Hard disk failure: could it explain other failures?

[Edward]

Temlakos wrote:

> Everyone:
> 
> Guess what--I just suffered a hard-disk failure. This failure was not
> complete, but it was to the point where I couldn't boot the system
> anymore. Fortunately, I had burnt the rescue disk, which I used to sign
> on, get the network interface working, and issue some vital "scp"
> commands. And after  I rescued my most important files and move them to
> another machine, I began to wonder about a few things.
> 
> Ever since I installed Fedora Core 2 on the machine in question, I have
> never been able to read the list of Samba users even after adding a
> number of users. Nor has my sound system ever worked as it should have.
> 
> Now I start to wonder: Could the faulty hard drive have caused all the
> trouble before it finally failed?
> 
> That this is the first time I have suffered such a failure tells you how
> new I am to Linux generally (though I doubt that I would have been able
> to effect such a comprehensive rescue in Windows!). Would some of you
> veterans give me some insights as to whether programs and services that
> somehow refuse to perform as described are signs of incipient hard-drive
> failure?

Look, it's not impossible, but I think that it is highly unlikely. 
Unless you've seen the drive 'stick', where the light is constantly on, 
but nothing is happening, then the drive logic would stop the heads and 
re-try, then it is theoretically possible, as the system is waiting for 
the hardware for you to have choppy sound or whatever, but there are 
just way too many other things I would think more likely.

Regards,
Ed.