2nd SCSI hard drive failure within 1 year

[The Best Alias]

As per the norm, I got a Monday call from a customer freaking out about their server. I paid them a visit and sure enough the Western Digital SCSI hard drive I replace about 6 months ago is dead. SCSI utility is seeing it as a 1MB quantum. I told them to boat anchor that machine and get a new one. It's a pentium (i don't remember) 600MHz machine so it's a bit of a dinosaur anyway. their book keeper is the hero of this story. I taught her how to backup the server which she did before she left on Friday. I loaded backup files on an unused workstation, mapped some network drives and had them back up and running PDQ.

What would make a machine eat hard drives? Thin it might just be a fluke, virus, inferior Dell product??????

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Is there a UPS or surge-protector installed between wall-socket and PC?
If not, unstable electricity might cause that, such as spikes, brown-outs or black-outs.
Or the PSU might be on the edge of its capacity. If the HD is a 10'000 RPM disk, they need a pretty good and stable PSU.
The disk should still be under warranty.

 

[The Best Alias]

I was thinking bad power supply too. The root of all evil. It's not on a UPS though I am confident it's not a electrical wiring issue with the building. That's not to say there couldn't have been a spike from the utility company. Thank You for your response.

Are you familiar with the Texas Black & Tan? That's where you mix a Guiness with a Shiner Bock. Sacrilege I tell you. It's for wannabes.

 

[Nodsu]

The machine is so old.. It would be no wonder if the SCSI controller was flaky e.g. the battery going dead or some firmware glitch. Look over the controller, try another one if possible.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Something worth trying: 2/3 Guinness, 1/3 Champagne or Asti Spumante.
Makes a lovely Black Velvet.

If the SCSI adapter is a PCI-version Adaptec, it is most likely another unreliable piece of hardware. Other brands I personally don't trust.
You could also have a corrupt NTFS volume-header.

 

[The Best Alias]

They actually listened to me and bought a new machine. The SCSI controller was built into the mobo. Death to another Dell.

For what it's worth, Shiner Bock is a decent beer. Perhaps the best made in Texas. I seldom drink beer, but when I do enjoy a Guinness, I don't wanna dilute it.