I say again - what makes you think the problem is with the HD - It's very
unlikely that it is!(especially since it passes a 3hr+ thorough scan!!)

You can test the HD, using the PowerMax utility at www.maxtor.com - but if
you won't believe advice, you probably won't believe the results of the
test, either so go out and waste your money on an unnecessary HD, and then
find out it's a £5 fan that started sticking which actually caused the
problem.

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"budgie" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 11:57:27 -0000, "Noel Paton"

wrote:

The trick is to prevent the improper shutdown - what makes you think that
this is a problem with the HD??? - it's more likely to be an overheating
CPU
or PSU.

Because it IS a problem with the HDD. If you do want to help, please
don't try
to second guess what is happening.

And I realise avoiding the "improper shutdown" would remove the need.
Right now
the only sure way to do that is to replace the HDD, but I'd rather (in the
short
term at least) fix the Windows obsession with a surface scan.