Software to test hard drives ..

[flavius]

Two days ago the system drive of my server passed away, after 4 years of relentless service. I didn't even get to say good bye...

What do you guys use to test and/or fix your hard drives?

[Eric3a]

Testing: I like SiSoftware's SANDRA app.
Fixing: A hammer?

Eric

[Case]

Fixing:


GetDataBackNTFS or
GetDataBAckFAT

Depending on your file system.

This program has amazed me with its data recovery abilities.

I was able to retrieve some accounting files for a client after they had reformatted the drive, and installed a new OS on it before they realize they didn't have a good backup.

Cheers!

p.s. I guess it isn't really 'fixing' as much as it is data recovery, depending on the problem you had, I probably wouldn't trust a drive that I had to use data recovery on

[merrypig]

Don't forget to enable S.M.A.R.T feedback from your drives and monitor the event log / use mbm etc to monitor them. S.M.A.R.T will give you some indiciation of early mechanical failure and temperature issues too.

[flavius]

Originally Posted by Case

GetDataBackNTFS or
GetDataBAckFAT

p.s. I guess it isn't really 'fixing' as much as it is data recovery, depending on the problem you had, I probably wouldn't trust a drive that I had to use data recovery on

Thanks. I will take a look. Well, you're right, it's more about recovery - and prevention. While building my BTV server, and moving huge directories around, I had one directory, roughly 18 gig, only in one place, on the very drive that died two days ago. No TV shows, my current DVD movie projects. There all gone.

There were signs, some re-read operations, I could hear, and I was planning on getting software, that would mark those sectors. Back in the day I used to use SCSI drives quite a bit, that would support something like that. I don't know very much about IDE drives, there just so cheap, you know...

Originally Posted by merrypig

Don't forget to enable S.M.A.R.T feedback from your drives and monitor the event log / use mbm etc to monitor them. S.M.A.R.T will give you some indiciation of early mechanical failure and temperature issues too.

Thanks. Just downloaded the software from Seagate.

[whitewolfcan]

There are free software from the hard drive manufacturers that allow you to perform low-level diagnostics on the hard drive. You have to boot into DOS with a floppy to launch those diagnostic software.

I use a CD compiled by the good guys at http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

The CD contains the latest version of diagonstic software from almost all the hard drive manufacturers. It's handy to have one.

WWC

[flavius]

Great. Thanks.

[mcowger]

Originally Posted by whitewolfcan

There are free software from the hard drive manufacturers that allow you to perform low-level diagnostics on the hard drive. You have to boot into DOS with a floppy to launch those diagnostic software.

I use a CD compiled by the good guys at http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

The CD contains the latest version of diagonstic software from almost all the hard drive manufacturers. It's handy to have one.

WWC

That CD has saved my butt more than once!