[Nottingham] Hardware problem

[David Aldred]

Ok, not strictly a Linux issue, but you guys are very knowledgeable...

Son's PC, running WindowsXP/Ubuntu dual boot.  He mainly uses Windows (media 
editing stuff).   The hard disk was making unhappy noises: we replaced it.

XP installed - ran briefly, then further problems and again seemed to be HD 
related.  Ran XP chkdsk, and it reported an error - helpfully that was all it 
reported!  Running Linux chkdsk from a LiveCD revealed loads of bad sectors.  
The HD went back to the shop, and a replacement was put in.

Again installed XP, ran happily for a day and a half.  Today, won't start - 
HDD is making unhappy noises again (sounds like repreated seeks and resets on 
the controller).  Can't even get as far as checking it since the XP install 
disk can't find any HD in recovery/repair mode, and Ubuntu LiveCD can't 
inititate a tty and drops into the limited busybox environment (no chkdsk).

Two HDs failing in four days seesm unlikely - unless they have a bad batch in 
at the shop.   Is there anything on the rest of the PC which could be causing 
HD failures like this?

-- 
David Aldred