm done restoring these laptops, I'm selling them on ebay and purchasing used Macbooks - and then scheduling a massage to fill my new free time in life!!!