Inquiry regarding a random bad sector alert in Macrium Reflect backup that indicates no other issues are present.
Inquiry regarding a random bad sector alert in Macrium Reflect backup that indicates no other issues are present.
When I do a full image of my system drive I have a about a 40% chance of getting a warning that I have one bad sector or more. Since it's only some of the time I'm assuming that that space is sometimes not occupied with data,
or
Macrium is wrong. I suggest
possibly
wrong because no other method of checking the M.2 SSD shows a problem.
Oddly enough, the problem got better, or detected less,
after
the first few logs, despite programs like chkdsk and even Samsungs own SSD "health" software
never
finding a problem. I also tried some other 3rd party programs which also found nothing.
The model is a Samsung 970 EVO 1TB.
Other hardware includes:
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
GIGABYTE X570 AORUS PRO WIFI
EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 ULTRA GAMING
2X 32GB Crucial (DDR4-3603 / PC4-28800 DDR4 SDRAM UDIMM)
OS: Win10 Pro 64bit
Since there's no support for the free version, I was hoping someone here might be able to offer some assistance.
Each space represents a
different
full
backup image.
Newest at the top
, oldest at the bottom; Sorry about that.
The very bottom one freaked the hell out of me, but when I did another full backup the very next day it "only" found 4 clusters. The problem seems random except for cluster 47841470 and a few other clusters that may show up a few times. Many clusters never show up again.
I also
never
get warnings from my Differential backups. Lastly, these are
intelligent full backups
. I may try doing full backups that also copy unallocated space to see what sort of errors I may get. All backups are verified at the end.
In total, I currently have logs for 33 full backups. 13 of which (all included in that count, including ones omitted below) had a warning of 1 or more errors. That's
barely
under 40%.
Why can no other program detect this? I fully admit, that I only just now realized that I didn't try a
different
free full image backup program, but I figured at least Samsungs own software should detect
something!
BTW, since it will be asked, SMART data is all in the green.
Thanks!!!
The logs...
Skip to the bottom if you want to read these in date from oldest to newest.
My bad. I also omitted a couple of the ones that only showed cluster 47841470. I'll sometimes go a month without seeing a single error, despite doing a full backup weekly. I'll just mention one more time that all of these are intelligent full backups.
2025/04/23
(In this, the most recent full backup,
and
scattered throughout my logs, is the cluster I see the most, 47841470. Some omitted from this list for length.)
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
(Most often seen cluster)
2025/03/17
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47846078
2025/01/31
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 81578353
2025/01/24
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
2025/01/17
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 74492545
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 130317216
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 130317237
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 130317257
2025/01/10
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
2024/12/06
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 157951385
If you read this from the bottom up, it was at this point that I was both very confused and very concerned. Someone else online suggested that it's possibly a mistake or problem on Macrium's end since the number of bad sectors varies so wildly. In fact, as I said near the top, I only get an error message about 1/3 of the time. The lack of errors found in any full image between Oct 12th and Dec 5th was also odd. I have gaps like that throughout my logs.
2024/10/11
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 34315131
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
2024/09/09
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 34315131
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455511
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455523
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455526
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455528
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455529
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 73875783
2024/08/28
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 61732897
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 73875783
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95141323
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 151633627
2024/08/27
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 47841470
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701130
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701131
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701135
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701142
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701188
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701193
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58701197
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58702302
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58838379
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 58838388
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 63369331
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 63369338
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 64044479
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 67484519
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 67886827
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 70704477
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 70705661
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 70713489
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 70713501
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 70722793
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71782679
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71783627
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71783656
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71785779
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71785895
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71785923
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 71785942
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455511
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455523
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455526
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455528
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455529
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455963
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72455992
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72456283
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72456287
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72456290
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72456292
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72456293
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 72457911
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 73875783
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 79704544
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 79704566
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 79704587
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 79705220
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 79705224
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 82314358
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 82321270
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 83075946
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 83109622
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949419
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949423
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949426
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949428
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949429
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949437
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949444
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949450
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949455
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949459
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949462
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949464
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84949465
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84956043
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84962283
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84962313
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 84968547
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86720752
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86720786
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86720880
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86720904
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86721776
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 86721803
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95952115
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95952140
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95952199
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95952887
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 95953651
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618230
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618244
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618257
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618269
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618280
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96618822
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96619402
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 96619415
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 98632144
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 98632169
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 98838024
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 98838037
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 101763294
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 101763306
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 101763418
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 101763428
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106141694
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106141723
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142290
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142294
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142297
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142299
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142320
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 106142340
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128017
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128085
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128104
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128114
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128205
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 109128218
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 110135009
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 112287737
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 112577486
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140274210
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540182
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540202
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540221
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540770
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540874
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 140540900
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 169811583
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 169886784
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 169886805
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 169886825
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 169894476
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 188272533
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 188272563
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095105
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095877
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095885
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095891
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095896
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095900
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095903
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095905
Read Error: Bad sector found in cluster 193095906
That's the only thing I didn't think to try. Every program I attempted was aimed at identifying bad sectors or any signs of drive issues. I suppose I'll give Acronis a shot since it's been mentioned often in this forum. Unless you have another recommendation for me.
While I'm considering this, I'm curious about which websites remain trustworthy for software reviews. Many sites nowadays seem to be either heavily promoted by one company or appear to be merely paid review platforms. Hardware coverage tends to be more extensive, making it easier for the community to filter out biased content. :/
Thanks!
Do you have Linux available? The dd tool performs well at detecting bad sectors, although read-only tests can reveal more. If you're somewhat acquainted with Linux, even without a full installation you might use a Live DVD or thumb drive installer that runs entirely in RAM without actually installing. The dd program is typically used to write data directly to another disk of equal or larger capacity, but you can also test by writing to /dev/null. You could locate the device using a command such as "lsblk -f" and then employ dd to create partitions or view the entire disk. For instance, without logging, the command would look like this:
dd if=/dev/... of=/dev/...
bs=512 conv=sync,noerror status=progress
You might also record this process for later analysis, as it can take a long time depending on speed and size. You could capture the output with:
dd if=/dev/... of=/dev/null bs=512 conv=sync,noerror status=progress 2>&1 | tee log.txt
You might prefer KDE live DVD or thumb drive setups from Ubuntu or Debian. Additionally, you could inspect the smart drive information, for example checking if your drive is labeled as:
/dev/nvme0n1
Then run:
sudo smartctl -a /dev/nvme0n1
After rebooting without the live media, there should be no Linux left and no changes detected.
I experienced some issues earlier, but then my system drive seemed upset because it wasn’t being cared for properly. Today, Macrium Reflect reported that my MFT is damaged!
I gathered some data from various tools—both from the manufacturer and third parties—but never managed to share anything useful.
[30 minutes later] I checked again and couldn’t recall where I stored the information. FML...
In short, Reflect indicated I had 1 or 2 bad sectors multiple times, sometimes suggesting 3 to 6 sectors were affected. This didn’t sit well with me. The chkdsk utility, CrystaldiskInfo, and even Samsung’s software all confirmed everything was okay.
Another worry was the low remaining capacity on my spare SSD—only 44% left. I reviewed Event Viewer logs and saw this pattern since around October 2024, meaning the problem hadn’t changed much over time.
[Edit:] I discovered a log file I manually saved in August 2024 showing 51% reserve remaining.
After much confusion with conflicting data, one sector was fixed, and Reflect stopped throwing errors for full backups. Life was chaotic, but my SSD seemed fine—until now.
Recently, the same bad sector appeared again in Reflect logs. I ran a read-only chkdsk, which confirmed the volume bitmap was incorrect (MFT corruption). After rebooting with a chkdsk scan, no logs were recorded. I checked Event Viewer immediately afterward and found nothing.
I didn’t notice the entire scan, so I had no idea what was happening. The repeat scan showed no changes, so I assumed it was resolved. That happened on the 6th.
Today, as before, Reflect confirmed my MFT is corrupted, and chkdsk read-only also reported an incorrect bitmap. Despite this, there were still no bad sectors detected.
I’m considering giving up on this particular EVO. If I really want to retire it, that might be the best option.
/sigh
I have a scheduled chkdsk /r for the next reboot, but before I set it up, do you have any advice? I already have drive images, so I’m okay that way—but why am I getting such different reports? The SMART data hasn’t changed, yet whether the drive is truly problematic seems to depend on the tool used. I don’t remember purchasing this device, but it’s definitely not old! In fact, my previous PC’s 500GB SSD is still performing well. There’s also a metal heatsink over the M.2 module.
TL;DR:
I wrote a story because just saying “FML, SMH” wasn’t enough...
Also, you’re a GD champ if you actually read all that.
One more question before I wait to see if I get a quick reply and then just reboot to chkdsk: Is there any way for Windows to alert me when it finds a bad sector and claims some of my reserve space? My memory is fading, so I don’t remember checking this regularly.
Thanks.
If you possess complete drive images, dispose of them.
If it remains within the warranty period, offer a free replacement.
If not covered by warranty...it had a long life.
Drives fail over time.
They all will eventually.
Ended up suffering a migraine last night, so I haven’t taken any action yet. The weather was terrible.
🙁
No longer accepting warranties.
As I prepare to place an order, here are a few quick questions for you.
I’d appreciate a recommendation for a replacement drive. I currently have two M.2 slots, and I’ve heard some users attempt to achieve extreme speeds by using RAID 0 (if the drive supports it), but I’m unsure if this is truly beneficial today.
I understand your stance on having a backup slot will likely lean toward RAID backup rather than RAID 0, though since I regularly take full images or differentials, that’s less of an issue for me.
Speed matters, but if the reliability is as poor as a rotten potato, it doesn’t add much value.
I don’t have a fixed price in mind—nothing cheap or under 1TB—but I’m not trading my car for a new SSD either. Somewhere in between, heh.
I’d like to share some system details. I might need to update the BIOS based on the drive suggestion, so having a USB ready would be helpful before proceeding.
Additionally, I’ve been using the heatsink that came with the M.2 drive. The specifications are listed below, but here’s a photo of the board. Would you recommend swapping it for a third-party model?
"The specs" and an image of the board so you can see the heatsink included.
[I attempted to upload and embed the image, but it didn’t work on Imgur.]
https://imgur.com/a/YZTu2bf
View: https://imgur.com/a/YZTu2bf
OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045
System Model X570 AORUS PRO WIFI
System Type x64-based PC
System SKU Default string
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core Processor, 3801 Mhz, 8 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends International, LLC. F36c, 2022-05-12
SMBIOS Version 3.3
Embedded Controller Version 255.255
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 64.0 GB
BIOS Mode UEFI
These "extremely fast" results might only appear in simulated tests.
In real-world scenarios, they don't apply.
No.
RAID in any form isn't a true backup solution.
You might be imagining RAID 1? Not so.
Standard automated backups are the reliable choice.