The HDD is acting oddly.
The HDD is acting oddly.
Hello, I just installed a new GPU and updated Windows. It’s unclear if those changes affected my issues, but I’ve started facing random drive errors and freezes. For example, while playing Elden Ring, the game stutters, music cuts out, and the HDD usage spikes to 100% with a sudden stop-start sound. This often triggers an error in the event viewer. Another time, Horizon: Zero Dawn freezes for about two seconds, followed by noise and full disk usage. I noticed the noise happens every few seconds during a drive check, but no error appears. There’s also a corrupted file warning from Epic Games Launcher and some other files seem damaged, like an uninstalled application. I’ve tested all possible SATA and power cables without success. The drive model is SEAGATE ST1000DM003, with a NVME SSD and a WDC HDD in the system. I ran CHKDSK only three times and plan to do a full scan tonight. CRYSTAL DISK INFO: THE NOISE file is 149016.mp3. The question is: Is the drive failing? Did the Windows update corrupt files? What options do I have?
Start by updating the BIOS and drivers. If that fails, proceed with caution. This approach might not succeed, but it’s worth trying. Windows includes power-saving features that can impact the drive. Open "Services," turn off the "Power" service—it manages most of these settings—and it handles power-down or throttling actions for the HDD. It’s not essential for system operation, at least on my machine.
It seems like the head is repeatedly trying to interpret faulty data. This issue probably isn't caused by you or Windows unless the drive was dropped or the PC was hit hard. I’d run Seatools to check for any differences in readings, since standard SMART tools can’t always understand how specific manufacturers store their data.