Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay!

Paperchase · 02-07-2007, 07:13 PM

This happens with any game I try to play. I start up the game, and after a few varying minutes, the hard drive makes a 'TOCK' sound and the whole PC locks up.

Is my hard drive beginning to die? This has been the latest in a number of incidents of the hard drive making 'TOCK'ing sounds and locking up during the past few months.

**Cappy** · 02-07-2007, 07:50 PM

lol i would say save what ya can to disk and start shopping. when they make strange noises their gona die..... ive lost quite a bit of data by waiting to long. if ya can buy a new hard drive, hook it up and tranfer everything from the ole one to the new one before it completely dies. dont wait to long, use it less as possible, i wouldnt use it at all till i had a new hard drive and waz tranfering data from old to new.

**Twisted_Firestarter** · 02-07-2007, 08:08 PM

Although it is good idea to get a new hard drive, this may simply be some bad sectors on the drive. Whenever the drive tries to read the particular sector the computer locks up because it is waiting for data from that sector, which may or may not be delivered after a few tries.

Run chkdisk on the drive with the "fix" option. This can often move the data off bad sectors and mark them as bad so the HD will not try to use them anymore.

Also, most newer motherboard support S.M.A.R.T (Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology). Go into your bios and turn this on if it is available. This will monitor the health of your HD and allow you to keep an eye on it.

War.mongeR1 · 02-07-2007, 08:11 PM

The chckdsk might fix the bad sectors long enough for you to get your files off of them, but in my experiece, once I start getting bad sectors, they keep coming back and is usually sign of impending doom for your hard drive. You're best off not chancing it and getting a new one in my opinion. Besides, it's a great excuse to upgrade to that 500GB HD you've been wanting.

**Iamthefallen** · 02-07-2007, 08:15 PM

If you get a hard sound like that, I'd check the cables to it first. Several times I've had hard drives go nuts because the IDE cable wasn't firmly set.

But yeah, I like to replace hard drives ASAP after they start to behave oddly. They're cheap enough now to almost be considered disposable.

**Trooper** · 02-07-2007, 08:22 PM

what size PSU do you have?

**Cappy** · 02-07-2007, 08:25 PM

thats what I'm saying or trying to say, IMO its not worth taking the chance, lol Ive learned the hard way and have spent many hours re-downloading and installing because Ive waited to long many times. HD's are cheap(pending on what ya buy) and for the few dollars it will save allot of stress and aggravation.

Paperchase · 02-07-2007, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trooper[SNPR]

what size PSU do you have?

A crappy generic 400 Watt PSU. I never bothered to purchase a brand-name one, besides, it's almost the end of my single-core AGP-only PC anyway.

**Trooper** · 02-07-2007, 11:28 PM

I only asked because i was having the same issues with that TOCK sound but i upgraded my PSU and it went away. I went from a 350 to a 450 and it seemed to do the trick

Acreo Aeneas · 02-07-2007, 11:41 PM

Is your hard drive a Western Digital?

And how long have you own it?

Paperchase · 02-08-2007, 02:02 AM

Nope, it's a Maxtor. I've owned it since 2003-2004-ish. It's gone through one reformatting after it suddenly went from NFTS to RAW.

**Melee** · 02-08-2007, 03:07 AM

Sounds like a good excuse to build a new system!

Paperchase · 02-08-2007, 06:42 PM

Money please!

EDIT: Partly good news, the hard drive has stopped tocking whenever I play a game...for now. But I guess it's a safe bet to purchase one right now...looking towards that Seagate Barracuda ST3320620AS.

02-07-2007, 07:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
Paperchase Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Island of Tonal Age: 16 Posts: 287	Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! This happens with any game I try to play. I start up the game, and after a few varying minutes, the hard drive makes a 'TOCK' sound and the whole PC locks up. Is my hard drive beginning to die? This has been the latest in a number of incidents of the hard drive making 'TOCK'ing sounds and locking up during the past few months. __________________ \|TG-Irr\|Paperchase

02-07-2007, 07:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cappy Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Washing County, Pa. Age: 42 Posts: 966	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! lol i would say save what ya can to disk and start shopping. when they make strange noises their gona die..... ive lost quite a bit of data by waiting to long. if ya can buy a new hard drive, hook it up and tranfer everything from the ole one to the new one before it completely dies. dont wait to long, use it less as possible, i wouldnt use it at all till i had a new hard drive and waz tranfering data from old to new. __________________ \|TG-6th\| Cappy BF2 Rules\|Teamspeak Info\|Become a Supporting Member\|The 6th Devil's Brigade\|TG Primer

02-07-2007, 08:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
Twisted_Firestarter Join Date: May 2003 Location: 90064 Posts: 935	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! Although it is good idea to get a new hard drive, this may simply be some bad sectors on the drive. Whenever the drive tries to read the particular sector the computer locks up because it is waiting for data from that sector, which may or may not be delivered after a few tries. Run chkdisk on the drive with the "fix" option. This can often move the data off bad sectors and mark them as bad so the HD will not try to use them anymore. Also, most newer motherboard support S.M.A.R.T (Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology). Go into your bios and turn this on if it is available. This will monitor the health of your HD and allow you to keep an eye on it. __________________ Twisted Firestarter a.k.a \|TG\| Harkonian

02-07-2007, 08:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
War.mongeR1 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,401	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! The chckdsk might fix the bad sectors long enough for you to get your files off of them, but in my experiece, once I start getting bad sectors, they keep coming back and is usually sign of impending doom for your hard drive. You're best off not chancing it and getting a new one in my opinion. Besides, it's a great excuse to upgrade to that 500GB HD you've been wanting.

02-07-2007, 08:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
Iamthefallen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Columbia, SC Age: 29 Posts: 935	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! If you get a hard sound like that, I'd check the cables to it first. Several times I've had hard drives go nuts because the IDE cable wasn't firmly set. But yeah, I like to replace hard drives ASAP after they start to behave oddly. They're cheap enough now to almost be considered disposable. __________________ \| Wearing the TG tags \| Reporting infractions \| How to get started with PoE \|

02-07-2007, 08:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
Trooper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In my wifes house......if she says i can Age: 25 Posts: 8,888	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! what size PSU do you have? __________________ that sounds like a good idea trooper. -Vulcan

02-07-2007, 08:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Cappy Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Washing County, Pa. Age: 42 Posts: 966	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! thats what I'm saying or trying to say, IMO its not worth taking the chance, lol Ive learned the hard way and have spent many hours re-downloading and installing because Ive waited to long many times. HD's are cheap(pending on what ya buy) and for the few dollars it will save allot of stress and aggravation. __________________ \|TG-6th\| Cappy BF2 Rules\|Teamspeak Info\|Become a Supporting Member\|The 6th Devil's Brigade\|TG Primer

02-07-2007, 11:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
Trooper Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In my wifes house......if she says i can Age: 25 Posts: 8,888	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! I only asked because i was having the same issues with that TOCK sound but i upgraded my PSU and it went away. I went from a 350 to a 450 and it seemed to do the trick __________________ that sounds like a good idea trooper. -Vulcan

02-07-2007, 11:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
Acreo Aeneas Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: DePaul University (Chicago) Age: 22 Posts: 4,683	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! Is your hard drive a Western Digital? And how long have you own it? __________________ Current Obsessions: Netbooks and other low-cost, small, and portable PCs. RSS Feeds: Bamboo

02-08-2007, 02:02 AM	#11 (permalink)
Paperchase Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Island of Tonal Age: 16 Posts: 287	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! Nope, it's a Maxtor. I've owned it since 2003-2004-ish. It's gone through one reformatting after it suddenly went from NFTS to RAW. __________________ \|TG-Irr\|Paperchase

02-08-2007, 03:07 AM	#12 (permalink)
Melee Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Diego Age: 40 Posts: 721	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! Sounds like a good excuse to build a new system! __________________ \|TG\| Melee

02-08-2007, 06:42 PM	#13 (permalink)
Paperchase Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Island of Tonal Age: 16 Posts: 287	Re: Help! Hard drive keeps locking up during gameplay! Money please! EDIT: Partly good news, the hard drive has stopped tocking whenever I play a game...for now. But I guess it's a safe bet to purchase one right now...looking towards that Seagate Barracuda ST3320620AS. __________________ \|TG-Irr\|Paperchase Last edited by Paperchase; 02-09-2007 at 02:07 AM.

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