Hard Drive Surface Test Question

Sparrowhawk · 08-26-2006, 04:17 PM

Hi. I'm doing some work for a friend on their old Tecra 8000 laptop (yeah, I know...). Well, there are some surface errors on the hard drive, so I'm running Norton's Disk Doctor on it (System Works 2002 version). By the way, the laptop has Win 98SE and Check Disk couldn't complete because of the errors. Anyway, the thing is currently on "pass 10" in its "continuous scan" mode ("Fix Errors" option ticked) and shows no signs of slowing down!

Can anybody tell me if I should let it just keep on going until I [finally eventually] get to a generated error report, or if I have to stop it in order to get to it? (I'd stop it and just see, but these scans represent 3 days of continuous running and I'd hate to start all over if they actually count for something). I've not been able to unearth any info on the disk doctor's working process, so I don't know if this is normal or not. I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks!

**Ralck** · 08-26-2006, 04:22 PM

So for each pass of Norton, it finds more errors?
Have you downloaded and run the harddrive's manufactuer's utilities?
I'd suggest seeing if you can slave the drive in another computer to save any information off of it, because it sounds like it may be dying.

Sparrowhawk · 08-26-2006, 05:10 PM

Hi Ralck, thanks. Since the scan's still going I used Gabriel Toppala's excellent System Info utility. It reports that the hard drive is an IBM, DCXA-210000. I've moused around some on IBM's website, and then followed links to Hitachi's site, but haven't found any tools for download yet that look relevant. I will continue my search when I get more time tomorrow. Yes, the drive may be going...

As far as Norton's goes, it doesn't seem like it's finding any addtl errors on each pass...what I'm looking at on screen is the ol' sector-block visual representation of the HD (like in a standard defragging view), and I can't tell that there are any fewer or more "black squares" for bad sectors on each successive pass. (Each pass takes several hours and then it just starts over). I may PM you later, thanks.

Mark

**Ralck** · 08-26-2006, 06:03 PM

I think I would try running the manufacturer's diagnostic utilities, because they may be able to actually 'fix' the bad sectors by remaping them to the extra sectors.
Try these: http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

I'd still suggest looking into replacing the harddrive though, as bad sectors can often lead to more bad sectors.

**hwm54112** · 08-26-2006, 07:51 PM

Continuous scan mode means exactly what it says. it will keep scanning continuously until you stop it. hence the name "continuous". It should generate a report when you stop it unless you configured it not to.

Bill

**hwm54112** · 08-26-2006, 09:32 PM

All drives have bad sectors. Before they leave the factory, the bad sectors are marked as bad during low level formatting and are never used again. Therefore, bad sectors don’t necessarily equate to bad drives unless there is no reason for the bad sectors, then you can attribute the bad sectors to a worn or failing drive. To understand that, you have to realize that the drive heads ride on a pressurized cushion of air. Every time a computer crashes the potential for that cushion to be displaced exists. If it is displaced, the head will contact the platter and may cause damage. If it does, chkdsk finds the damage, relocates the data, marks the sector as bad and the sector is then ignored. The remaining sectors are still good. It is possible for an adjacent sector to be picked up as bad in a subsequent chkdsk, but there is still a reason for that sector to be bad. It’s like a stone hitting your car and chipping the paint. One chip doesn’t make the paint bad. There’s a reason for it. But if the paint starts peeling off for no known reason, then there’s something wrong with the paint and it needs to be replaced.

That said, I agree with Ralck about using the Hitachi utilities as they are designed to check hitachi’s controller board specifically. Norton should mark any bad sectors on every pass and after 10 passes should have done a better job than hitachi’s utility will do on the surface tests. It’s very much like a memory test, the more passes it makes the more minute the errors it will find but those errors are not necessarily indicative of a bad drive as stated above, it’s just that it’s extremely thorough testing (actually overkill)

08-26-2006, 04:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sparrowhawk Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2 OS: Windows XP Professional	Hard Drive Surface Test Question Hi. I'm doing some work for a friend on their old Tecra 8000 laptop (yeah, I know...). Well, there are some surface errors on the hard drive, so I'm running Norton's Disk Doctor on it (System Works 2002 version). By the way, the laptop has Win 98SE and Check Disk couldn't complete because of the errors. Anyway, the thing is currently on "pass 10" in its "continuous scan" mode ("Fix Errors" option ticked) and shows no signs of slowing down! Can anybody tell me if I should let it just keep on going until I [finally eventually] get to a generated error report, or if I have to stop it in order to get to it? (I'd stop it and just see, but these scans represent 3 days of continuous running and I'd hate to start all over if they actually count for something). I've not been able to unearth any info on the disk doctor's working process, so I don't know if this is normal or not. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks!

08-26-2006, 04:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	So for each pass of Norton, it finds more errors? Have you downloaded and run the harddrive's manufactuer's utilities? I'd suggest seeing if you can slave the drive in another computer to save any information off of it, because it sounds like it may be dying. __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs

08-26-2006, 06:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ralck TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,454 OS: 98SE/XP PRO/FC4 My System	I think I would try running the manufacturer's diagnostic utilities, because they may be able to actually 'fix' the bad sectors by remaping them to the extra sectors. Try these: http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm I'd still suggest looking into replacing the harddrive though, as bad sectors can often lead to more bad sectors. __________________ Power Supply Info Everyone Should Read! How to Post Your System Specs

08-26-2006, 05:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sparrowhawk Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2 OS: Windows XP Professional	Hi Ralck, thanks. Since the scan's still going I used Gabriel Toppala's excellent System Info utility. It reports that the hard drive is an IBM, DCXA-210000. I've moused around some on IBM's website, and then followed links to Hitachi's site, but haven't found any tools for download yet that look relevant. I will continue my search when I get more time tomorrow. Yes, the drive may be going... As far as Norton's goes, it doesn't seem like it's finding any addtl errors on each pass...what I'm looking at on screen is the ol' sector-block visual representation of the HD (like in a standard defragging view), and I can't tell that there are any fewer or more "black squares" for bad sectors on each successive pass. (Each pass takes several hours and then it just starts over). I may PM you later, thanks. Mark

08-26-2006, 07:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
hwm54112 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2,233 OS: WINXP	Continuous scan mode means exactly what it says. it will keep scanning continuously until you stop it. hence the name "continuous". It should generate a report when you stop it unless you configured it not to. Bill

08-26-2006, 09:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
hwm54112 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2,233 OS: WINXP	All drives have bad sectors. Before they leave the factory, the bad sectors are marked as bad during low level formatting and are never used again. Therefore, bad sectors don’t necessarily equate to bad drives unless there is no reason for the bad sectors, then you can attribute the bad sectors to a worn or failing drive. To understand that, you have to realize that the drive heads ride on a pressurized cushion of air. Every time a computer crashes the potential for that cushion to be displaced exists. If it is displaced, the head will contact the platter and may cause damage. If it does, chkdsk finds the damage, relocates the data, marks the sector as bad and the sector is then ignored. The remaining sectors are still good. It is possible for an adjacent sector to be picked up as bad in a subsequent chkdsk, but there is still a reason for that sector to be bad. It’s like a stone hitting your car and chipping the paint. One chip doesn’t make the paint bad. There’s a reason for it. But if the paint starts peeling off for no known reason, then there’s something wrong with the paint and it needs to be replaced. That said, I agree with Ralck about using the Hitachi utilities as they are designed to check hitachi’s controller board specifically. Norton should mark any bad sectors on every pass and after 10 passes should have done a better job than hitachi’s utility will do on the surface tests. It’s very much like a memory test, the more passes it makes the more minute the errors it will find but those errors are not necessarily indicative of a bad drive as stated above, it’s just that it’s extremely thorough testing (actually overkill)