HDD crash - S.M.A.R.T status

**Dennis L** · 28th June 2007

XP Home/sp2/All updates
WD 120GB Drive - Model WDC WD1200BB-00CAA0
Partitioned: C-system and D-data. Drive Age: 5 years.
Time line of following - About 24 hours.

While doing some light browsing, my view would not update. Checked LED status lights on router, all good. Looked at HDD LED, steady green, computer was froze. Rebooted, screen error ...
Corrupt or missing Windows Root\system32\hal.dll
Please reinstall a copy of file
Tried "Last working config" - Failed - same error.
Tried "Smart Mode" - Failed - same error.
Rebooted box using Linux - SLAX\cd
Linux found drive - correctly stated C and D partition sizes.
Linux could NOT read contents of C-partition, Could read D partition.
My backup status was 99.9% current. Had image on this bad drive D-partition and duplicate copy on external drive. Linux could read my D and had network connected (mshome status) to Kids HP. Just to be safe, I copied another image to that drive.
Rebooted with Acronis True Image 9 (TI9) rescue cd and loaded current image from D, program stated NOT a TI9 image or corrupted. Switched to copy on HP drive - same error. Switched to external drive, same error. Continued on external and tried 5 previous saved older images, same error ... not good.
Went on to TI9 support forums ... received a number of suggestions. After the 3rd suggestion of checking VERSION (I read the words, but it just did not sink in), the DUH!!!! club hit me. My rescue cd-disk was 2+ versions behind my image versions (kept system files current, failed to make new rescue disk). Created new rescue, loaded current image, restored drive, me one happy camper.
Due to my blind eye arrogance, (seen and read suggested solutions, but failed to connect system to rescue CD version issue) I put my HDD through H E L L and back. When the images would not load/restore, I bounced through continuous reboots of Windows, Acronis Image and Acronis Disk Director (partition tool) over the next 24 hours.

So now I have all fresh images (internal and external) and I have time to assess my drive. The verdict does NOT look good. Using Drive Manager (non-installed .exe file) / SMART option, shows the status of my drive. Do not know how reliable SMART is, but my next thread will "How to replace a drive".
See jpg of drive status. Currently my drive acts as stable as a rock ... maybe could use it for something ???
Have the new drive - Seagate 250GB/16MB/7200 - the next project. Never changed out a drive, hope someone will guide me through this "never been there - done that before" challenge. Never messed with MOBO / drive connections... so you will be guiding the naive.

**PeteC** · 28th June 2007

Hi Dennis - how do you like life 'on the edge'

Suggest you download the disk diagnostics from WD and run them - see what they say.

Do you intend to make a clean install on the new drive or use Acronis to clone the existing across?