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To: Steve Misic who wrote (35411)	7/30/2003 8:18:38 AM
From: thecow	Read Replies (2) of 110655

chron.com This article is about Windows 2000 but I'm sure the same info applies to Windows 98. "Q. I have a home-built computer that I put together about a year ago. Lately, I keep having a problem with bad clusters. I am running Windows 2000. Is something corrupting the files, or do I have a bad drive? What is my best plan of action to fix this? A. A cluster is a unit of storage on a hard drive. When a cluster can't be written to by the drive or when data contained in it is corrupted, that cluster is considered bad. More often than not, bad clusters are a result of a failing hard drive. Hard drives will deteriorate over time with normal use and more rapidly if they are defective or subject to stresses such as power surges or faulty power supplies. It could also be a result of a faulty disk controller or an incorrect BIOS setting. Because your PC is relatively new, I would suspect the drive is failing, especially since the problem has started to pop up recently and not when you first assembled the computer. I would suggest immediately backing up any data you don't want to lose. Then you might want to perform some diagnostics. Nondestructive diagnostics would include changing out the drive controller, replacing the controller cable and hooking up a different power plug to the drive. More complex diagnostics would include performing a low-level format on the drive and reinstalling just the basic software programs, including the operating system and maybe a few applications. Then run the PC for a while to see if the problem persists. Low-level formatting of a hard drive returns it to the condition it was in when it came from the factory, barring any physical defects. Check your hard drive manufacturer's Web site to see if it offers a low-level format utility. "

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