On Mon, 30 Jul 2018 11:16:03 +0100, scbs29
wrote:

Can I assume that the hdd is on its way out and needs replacing ?
Could this be the cause of my earlier problem ?

In addition to the other advice, I would also check Event Viewer for
disk issues. I had a situation a few years ago where I had a flaky SATA
connector and Event Viewer was reporting well over 60,000 communication
issues with that drive. I had assumed that the drive was dying, but
reseating the SATA connector completely resolved the issue.

Drives vibrate and SATA connectors aren't great to begin with, plus they
are only rated for about 50 insertion cycles. The whole thing is a
recipe for failure.

Quite possibly not your problem, but it's always good to check Event
Viewer when you're having issues. Just remember to resist the urge to
delete any of the event logs. Instead, take a moment to learn how to
filter the logs so they show you just what you want.

--

Char Jackson