How to check the hard drive for serviceability. Features, methods, programs and utilities

Hello.

Forewarned is forearmed! This rule comes in handy when working with hard drives. If you know in advance that such and such HDD is likely to fail - then the risk of data loss will be minimal.

Of course, no one will give a 100% guarantee, but with a high degree of probability, some programs can analyze S.M.A.R.T. readings. (a set of software and hardware that monitors the state hard drive) and draw conclusions on how long it will last.

In general, to implement such hard checks There are dozens of programs on the disk, but in this article I wanted to focus on some of the most visual and easy to use. So…

How to find out the status of your hard drive

HDDlife

(By the way, in addition to HDD, it also supports SSD drives)

One of best programs for continuous monitoring of the hard drive condition. It will help you recognize the threat in time and replace the hard drive. Most of all, it captivates with its clarity: after launching and analysis, HDDlife presents the report in a very convenient form: you are shown the percentage of the “health” of the disk and its performance (the best indicator, of course, is 100%).

If your performance is above 70%, this indicates the good condition of your disks. For example, after a couple of years of work (quite active by the way), the program analyzed and concluded: that this hard drive is about 92% healthy (which means that it should last, unless force majeure occurs, at least the same amount) .

After launch, the program minimizes to the tray next to the clock and you can always monitor the status of your hard drive. If any problem is detected (for example, the disk temperature is high, or there is too little space left on the hard drive), the program will notify you with a pop-up window. Example below.

HDDLIFE alerts you when your hard drive is running out of space. Windows 8.1.

If the program analyzes and gives you a window like the one in the screenshot below, I advise you not to delay making a backup copy (and replacing the HDD).

HDDLIFE - the data on your hard drive is in danger, the faster you copy it to other media, the better!

Hard Disk Sentinel

This utility can compete with HDDlife - it monitors the disk status just as well. What captivates us most about this program is how informative it is and how easy it is to work with. Those. it will be useful for both a novice user and an already experienced one.

After launching Hard Disk Sentinel and analyzing the system, you will see the main program window: hard drives will be presented on the left (including external HDDs), and their status will be displayed in the right window.

By the way, quite interesting feature, by predicting the performance of the disk, by how long it will serve you: for example, in the screenshot below, the forecast is more than 1000 days (that’s about 3 years!).

The condition of the hard drive is EXCELLENT. No problematic or weak sectors were found. No speed or data transmission errors were detected.
No action needs to be taken.

By the way, the program implements enough useful feature: you can set the threshold for the critical temperature of the hard drive, upon reaching which, Hard Disk Sentinel will notify you that it has been exceeded!

Hard Disk Sentinel: disk temperature (including the maximum for the entire time the disk was used).

Ashampoo HDD Control

An excellent utility for monitoring the status of hard drives. The monitor built into the program allows you to find out in advance about the first problems with the disk (by the way, the program can even notify you about this by e-mail).

Also, in addition to the main functions, a number of auxiliary ones are built into the program:

Disk Defragmenter;

Testing;

Cleaning the disk from garbage and temporary files (always relevant);

Deleting the history of visiting sites on the Internet (useful if you are not alone at the computer and do not want anyone to know what you are doing);

There are also built-in utilities for reducing disk noise, adjusting power, etc.

Screenshot of the Ashampoo HDD Control 2 window: from hard drive everything is in order, condition 99%, performance 100%, temperature 41 degrees. (it is desirable that the temperature be less than 40 degrees, but the program considers that everything is in order for this disk model).

By the way, the program is completely in Russian, intuitively thought out - even a novice PC user can figure it out. Pay special attention to the temperature and status indicators in the main program window. If the program produces errors or the condition is assessed as extremely low (+ in addition there is a grinding or noise coming from the HDD), I recommend that you first copy all the data to other media, and then start dealing with the disk.

Hard Drive Inspector

A distinctive feature of this program is:

1. Minimalism and simplicity: there is nothing superfluous in the program. It gives three indicators in percentage terms: reliability, performance and absence of errors;

Hard Drive Inspector - monitoring the condition of the hard drive.

СrystalDiskInfo

A simple but reliable utility for monitoring the status of hard drives. Moreover, it works even in cases where many other utilities refuse, crashing with errors.

The program supports several languages, does not have many settings, and is designed in a minimalist style. At the same time, it has quite rare functions, for example, reducing the noise level of the disk, temperature control, etc.

What is also very convenient is a graphical display of the situation:

Blue color (as in the screenshot below): everything is ok;

Yellow color: alarm, measures need to be taken;

Red: you need to take immediate action (if you still have time);

Gray: the program was unable to determine the readings.

CrystalDiskInfo 2.7.0 - screenshot of the main program window.

HD Tune

This program will be useful to more experienced users: who, in addition to a graphical display of the “health” of the disk, also need high-quality disk tests, in which they can familiarize themselves in detail with all the characteristics and parameters. It should also be noted that the program, in addition to HDD, also supports new-fangled SSD drives.

HD Tune offers a rather interesting feature to quickly check a disk for errors: a 500 GB disk is checked in about 2-3 minutes!

HD TUNE: quick search disk errors. Red squares are not allowed on a new disk.

Also very necessary information is checking the disk read and write speed.

HD Tune - checking disk speed.

Well, we can’t help but note the tab with detailed information about the HDD. This is useful when you need to know, for example, supported functions, buffer/cluster size or disk rotation speed, etc.

HD Tune - detailed information about the hard drive.

In general, there are at least as many similar utilities that can be cited. I think that these will be more than enough for most...

And lastly: do not forget to make backup copies, even if the disk condition is rated as 100% excellent (at least the most important and valuable data)!

Good luck...

HDDScan

The program is designed to check hard drives and SSDs for bad sectors, view S.M.A.R.T. attributes, changing special settings, such as power management, spindle start/stop, acoustic mode adjustment, etc. The drive temperature value can be displayed in the taskbar.

Features and Requirements

Supported drive types:
  • HDD with ATA/SATA interface.
  • HDD with SCSI interface.
  • HDD with USB interface (see Appendix A).
  • HDD with FireWire or IEEE 1394 interface (see Appendix A).
  • RAID arrays with ATA/SATA/SCSI interface (tests only).
  • Flash drives with USB interface (tests only).
  • SSD with ATA/SATA interface.
Drive tests:
  • Test in linear verification mode.
  • Test in linear reading mode.
  • Test in linear recording mode.
  • Butterfly reading mode test (artificial random reading test)
S.M.A.R.T.:
  • Reading and analyzing S.M.A.R.T. parameters from disks with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire interface.
  • Reading and analyzing log tables from SCSI drives.
  • Launch S.M.A.R.T. tests on drives with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire interfaces.
  • Temperature monitor for drives with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire/SCSI interfaces.
Additional features:
  • Reading and analysis of identification information from drives with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire/SCSI interfaces.
  • Changing AAM, APM, PM parameters on drives with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire interfaces.
  • View information about defects on a drive with a SCSI interface.
  • Spindle start/stop on drives with ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire/SCSI interface.
  • Saving reports in MHT format.
  • Printing reports.
  • Skin support.
  • Command line support.
  • Support for SSD drives.
Requirements:
  • Operating system: Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 (NEW).
  • The program should not be run from a drive operating in read-only mode.

User Interface

Main view of the program at startup

Rice. 1 Main type of program

Main window controls:

  • Select Drive – a drop-down list that contains all supported drives in the system. The drive model is displayed and serial number. Nearby there is an icon that determines the expected type of drive.
  • S.M.A.R.T. button – allows you to get a report on the state of the drive based on S.M.A.R.T attributes.
  • TESTS button – displays a pop-up menu with a selection of read and write tests (see Figure 2).
  • TOOLS Button – Displays a pop-up menu to select available drive controls and functions (see Figure 3).
  • More button – shows a drop-down menu with program controls.

When you click the TESTS button, a pop-up menu offers you one of the tests. If you select any test, the test dialog box will open (see Figure 4).

Rice. 2 Test menu

When you press the TOOLS button, a pop-up menu will prompt you to choose from the following options:

Rice. 3 Function menu

  • DRIVE ID – Generates an identification information report.
  • FEATURES – opens a window additional features programs.
  • S.M.A.R.T. TEST – opens the S.M.A.R.T window. tests: Short, Extended, Conveyance.
  • TEMP MON – starts the temperature monitoring task.
  • COMMAND – opens a command line build window.

Test Dialog Box

Rice. 4 Test dialog box

Controls:

  • The FIRST SECTOR field is the initial logical number of the sector to be tested.
  • Field SIZE – the number of logical sector numbers for testing.
  • Field BLOCK SIZE – block size in sectors for testing.
  • Previous button – returns to the main program window.
  • Next button – adds a test to the task queue.
Test capabilities and limitations:
  • Only one surface test can be run at a time. This is due to the fact that the author of the program has not yet been able to obtain stable, high-quality results when running 2 or more tests simultaneously (on different drives).
  • A test in Verify mode can have a block size limit of 256, 16384 or 65536 sectors. This is due to the way Windows works.
  • The test in Verify mode may not work correctly on USB/Flash drives.
  • When testing in Verify mode, the drive reads a block of data into the internal buffer and checks its integrity; no data is transferred through the interface. The program measures the readiness time of the drive after performing this operation after each block and displays the results. Blocks are tested sequentially - from minimum to maximum.
  • When testing in Read mode, the drive reads data into the internal buffer, after which the data is transferred through the interface and stored in the program's temporary buffer. The program measures the total time of drive readiness and data transfer after each block and displays the results. Blocks are tested sequentially - from minimum to maximum.
  • When testing in Erase mode, the program prepares a block of data filled with a special pattern with a sector number and transfers the data to the drive, the drive writes the received block ( the information in the block is irretrievably lost!). The program measures the total time of block transmission and recording and drive readiness after each block and displays the results. Blocks are tested sequentially - from minimum to maximum.
  • Testing in Butterfly Read mode is similar to testing in Read mode. The difference is in the order in which the blocks are tested. Blocks are processed in pairs. The first block in the first pair will be Block 0. The second block in the first pair will be Block N, where N is the last block of the given section. The next pair will be Block 1, Block N-1, etc. Testing ends in the middle of a given area. This test measures reading and positioning time.

Task management window

Rice. 5 Task manager

This window contains the task queue. This includes all the tests that the program runs, as well as the temperature monitor. The manager allows you to remove tests from the queue. Some tasks can be paused or stopped.

Double-clicking on an entry in the queue brings up a window with information about the current task.

Test information window

The window contains information about the test, allows you to pause or stop the test, and also generates a report.

Graph Tab:

Contains information on the dependence of testing speed on the block number, which is presented in the form of a graph.

Rice. 6 Graph Tab

Map Tab:

Contains information about the dependence of testing time on the block number, which is presented in the form of a map.

Rice. 7 Map tab

You can select Block Processing Time in milliseconds. Each tested block that took longer than the "Block Processing Time" will be logged in the "Report" tab.

Report tab:

Contains information about the test and all blocks whose testing time is greater than the “Block Processing Time”.

Rice. 8 Report tab

Identification information

The report contains information about the main physical and logical parameters of the drive.

The report can be printed and saved to an MHT file.

Rice. 9 Example of identification information window

S.M.A.R.T. report

The report contains information about the performance and health of the drive in the form of attributes. If, according to the program, the attribute is normal, then a green icon appears next to it. Yellow indicates attributes that you should pay special attention to; as a rule, they indicate some kind of drive malfunction. Red denotes attributes that are outside the norm.

Reports can be printed or saved to an MHT file.

Rice. 10 Example of a S.M.A.R.T. report

Temperature monitor

Allows you to evaluate the storage temperature. Information is displayed in the taskbar, as well as in a special test information window. Rice. 11 contains readings for two drives.

Rice. 11 Temperature monitor in the taskbar

For ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire drives, the information window contains 2 values. The second value is displayed in the taskbar.

The first value is taken from the Airflow Temperature attribute, the second value is taken from the HDA Temperature attribute.

Rice. 12 Temperature monitor for ATA/SATA disk

For SCSI drives, the information window contains 2 values. The second value is displayed in the taskbar.

The first value contains the maximum permissible temperature for the drive, the second shows the current temperature.

Rice. 13 Temperature monitor for SCSI disk

S.M.A.R.T. tests

The program allows you to run three types of S.M.A.R.T. tests:

  1. Short test – usually lasts 1-2 minutes. Checks the main components of the drive, and also scans a small area of ​​the drive surface and sectors located in the Pending-List (sectors that may contain read errors). The test is recommended for quickly assessing the condition of the drive.
  2. Extended test – usually lasts from 0.5 to 60 hours. Checks the main components of the drive, and also completely scans the surface of the drive.
  3. Conveyance test – usually lasts several minutes. Checks drive nodes and logs, which may indicate improper storage or transportation of the drive.

A SMART test can be selected from the SMART Tests dialog box, which is accessed by clicking the SMART TESTS button.

Rice. 14 SMART Tests Dialog Box

Once selected, the test will be added to the Tasks queue. S.M.A.R.T information window test can display the execution and completion status of a task.

Rice. 15 Information window S.M.A.R.T. test

Additional features

For ATA/SATA/USB/FireWire drives, the program allows you to change some parameters.

  1. AAM – function controls drive noise. Enabling this function allows you to reduce drive noise due to smoother positioning of the heads. At the same time, the drive loses a little performance during random access.
  2. APM function allows you to save drive power by temporarily reducing the rotation speed (or completely stopping) the drive spindle during idle time.
  3. PM – function allows you to set the spindle stop timer for a specific time. When this time is reached, the spindle will be stopped, provided that the drive is in idle mode. Accessing the drive by any program forces the spindle to spin up and the timer is reset to zero.
  4. The program also allows you to force stop or start the drive spindle. Accessing the drive by any program forces the spindle to spin.

Rice. 16 Information window for additional ATA/SATA drive capabilities

For SCSI drives, the program allows you to view defect lists and start/stop the spindle.

Rice. 17 Information window for additional SCSI drive capabilities

Using the Command Line

The program can build command line to control some drive parameters and save this line to a .bat or .cmd file. When running such a file, the program is called in background, changes the drive settings according to the settings and closes automatically.

Rice. 18 Command line build window

Appendix A: USB/FireWire Drives

If the drive is supported by the program, then tests are available for it, S.M.A.R.T. functions and additional features.

If the drive is not supported by the program, then only tests are available for it.

USB/FireWire drives supported by the program:

Maxtor Personal Storage (USB2120NEP001)
Storage device Controller chip
StarTeck IDECase35U2 Cypress CY7C68001
WD Passpopt Unknown
Iomega PB-10391 Unknown
Seagate ST9000U2 (PN: 9W3638-556) Cypress CY7C68300B
Seagate External Drive (PN: 9W286D) Cypress CY7C68300B
Seagate FreeAgentPro Oxford
CASE SWEXX ST010 Cypress AT2LP RC7
Vantec CB-ISATAU2 (adapter) JMicron JM20337
Beyond Micro Mobile Disk 3.5" 120GB Prolific PL3507 (USB only)
Maxtor Personal Storage 3100 Prolific PL2507
In-System ISD300A
SunPlus SPIF215A
Toshiba USB Mini Hard Drive Unknown
USB Teac HD-15 PUK-B-S Unknown
Transcend StoreJet 35 Ultra (TS1TSJ35U-EU) Unknown
AGEStar FUBCP JMicron JM20337
USB Teac HD-15 PUK-B-S Unknown
Prolific 2571
All Drives That Support SAT Protocol Majority of Modern USB controllers

USB/FireWire drives that the program may support:

Storage device Controller chip
AGEStar IUB3A Cypress
AGEStar ICB3RA Cypress
AGEStar IUB3A4 Cypress
AGEStar IUB5A Cypress
AGEStar IUB5P Cypress
AGEStar IUB5S Cypress
AGEStar NUB3AR Cypress
AGEStar IBP2A2 Cypress
AGEStar SCB3AH JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar SCB3AHR JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar CCB3A JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar CCB3AT JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar IUB2A3 JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar SCBP JMicron JM2033x
AGEStar FUBCP JMicron JM2033x
Noontec SU25 Prolific PL2507
Transcend TS80GHDC2 Prolific PL2507
Transcend TS40GHDC2 Prolific PL2507
I-O Data HDP-U series Unknown
I-O Data HDC-U series Unknown
Enermax Vanguard EB206U-B Unknown
Thermaltake Max4 A2295 Unknown
Spire GigaPod SP222 Unknown
Cooler Master - RX-3SB Unknown
MegaDrive200 Unknown
RaidSonic Icy Box IB-250U Unknown
Logitech USB Unknown

USB/FireWire drives that the program does not support:

Storage device Controller chip
Matrix Genesis Logic GL811E
Pine Genesis Logic GL811E
Iomega LDHD250-U Cypress CY7C68300A
Iomega DHD160-U Prolific PL-2507 (modified firmware)
Iomega
Maxtor Personal Storage 3200 Prolific PL-3507 (modified firmware)
Maxtor One-Touch Cypress CY7C68013
Seagate External Drive (PN-9W2063) Cypress CY7C68013
Seagate Pocket HDD Unknown
SympleTech SympleDrive 9000-40479-002 CY7C68300A
Myson Century CS8818
Myson Century CS8813

Appendix B: SSD drives

Support for a particular drive largely depends on the controller installed on it.

SSD drives supported by the program:

Storage device Controller chip
OCZ Vertex, Vertex Turbo, Agility, Solid 2 Indilinx IDX110M00
Super Talent STT_FTM28GX25H Indilinx IDX110M00
Corsair Extreme Series Indilinx IDX110M00
Kingston SSDNow M-Series Intel PC29AS21AA0 G1
Intel X25-M G2 Intel PC29AS21BA0 G2
OCZ Throttle JMicron JMF601
Corsair Performance Series Samsung S3C29RBB01
Samsung SSDs Samsung Controllers
Crucial and Micron SSDs Some Marvel Controllers

SSD drives that the program may support:

Additional Information

Version HDDScan 3.3 can be downloaded version 2.8


Support:

Today we will learn how to check the hard drive of a computer or laptop for serviceability, what methods exist and what programs and utilities are best to use to diagnose the condition of the component

HOW TO CHECK THE HARD DRIVE OF YOUR COMPUTER OR LAPTOP FOR ITS SERVICEABILITY. FEATURES, METHODS, PROGRAMS AND UTILITIES


Good afternoon, today we will learn how to check HDD personal computer or laptop running operating systems Windows 7 , 8 And 10 on serviceability, and also which third-party programs better use For condition analysis component. Besides, step by step with help screenshots for clarity, let's demonstrate procedure according to careful diagnostics hard drive through various ways And utilities. In conclusion, we will tell you what tasks performs on a computer or laptop HDD computer and why you need it from time to time check Winchester on damage, which may arise in his sectors.

As we know HDD or Winchester - this is one of the key components personal computer or laptop, which is the main memory block, that is, the part responsible for storage , distribution And moving information. Winchester on a par with physical media has its own specific life time and over time it develops a property called sector damage(bad sectors), which is extremely unacceptable in cases where it stored Very important or useful information. Thus, examination hard drive on serviceability or performance- this is one of the most important procedures on diagnostics state details that should be able to do any user who owns personal computer or laptop.

HOW TO DISABLE SLEEP MODE ON A COMPUTER IN WINDOWS

So, How and with what begins checking the status of the hard drive ? Initially done on a computer or laptop backup the most important files another physical media, for example on USB flash drive , Flash card , third party HDD (SSD) Winchester or CD . We also note that if our diagnosed HDD format SDD or HDD publishes while working extraneous sounds as clicks or certain claims To performance component, then before carrying the part directly to repair, initially, so to speak, at home, it is worth using various methods for his checks with the help of third parties programs. Today there are a huge number of different utilities And applications for detailed diagnosing hard drive segments on bad sectors, which compatible with any operating system And components computer. About these programs, which help we will talk to users in our article so that install which ones are of the highest quality check And restore fragments hard drive .

1. METHODS CHECKING THE HARD DISK FOR SERVICE. BUILT-IN ANALYSIS UTILITIES

Development company “ Microsoft ”has a wide range opportunities to work with different components operating room systems. One of the most common basic or built-in programs operating system Windows considered an application CHKDSK , which serves for checks And corrections bad sectors hard drive . Program CHKDSK helps produce check hard drive without installation third party applications. In case if file system hard drive has one or another errors, That basic application will help as well will eliminate some, maybe all Problems, depending on their difficulties.


CHKDSK Firmware Functions :


– Search and correct found file errors hard systems NTFS/FAT disk;

– Identification of physically damaged bad sectors;

– Checking third-party media, for example SSD/HDD drives, USB Flash, SD cards for faults.

How to use CHKDSK? Initially the user runs file system scan, which is produced using launch standard window Execute “ located in the user menu “ Start ” working panel operating system tools Windows XP, 7 ,8 or 10 . If we don't not found on the menu " Start "command line" Execute “, then let’s use the function “ Conductor “.

Procedure for checking the system using the “Explorer” menu :

– First of all, find a section in Explorer called “My Computer”;

– Then right-click on the hard drive or its separate media (volume) that needs to be checked;

– On the “Service” tab, you must click on the “Run check” button. For reference, we note that the check is performed only if the user has administrator rights;

– After all the steps described above, the computer’s operating system is rebooted. While the computer is rebooting, the Windows OS disk/s are checked in automatic mode for problems. In addition, if problems are found on the disk, the program corrects them;

– If the program does not find any problems during the verification process, then the procedure ends without correction. In addition, it is worth saying that if there are errors on the disk, correcting them can take quite a long time ( for reference: up to several hours);

- On final stage scans, the program scans third-party physical media of the system, without rebooting the computer.


TO How to analyze a disk using the built-in command line? Initially the user must runcommand line. This can be done in several ways : Firstly , run the command “ Execute “, then type in the line the condition “ cmd “; Secondly , can be done launch through the menu “ Start “, then go to the “ tab All programs ", Further " Standard ” and find the utility “ Command line “.


After launch line command, write a condition in the window, for example: “ chkdsk C: /f “, which means check one or the other disk systems. To produce full hard drive scan, after standard steps, it is necessary reboot computer, then you need to wait until the system will be checked on bad sectors. For reference, we note that in order to get background information on possible parameters checks hard drive, enter the condition “ chkdsk /? “.


As we can see with the help of simple actions you can quickly enough determine serviceability, and performance of hard disk volumes And systems generally. For reference, we note that HDD costs check when we just bought new computer or laptop. Besides, examination needed even when it happened errors at installation applications or moving large amount of information in the form files. In the event that we rarely use with your computer, then recommended from time to time include, to disperse physical media, since everyone Winchester has a certain recording resource(rewrites) information and data recording method on bulk carrier does not provide static.


Built-in programs By identifying And troubleshooting, which according to default run on one operating system or another Windows perform only superficial inspection for availability bad sectors disk. Built-in utilitiesdon't stand out high accuracy in detection problems on media. As most recommend specialists in area computer equipment, to spend detailed examination with in-depth analysis hard drive is better take advantage(download And install) third party programs And utilities that are online Internet V free access.

2. PROGRAMS FOR DIAGNOSING THE CONDITION OF THE HARD DISK

So, as we said earlier except basic or built-in programs For diagnostics state hard drive that go along default in one version or another of the operating system Windows , still big today popularity deserved from users third party utilities. Third party programs or utilities capable not only of detailed diagnose volumes hard drive , but also effective fix bad sectors And errors if available.


 Popular third party programs for diagnosis and correction hard errors disk :

HDDLife : this is the one third party utility which must be installed Each user has a personal computer or laptop. Program monitors the health of physical media And protects those who don't want to suddenly lose important information on the device. Main advantages utility is active indicator state hard drive. HDDLife produces performance measurement computer and detects wear and tear components in online mode.

All indicators are displayed as multi-colored stripes. So for example a strip Green colour means that with components devices are all in ok. Strip yellow color means that HDD worked part deadline his services and it should be more more closely pay attention during further operation. Red stripe programs means what is needed immediate action relatively hard drive or others system components, right up to them repairs or replacements, since there is a high probability losses important information.


Also a program that translated from English means “ Life or hard drive life “, displays temperature of physical media information. Temperature Maybe be displayed as scales or digital indicator. As we know too high operating temperature of disks quickly brings them to disrepair, so it is very important to constantly control. Utility HDDLife offered in free access as with trial(free) version, so paid, in which significantly functionality expanded.


Seagate Seatools : is also no less popular utility which is very useful for any user modern computer. However, in difference from HDDLife , Seatools - This narrow By profile program, that is, not universal and it is only compatible with hard drives trademark Seagate (for reference: 70% HDD market share today), and as for others physical media models, then them analysis maybe it's passing fragmentary or with mistakes. In order to begin use program its simple enough install, run And choose necessary points For diagnostics. Utility works completely in automatic mode. On first stage is happening error testing and then them elimination, in the presence of. In case if examination ends successfully, then at the end of the procedure in dialog box the sign “ PASS ” – no errors found, and if available problems, the inscription “ FAIL “, that is, found errors.

What problems are identified by the program? Seagate Seatools :


– Search for bad sectors and file system errors on a hard drive in HDD or SDD format;

– Problems with the operating disk bootloader Windows systems;

– Incompatibility of hardware and drivers of the Windows operating system;

– Elimination of broken sectors of hard disk;

– Search for viruses of varying complexity and other applications that disrupt the functioning of the hard drive.


Often the program Seagate Tools finds and corrects errors And problems systems on one's own, however, sometimes cases arise when it is necessary participation user in the procedure. On a personal note, we note that upon first use utilities with the aim of checks And bug fixes systems, it's worth stocking up patience, since this process is very painstaking. For reference, we note that duration process can increase proportionally volume And busy place information on hard drive .


In conclusion, we note that even if the verified HDD is in full technical serviceability, then as recommended specialists, it's always worth it anyway keepimportant information, which stored on hard drive. Backups important files best done on third party media. For reference, we note that today there are a large number programs who are capable restore lost or damaged files, as well as fragments hard drive. However, we must understand that Not allutilities fully capable recover lost files, especially if they erased With physically damaged carrier. That's why backup is the only and true way conservation important information , which stored on hard drive.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION. LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. WE ARE WELCOME TO YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS.

CrystalDiskInfo is free program for servicing computer HDDs and SSDs with ATA (PATA, SATA), USB and IEEE1394 connection interfaces. If something strange happens to your hard drive, do not be lazy to download CrystalDiskInfo in Russian for your computer for free using the link from the site https://site without registration and SMS. The advantages of the utility include: displaying detailed, reliable information about the status, powerful monitoring and verification tools, as well as effective tools for changing hard drive settings. If problems are detected, Crystal Disk Info displays a warning and sends an email to the user.

Before a large number of bad sectors appear, read and write errors, unpleasant noise, temperatures rise, performance decreases, it makes sense useful program CrystalDiskInfo free download for a computer with an operating system Microsoft system Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 (32-bit and 64-bit). The utility quickly installs on your computer and uninstalls correctly without “monitoring” system registry. When you start the program, it checks the status of the hard drive of your computer or laptop; this takes some time.

Checking, monitoring, analysis, graphs and changing settings

When checking, the utility displays detailed information, including external HDD USB and IEEE1394. Displayed: firmware version, AAM*/APM** data, interface type, spindle speed, buffer size, operating life, number of bad sectors, temperature and even a graph of temperature dynamics over time, as well as others specifications. S.M.A.R.T*** parameters are monitored, including: number of read errors, overall performance, start-stops and other data. CrystalDiskInfo tracks changes over time large quantity data from drives in the system, keeps a log and allows you to beautifully display it in the form of graphs. This format allows you to clearly see the overall picture of your health. disk subsystem computer.

There will be people who want to download CrystalDiskInfo for free without registration and SMS, without leaving the https://site, also because the utility allows you not only to diagnose the hard drive, but also to take care of its health. Changing the AAM and APM settings allows you to control performance parameters and the corresponding amount of acoustic noise produced, as well as power consumption parameters. If necessary, it is possible to reset the bad sector counters. In the "Tools" menu there is a link to the system "Disk Management", where all the necessary transformations are done with them: create a partition, expand or shrink partitions, etc.

Interface and functionality of CrystalDiskInfo

The nice, modern interface supports many localizations, as well as themes (skins), three of which are available immediately after launch. Positive reviews and comments from users are caused by an intuitive display of the status in color: blue (or green) - good, yellow - warning, red - problems/alarm, gray - no information.

This one is small free utility with open source code, is being developed by Japanese programmer Noriyuki Miyazaki (known as Hiyohiyo), so in Europe and America many people find the menus and settings confusing. The Japanese do not share this opinion. Unfortunately, there are no hints or explanations about the importance of unfamiliar to a simple user computer settings, and to figure it out, sometimes you have to refer to the help section.

Rich functionality allow CrystalDiskInfo to compete not only with free, but also with paid programs. According to reviews and comments from many users around the world, it is definitely worth downloading CrystalDiskInfo for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP (32-bit and 64-bit) for free in Russian. Among the competitors, it is worth noting the paid programs HDDlife Professional and Hard Drive Inspector and the free Active@ Hard Disk Monitor with Russian language support, as well as the paid HD Tune Pro on English language. As for the functionality of Crystal Disk Info, you definitely need to know about the following advantages of this utility:

  • high data reliability,
  • correct interaction with S.M.A.R.T technology,
  • monitoring of more than 25 parameters,
  • data about current modes work in real time,
  • temperature and S.M.A.R.T data control,
  • displaying disk temperatures in the system tray,
  • prompt e-mail notification of problems,
  • ability to change AAM/APM settings,
  • control of speed and amount of acoustic noise,
  • settings to save energy consumption,
  • no conflicts with latest versions SSD drives,
  • work with external HDDs USB interfaces and IEEE 1394,
  • compatible with big amount equipment****.

reference Information

* Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM) - control of the track search time parameter, in this case, the faster the block of magnetic heads moves along the radius during search, the more noise.

**Advanced Power Management (APM) - energy management.

*** Self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T.) - an internal system of self-diagnosis and self-monitoring using equipment built into the disk with the ability to generate reports and predict the breakdown period.

**** A comprehensive list of compatible equipment is located on the official crystalmark website in the info domain.

Download the latest version of CrystalDiskInfo in Russian

Free programs download for free

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Good afternoon.

In today’s article I want to touch on the heart of the computer - the hard drive (by the way, many people call the processor the heart, but I personally don’t think so. If the processor burns out, buy a new one and there are no problems; if the hard drive burns out, then the information cannot be recovered in 99% of cases).

When do you need to check your hard drive for performance and bad sectors? This is done firstly when they buy new hard disk, and secondly, if the computer is unstable: you have strange noises (); when accessing a file, the computer freezes; long copying of information from one hard section disk to another; missing files and folders, etc.

In this article I would like to talk about in simple language, how to check a hard drive for problems, to assess its performance in the future, and sort out typical user questions along the way.

So, let's begin…

Updated 07/12/2015. Not long ago, an article appeared on the blog about restoring bad sectors (treating bad blocks) with the HDAT2 program - (I think the link will be relevant for this article). Its main difference from MHDD and Victoria is its support for almost any drive with interfaces: ATA/ATAPI/SATA, SSD, SCSI and USB.

1. What do we need?

Before starting the testing operation, in cases where the hard drive is not stable, I recommend copying everything important files from the disk to other media: flash drives, external HDDs, etc. ().

1) You need a special program to test and restore the hard drive. There are a lot of similar programs, I recommend using one of the most popular - Victoria. Below are the download links

2) Next, a multi-colored program window will appear in front of us: go to the “Standard” tab. The upper right part shows the hard drives and CD-Roms that are installed in the system. Select your hard drive that you want to test. Then press the “Passport” button. If everything goes well, you will see how your hard model disk. See picture below.

If the hard disk controller is operating in AHCI mode(Native SATA), SMART attributes may not be received, with the message “Get S.M.A.R.T. command… Error reading S.M.A.R.T!” The impossibility of receiving SMART data is also indicated by the “Non ATA” highlighted in red when initializing a medium whose controller does not allow the use of ATA interface commands, including requesting SMART attributes.

In this case, you need to go into the BIOS and in the Config tab->>Serial ATA (SATA)->>SATA Controller Mode Option->>change from AHCI to Compatibility. After finishing testing with the Victoria program, change the setting as it was before.

You can read more about how to change ACHI to IDE (Compatibility) in my other article:

4) Now go to the “Test” tab and click the “Start” button. In the main window, on the left, rectangles colored in different colors will begin to appear. It's best if they are all gray.

You need to focus your attention on the red and blue rectangles (the so-called bad sectors, more about them at the very bottom). It’s especially bad if there are a lot of blue rectangles on the disk; in this case, it is recommended to run the disk scan again, only with the “Remap” checkbox turned on. In this case Victoria program will hide detected bad sectors. In this way, hard drives that have begun to behave unstable are restored.

By the way, after such a restoration, the hard drive will not always work for a long time. If it has already begun to crumble, then I personally would not rely on the program. Subject to availability large number blue and red rectangles - it's time to think about a new hard drive. By the way, blue blocks on the new hard drive are not allowed at all! Experienced users call them bad sectors (meaning bad, unreadable). Such unreadable sectors can occur both during the manufacture of the hard drive and during its operation. After all, a hard drive is a mechanical device.

When working magnetic disks in the hard drive case they rotate quickly, and the read heads move above them. If the device is pushed, hit, or software error, it may happen that the heads hit or fall onto the surface. Thus, it is almost certain that a bad sector will appear.

In general, this is not a problem and many disks have such sectors. File system disk is capable of isolating such sectors from file copying/reading operations. Over time, the number of bad sectors may increase. But, as a rule, a hard drive often becomes unusable for other reasons before bad sectors “kill” it. Bad sectors can also be isolated using special programs, one of which we used in this article. After such a procedure, usually the hard drive begins to work more stable and better, however, how long this stability will last is unknown...

Best…