New HDD but very slow

[Art Vandelay]

yes UPS and bubble wrap. I was tempted to take it to a computer store but I couldn't give up. my poor media center has never been restarted so much over 2 days since it was so unstable it would freeze. remove it and all is well.

[dr_ml422]

Make sure when you set up the hardrives that you put your main drive in the 1st sata slot, the 2nd in the 2nd slot and any other sata devices in the remaining slots. Also 3 Gbs DDR2 might be fine but a equal amount of ram is always suggested, even by chewy.

Xp Media Center wasn't the greatest. I chucked mine and put in Home. You sure DVD RB is not taking too much ram now that you have 2 drives? I never had a issue w/WD and swear by them against Seagate, whether SMS or Egg. SMS does have that foamy, but that's not a factor here I think. Some prebuilds are funny w/a internal extra drive because of the mobo. They recommend external USB for the xtra drive sometimes.

If you have a Imaging progging clone your OS onto the new drive and put it in see if it works by itself. if it does the drive is good.

[MilesAhead]

yes UPS and bubble wrap. I was tempted to take it to a computer store but I couldn't give up. my poor media center has never been restarted so much over 2 days since it was so unstable it would freeze. remove it and all is well.

I know it's tough to throw in the towel but it looks like

[dr_ml422]

Yup

I know it's tough to throw in the towel but it looks like

Miles you think it's really the HDD? Or just time to leave the whole prebuild outside and get 7? I mean when it comes to this hobby of ours we have to adapt real quick. That's my expereience so far.

[MilesAhead]

All I can tell you is Chewy agreed that a HD shipped via UPS has a high percentage of being damaged in shipment. To find out what's up with this drive I suggested running diagnostics. I don't see the point of messing with it for a long time unless the seller is refusing to take it back. I'd try to work out a deal to replace it and pay extra to have the replacement shipped FedEx. It just increases the odds the thing will work when you get it.

[dr_ml422]

So UPS damages them, and Fedex guarantees you a new one by throwing it at the front porch or backyard w/out a sig? They're claims dept. must have a serious relationship w/companies.

Btw when did Chewy drop by? Or is this a old note? Tell him I said hello if anything.

[MilesAhead]

Use search man. I'm not digging thorugh old posts to hand it to you.
Arguing about whether a drive is good or bad with no diagnostic run on it is a waste of time. Until there's a read-out from a diagnostic it's all crystal ball action.

Be it mysticism or causality, there's a bunch of user reviews of DOA drives bought from Egg shipped UPS on Egg's own site. I think they would take them off if they were lies.

[dr_ml422]

Miles I was more concerned w/Chewy dropping by than this. No sweat. Egg is full of reviews that can or can't be taken seriously. If it's not directly related to EGG they'll leave it in. I'm just indirectly saying it just might be time to just go get 7 w/e version and get it over with.

Right now I'm having a issue which for most intensive purposes is Ram related. How I don't know, and as of now I don't care. Tests don't always pickup errors or w/e. I'm just going to RMA the Ram back and prolly even tell them to keep it as I can't get refund, and another set new is still going to be useless.

I do mean Ram tests in my case. Prolly hdd tests might be more discerning. WD has a diagnostic tool Van can use. That should be good to go and it's free. Just not supported anymore.

[Art Vandelay]

I used the WD diagnostics software and It failed the first time, passed 2nd time. I sent it back for a replacement since I didn't want to waste anymore time with it. It was making a clicking noise sometimes also, I managed to write two 4 BG files to the drive very quickly and I thought everything was fine but then any time I tried to view the files on the drive my PC would freeze, crash and I would never see what was on the drive.

[dr_ml422]

I'm glad you at least finally sorted it out and now can be really rest assured it's the HDD and not anything else.

I think WMC has a service pack 3 for it now also. If you haven't download it and install it. The 1 for XP home has been out for a while but it wasn't compatible w/XP Media Center. Just to be up to date so you're covered PC wise.

[Art Vandelay]

yes I have SP3, I always get the Microsoft Updates. It has Media Center 2005 which works OK.

[MilesAhead]

I used the WD diagnostics software and It failed the first time, passed 2nd time. I sent it back for a replacement since I didn't want to waste anymore time with it. It was making a clicking noise sometimes also, I managed to write two 4 BG files to the drive very quickly and I thought everything was fine but then any time I tried to view the files on the drive my PC would freeze, crash and I would never see what was on the drive.

Freeze is almost always the last hardware you put in. When I first started inserting network cards in my PCs if I got a bad one, it would work until it heated up. After my machine was up for about 15 mintues, it would lock up.
Replaced the card and all was good.

There used to be an expression "you can't hurt hardware with software" but there should have been an equivalent "you can't fix broken hardware with software" or something like that. If it's bent, no tuning is going to fix it.

[dr_ml422]

That's a great point you made there Miles. Guy from OCZ is trying to tell me that the RAM issue is probably hw or sw related, but if that was the case I'd be having all sorts of issues.

Van you're good to go w/all the updates now as I think that might be the last real one needed for any version of XP. When the new drive comes and you plug it in you'll definitely have your answer.

[MilesAhead]

Miles I was more concerned w/Chewy dropping by than this. No sweat.

No biggie. iirc it was around the time I was deciding how to buy my drives for the docking station. That would be at least a few months ago now. I think Chewy used the term "head slap" referring to how the drives are damaged in shipment. The implication wasn't so much that UPS guys handle packages roughly while FedEx guys don't, but that there was supposed to be a point in the conveyor system or some other place in the UPS system where packages are subject to a 6 foot drop. Supposedly that's where the bad stuff happens. Doesn't make a difference for an end table unassembled in a carton but for a HD that's not well cushioned in packaging it can kill them off. At least that's the rumor/myth/whatever.

[dr_ml422]

Yes that will do it. I have several hdds lying around my large desk inside anti-static bags w/no problem. I haven't dropped any though. reason I have them like that is specifiacally for the Docking station. Pita to have to keep going to a shelf etc... to just pull a hdd out iykwim.

Otn, ASUS just called me to follow up on a support call. I'm basically screwed w/the OCZ Fatal1ty DDR3 4GB Kit. My system will run fine w/1 stick in the 1st slot, but not w/2. Tech told me straight out that if incompatible it can do that and that OCZ doesn't test too much or post any compatibility notes online like Crucial, Corsair etc... Which is true cause I've been on their site and the others as well.

Bottom line my new 4 GB of Crucial will be here tomorrow and guaranteed to work as been tested etc... Stock also. This Gaming Performance Ram can be a pita also trying to get the correct Volts./Timings etc... even when you set the recommended settings.

Tip: DDR2 is faster as I can vouch because of my 1st build. DDR3 supposedly will work better w/a harder load. Hey, gotta leap in and start future-proofing at some point, so any headaches will payoff later. IE: Vista.

Kinda like AMD CPUS. Pentiums are for the most part faster, but AMD will work better w/harder load. Or so goes the equation.

Lil hijacking here thread wise but we're human. Maybe this will help some now or down the line.