Question: I have a problem with my computer: I’m using Windows 7 x64, and when I try to acces the Downloads folder, it takes a long time. After waiting for half a minute or more, I can open it, see the contents, copy and move files, etc.
And now, when I open Firefox and I click on the new tab button, it also freezes for a couple of minutes.
Is the hard disk failing? I haven’t tried formating the hard disk (lots of information inside), but chkdsk doesn’t notice any problem… Should I buy another hard disk inmediatly and reinstall the OS?
Answer: I don’t have a necessary reputation to comment so I’ll answer here with my personal experience. I had the same problem, but not just with the Downloads folder. Any action in the operating system was slow. I enabled the S.M.A.R.T diagnostics in the BIOS and it said at boot time that the disk was dying.
Also, what you can do is run a live linux distribution and check your hard drive with specific tools, such as smartmontools. I did it and it confirmed what BIOS said, i.e. that the disk was close to death.