Problem with a Xbox 360 HDD

[tisurame]

I have a Xbox 360 with an official 250gb (Hitachi) HDD. I always install and run games directly from the HDD. Recently, I noticed that loading times became VERY slow when running games from the HDD (much slower than running these games directly from the DVD).

I tried to format the HDD using the Xbox 360 itself, but nothing changed. Actually, when I installed "Resident Evil 5" again after formatting the HDD, I noticed that the load times, unlike before, were normal again. My conclusion is that I have very slow read speed on parts of hard drive. Before formatting the drive, "Resident Evil 5" was installed on a "slow" part of the drive, and now it's installed on the "fast" part.

Anyway, I did a read test and this is how it looks like:




I haven't done a write speed test, because I'm afraid of using a PC software to write things on the drive, since it's using a different file system (and not FAT or NTFS) and I don't want to mess with it. BUT, write speed looks normal when I use the Xbox 360 itself to test it (like when installing a game to the HDD).

I don't know exactly what could have caused this slow read problem. This drive was bought 8 months ago and until now always worked great. But I'm suspicious of one thing: lately I'm been using a USB data transfer cable to connect the Xbox HDD to a PC in order to copy some data. I remember that after a few days using this on my notebook, I tried to connect the HDD into my desktop and the drive did keep doing a weird noise just after inserting the plug into the USB port and it didnt work. After that, I never used this HDD again on my desktop (just on my notebook).

So, I really really need a opinion of you guys about this issue. With the data cable I mentioned before, I can plug this HDD into the PC and it will work just like a USB external drive. While I'm writing this post, I'm using "HDD Regenerator" to scan the drive (it's in the beginning), but I'm not sure if it will work. I'm only using it because the software says it will work with "any file system and also with unformatted or unpartitioned disks" and without changing the drive structure.

I don't care about the data inside the drive, but I really need a software that will repair this problem (if possible), but keeping the partitions and file system intact, otherwise this HDD will not work on my Xbox 360 again. I can only format this drive using the Xbox itself.

I was thinking about using MHDD - is this the right software to use? Do you think this drive can be repaired, so I can get a good read speed with all the files written in it?

I really appreciate all the help.

[Russwinters]

Software won't save you here; abandon ship.


Haha

[drc]

Drive is bad. Get your data off and get a new one.

[tisurame]

So, you guys are saying that based on that HDTune read test? Is it enough to reach this conclusion?

[fzabkar]

Can you upload the SMART data?

If the data are not available with HD Tune, try one of these:

HD Sentinel (DOS / Windows / Linux):
http://www.hdsentinel.com/

HDDScan for Windows:
http://hddscan.com/

CrystalDiskInfo:
http://crystalmark.info/software/Crysta ... dex-e.html

smartmontools (Linux / Windows):
http://sourceforge.net/projects/smartmontools/files/
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/smartm ... i/Download

[tisurame]

Here...

[fzabkar]

The SMART data don't look too bad. However, the drive has 15 (0xF) pending sectors, ie bad sectors that are waiting to be replaced. There may also be many more "difficult" sectors that come good after several retries. These won't show up in the SMART report.

If you don't care about the data, delete it. The next time the Xbox writes to the marginal sectors, they will be retested and returned to service if good, or reallocated if bad.

Keep an eye on the reallocated sectors count. If the figure increases on a regular basis, then replace the drive, if possible. That said, your HD Tune benchmark graph doesn't look good.

[tisurame]

After using HDD Regenerator, only 5 bad blocks were detected (and recovered). I did another read test with HD Tune: same result.

I also formated the HDD (again). What else do you suggest?

[poehere]

Get a new drive. Save your data. Not much else left to do on this one.

[BlackST]

With the right equipment and-or know how the drive can be fixed like factory new. Not an option for end user, sorry.

[fzabkar]

After using HDD Regenerator, only 5 bad blocks were detected (and recovered). I did another read test with HD Tune: same result.

I also formated the HDD (again). What else do you suggest?

It sounds like you still have many marginal sectors that are not bad enough to be reallocated.

Does HDDScan report any changes in the Reallocated Sector Count or Current Pending Sectors or Reallocation Event Count?

Do Xbox drives require special firmware? Is that why you want to hang on to your drive, despite its problems?

[BlackST]

TOTAL BS.

It's an Hitachi that works as Hitachi with Hitachi behaviour. Even if you cry in Turkish or ancient Greek or whatsoever, you or the drive won't reallocate NOTHING in this state. In this state usually zero filling and reformat will worse as it will turn minor problems into HICCUPS or into a time bomb. It's degraded , assuming there is no or fixable media damage and heads are within specs, only special procedures can fix the problem and the drive will return as new (except the mechanical working time). But again, it's not at end user level.

[tisurame]

After using HDD Regenerator, only 5 bad blocks were detected (and recovered). I did another read test with HD Tune: same result.

I also formated the HDD (again). What else do you suggest?

It sounds like you still have many marginal sectors that are not bad enough to be reallocated.

Does HDDScan report any changes in the Reallocated Sector Count or Current Pending Sectors or Reallocation Event Count?

Do Xbox drives require special firmware? Is that why you want to hang on to your drive, despite its problems?

Yes, it use a special firmware, and it's not easily replaceable. But at this point I will give up from it. I will buy another drive in the future.

Thanks for your help.

[drc]

This drive was bought 8 months ago

Is it not still under warranty?

[tisurame]

No. It's a imported product, so no warranty in my country.

[fzabkar]

Yes, it use a special firmware, and it's not easily replaceable.

What about hacks such as the following?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/150970/u ... cheap.html

http://beta.ivancover.com/wiki/index.ph ... ve_Upgrade