Slow performance after slow start. Upon diagnostics, I receive message S.M.A.R.T 303

[pachin1]

For the second time in four months and after the unit having been repaired, I have experienced slow performance after slow start.

Upon diagnostics, I receive message S.M.A.R.T 303.

This time I ran two diferent virus scan tools, one by Avast and the other by Windows and no viruses or other kinds of malware were found.

I save everything in an external disk.

[TheOldMan · Accepted solution]

Good that you backed up your data.  The S.M.A.R.T 303 means the hard drive has failed or is going to fail.  It needs to be replaced.  If the drive is still functioning, clone it to the new drive and all will be as before.  If it fails before the clone, then you will need to reinstall everything including Windows.

[mdklassen]

> It needs to be replaced.  If the drive is still functioning, clone it to the new drive ...

By "new drive", I understand that you meant the newly-purchased "internal" disk-drive that will become the replacement disk-drive, not the external disk-drive that the questioner already owns.

It would not be good to overwrite any "backup" files on that external disk-drive.  Ouch!

[pachin1]

Thank you for your help. Now, please, how do I clone the disk to a new one?

[TheOldMan]

From the incomplete model number, it seems that PC might be a desktop model.  In which case it could be easy, if there are extra power connections ans SATA for the new drive.  If there is not or this is a laptop, I like to use a USB to SATA/IDE adapter, similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B002OV1VJW/ref=pd_sim_147_6?_enco...

This way, the new drive is clearly isolated for the cloning.  Use the external power supply also.  If one of the hard drives is a WD or Seagate, then you can use the cloning software from either (pick the brand and go to their support site to download the software)  I like to use Acronis - which they make the cloning software for both - Boot to a disk made just for this process, to use their cloning environment rather than Windows, IMHO.  BTW: a larger but not over 2Tb drive will work in this environment.

Even though the drive may have problems, many times it will clone OK and then you are fine.

Replace the new, now cloned drive in place of the failing drive.  Do not boot Windows with both drives connected, but remove the failing drive and install the cloned drive.

[pachin1]

It is indeed a desktop model. It is p6 2120. Its processor is AMD A6-3620 APU  with Radeon HD Graphics, Speed: 2200MHz, Memory size: 6144 MB   DDR3. 

I'm not familiar with the vocabulary employed in this context. I have to learn in the process. I'm going to open the tower and check if there are any "extra power connections and SATA for the new drive." I hope there are, for I didn't understand how to go about the other option .

Thanks a lot.

[mdklassen]

A picture is worth 2**10 words:

Most brand-new disk-drives do not have that "Power (traditional)" connector.

On your motherboard, it will have two SATA cables connected -- one going to the CD/DVD drive, and one going to the current disk-drive, to transmit/receive "signals".

If you buy a new disk-drive, it may include another SATA cable.

From the power-supply near the motherboard, there will be several 4-wire leads -- one going to the CD/DVD drive, and one going to the current disk-drive.  One of those leads may have an "unused" end, to connect to the new disk-drive.

[pachin1]

Thanks. There is an "unused" end. I suppose it is the one you have referred to. I have been checking the cloning softwares. 

[pachin1]

In fact, there are two extra sets of four cables that seem to be connectors, as shown in the following graphic: