Is this Windows or Hardware ?

[AlanHo]

I keep getting an error message pop up in the task bar - it says

Windows Delayed Write failed.

Windows was unable to save all the data for the file E:$BitMap. The data has been lost......etc.

Sometimes I also get a similar error message for file F:$mft

Background

I have two internal SATA hard drives each divided into two partitions.

The first drive has C: which is used for the OS and programmes - and D: which is used for all data.

The second drive has E: which is used for back-ups and F: which is used for video and miscellaneous stuff

After a reboot the problem goes away until I use my back-up programme to do an incremental back-up of my data to my E: drive. The error messages then pop up and no matter how many times you click to delete them - they keep coming back. The computer will not shut down normally - the error message intervenes and the only way to close down the computer is to use the reset button - which is a bit drastic but necessary.

Yesterday, after a forced reset, the computer refused to reboot showing a message NTLDR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart. Doing this only resulted in the message returning and I was stuck in a loop. I tried to boot from Acronis but this didn't work and eventually opened the BIOS - to find that the boot sequence was all screwed up. I put this right and the computer rebooted OK

Using explorer I can browse the E: and F: drives without a problem and can save , move and delete files at will. There is no evidence of drive failure.

Yesterday I did an Acronis restore of my C: and D: drives back a week when all was OK - it made no difference. So last night I decided to check the drives using the windows facility in explorer, right click drive, properties, tools, error checking, selected Auto fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Drive F: was checked OK and showed no errors but drive E: stalled part way through after running for about an hour. I rebooted the computer and tried again - this time leaving it checking overnight. This morning I found it had stalled again in the same place with about half the little green progress bars showing. Hence the E: drive check is not completing.

At present I am using the computer with no problems - but I know that if I ask the back-up programme to take a back-up to E: drive - the error messages will re-appear.

Edit : this is no longer true - the messages have just reappeared even though I have not used the back-up programme.

I have googled for solutions and found a MS solution which suggests I cancel "Enable write caching on the disk" - but I am unable to do this because the feature in the disk policies tool is greyed out.

Any thoughts anyone....?

[andsome]

I have googled for solutions and found a MS solution which suggests I cancel "Enable write caching on the disk" - but I am unable to do this because the feature in the disk policies tool is greyed out.

I am no expert, but just a thought Alan, could you do this in safe mode?

[AlanHo]

I have spent a lot of time today trying various things without success - including trying andsome's suggestion.

I am therefore coming round to accepting that there may be a fault with the hard drive and since I could really do with a much larger drive - perhaps now is the time.

However - I have a question for our experts. My existing drive is a Maxtor Diamond Plus 9 120GB SATA 150 HDD. It is connected via 2 cables - one seems to have 16 connections and the other 7 connections.

Looking at the spec of Maxtor/Seagate 250 GB SATA S-300 drives at dabs they all quote that they use a 22 position Serial ATA connector. This seems different to my drive and I am concerned it will not fit. Also mine is defined as 150 the new drives are 300 transfer rates.

This is the Seagate spec

So here is the question for our hardware boffins - are all internal SATA drives connected the same or is there more than one type and mine is an old standard. If so - what should I be looking for and from where ?

[-pops-]

According to click here and scroll about half way you should have a seven pin data connector and a 15 pin power connector. Don't know what the 22 pin is unless it means the connectors are ganged together 7 + 15 = 22?

[AlanHo]

According to click here and scroll about half way you should have a seven pin data connector and a 15 pin power connector. Don't know what the 22 pin is unless it means the connectors are ganged together 7 + 15 = 22?

Thanks pops - I think you solved it so far as connectors are concerned.

I am still not sure that I can replace a 150 drive with a 300 one though. I guess I can - but I would like to be sure.

[AlanHo]

Having tried a number of suggestions obtained by googling and from other forums - I concluded I have a faulty drive.

Today I disconnected my second hard drive and the error messages have vanished. When I last used Explorer on it, I could access all the files OK - so I should be able to transfer the data to the replacement drive. If not - I have an Acronis back-up.

I am still not sure about replacing the 150 MB/s SATA drive with a 300 MB/s one though - hopefully it will work if only at the lower speed.

Anyone have any experience of this...?

[D4\/!d]

Hello Alan, sorry I cannot answer yer 150/300 question. However, my maxtor/seagate drive failed recently. I got onto the maxtor/seagate site, and found it was still in warranty - to my surprise. I filled in the forms and stuff and sent my drive back. It had to go via Coventry to Holland - don't ask. A week or so latter I got a nice new reconditioned drive. The one I sent was 160gig, the replacement one is 400gig. Whooppee :) Just a thought

[CurlyWhirly]

I keep getting an error message pop up in the task bar - it says

Windows Delayed Write failed.

Windows was unable to save all the data for the file E:$BitMap. The data has been lost......etc.

I continually got this 'Delayed Write' error essage a few months ago and it turned out to be my external hard drive which was on the way out.

I only used to use it for making Drive Image 7 disk 'images' and so it was hardly ever in use and so it seems strange that it's life was so short as I only had it for a couple of years

The brand was BusLink and I have now replaced it with a well known make - Western Digital.

[Alexis Blaze]

There are two types of SATA drive, SATA1 (the old one) and SATA2 (the new one), each have the same connector cable.. if you want to know if your computer can use the new one, it's depends on what your motherboard is.. Maybe you can look at the spec of your motherboard or ask to the computer store where you'll bought the new hard drive if it will support SATA2...

Hope this help..

[AlanHo]

Alexis

Thanks for the info on SATA1 and SATA2 - as it happens my problem is sorted.

My computer is being upgraded next week with a new motherboard, Intel Duo processor, graphics card etc in order to install Vista Ultimate and Office 2007.

Having committed to an upgrade cost of £650 - I decided to spend £90 more and replace both the existing 160 GB hard drives for bigger SATA 250 GB 300 MB/s ones and thus get the best performance possible.

Meanwhile I am using the computer with the faulty drive disconnected and using an external USB drive for back-ups.