Hello dear readers. In this article, we will find out how to check the technical condition hard disk and also find out its speed.
Let's take the most common PC problem - everything is slow and slow. Many people still do not know that the performance of a computer can be limited precisely by the information storage device, in this case HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
Downloading the program
So let's get started. First, we need the HD Tune Pro program. It is distributed in two versions: paid and free (trial). We don't need an expensive version for $ 35, so we will download the free version (valid for 15 days) from the official website. No registration required. Link to the program.
After opening the program, select the required drive.
Speed check
Go to the Benchmark tab, mark the “Read” option and press the Start button. The schedule will gradually begin to build up.
After the graph is fully drawn, take a look at the two boxes on the right: Maximum and Minimum. Everything is simple here, Maximum shows the maximum possible speed work hard disk, and Minimum, respectively, the minimum speed.
Modern hard drives these indicators are equal to 200 \ 90 MB per second, 130 \ 60 MB per second is considered an acceptable result, but if you got the maximum speed less than 80 MB per second, then it's time to think about replacing your hard disk drive (HDD) or buying a solid-state drive ( SSD).
As is known, HDD consists of plates on which information is recorded. Recording begins at the edge of the platter, where the speed is highest, and as the hard disk fills up with information, it approaches the center of the platter, where the speed is lowest.
The program performs this test by sequentially reading information from the edge to the center of the HDD plate. The files recorded on the hard disk will not be affected.
By the way, there is another method that allows you to determine the speed of the HDD, taking into account its current congestion with files. To do this, go to the File Benchmark tab and click Start. A quick test will run and display the results below the graph.
After all the manipulations, I got the following result: max. speed 152 MB / sec, min. speed is 65 MB / s, and the current speed is 127 MB / s.
* Speed means reading speed, but HDDs have them almost identical to write speeds.
Checking for errors
Now let's check the hard drive for errors. To do this, go to the “Error Scan” tab and click Start again. The gray box will slowly begin to fill with green squares. Take into account the procedure is long and may take 4-8 hours! It is best to run the test before bed, at night, and see the results in the morning. If after the end of the scan all the squares are green, then everything is in order with the hard disk, and there is nothing to worry about.
A working hard drive:
But if at least 1 red square appears, then there is a malfunction on the disk, called a "bad sector". This is a bad place on the drive, where information is not read.
In this case, you need to take care of saving important data to another drive (for example, a USB flash drive) and continue monitoring by scanning the disk once a month. A hard disk with one bad sector can work for years and its technical condition will not change, or it can become completely unusable in a week. Therefore, you need to take into account the possible risks.
Damaged hard drive:
Output
So, we have learned how to test the hard drive for errors and measure its speed. Now you can always find out about the need to replace the drive and prevent its complete failure. If you find a lot of bad sectors, you shouldn't delay replacing the hard disk, because one fine day it will turn out that some files on the computer do not start, and the operating system freezes for several minutes. In this case, recovering information that is important to you can be expensive or even impossible.
Hard drive is vital hardware component PC. Therefore, the user may need to solve problems related to testing the hard drive for errors, as well as fixing them. What tools can be involved in this? What are the most common errors in the hard drive?
What problems with the hard drive can arise?
Before we look at how to test a hard drive, let's examine what might be the reason for performing a test. What problems can arise in his work?
To use the utility in question, you need to go to the "Computer" section, then right-click on the hard drive icon. There may be several of them, in this case it makes sense to check each one in turn. After right-clicking on the hard drive icon in the menu that opens, select the "Properties" option. In the window that appears, go to the "Service" tab. Then click on the "Check" button and follow the instructions.
In some versions of Windows, the utility in question is not configured to test logical drives that host system files OS. But in this case, the "Check Disk" program provides an option: initiation of testing the hard drive at the next boot operating system... You can select it and immediately restart Windows: during the startup process, the system itself must ask the user for permission to check the disk on which the system files are located.
So now we know how to test a hard drive using the popular built-in Windows tool - Chkdsk programs. This decision allows you to efficiently correct errors file system... But what if the alleged failure of the hard drive is associated with the appearance of bad sectors on it? How to test a laptop or desktop hard drive for damage?
The widest range of solutions can be used for these purposes. The most popular of them include such programs as:
- Data Liferguard Diagnistic.
- HDD Scan.
- Ashampoo HDD Control.
- Victoria HDD.
- AIDA64 (formerly Everest).
- MHDD.
Let's study their features.
Testing the hard drive: Data Lifequard Diagnostic
This program is developed by the Western Digital brand, which is one of the world's most renowned hard drive manufacturers. How do I test my hard drive for errors using this software?
The corresponding program works in several modes. The most informative from the point of view of reflecting information about errors on the disk is the Extended Test mode. In particular, it can be used to find damaged sectors on the surface of the hard disk platters. If they are found, the program will prompt the user to use an algorithm by which bad sectors will be excluded from those used by the hard drive to write and read files.
Testing the hard drive: HDD Scan
Another popular solution for checking disks is HDD program Scan. How to test a laptop hard drive or desktop computer with her help?
The application in question also contains several tests. Among those that may be useful to us is the Surface Tests. It, like the previous solution, allows you to analyze the surface of the disk platters for damaged sectors. It is noteworthy that the program in question allows you to detect not only bad sectors, but also those on which there are problems with reading and writing. Thus, HDD Scan can reveal areas on the surface of hard disk platters, where the read speed can be tens of times lower than normal values. In practice, this can mean, as in the case of bad sectors, it is desirable to exclude the corresponding sections from those that are used by the hard drive to write files.
Disk Testing: Ashampoo
Another popular program is Ashampoo HDD Control. How can I test my hard drive for errors?
It is worth noting that the application in question contains enough a large number of tools for checking the hard drive, as well as working with detected disk problems. Of these, you can use, for example, the option for testing the surface of the device's plates - Test Surface.
According to the results of the corresponding, it shows the sectors that have high read rates, as well as bad sectors.
Victoria HDD
The next popular solution for testing hard drives is Victoria HDD. It can be noted that this program allows you to both test the hard drive on Windows 7 (8 or any other), and check the hard drive through command line DOS.
This feature increases the versatility of the considered solution. In addition, the corresponding software has very good functionality.
So, the program allows you to test the hard drive for bad sectors, reassign their use, classify areas of the hard drive surface into different categories depending on the speed of reading files from them.
If English is used graphic version the program in question, you need to run it, then go to the Tests tab. On it there are tests of the surface of the hard disk platters. If necessary, you can configure the program's actions when bad sectors are detected:
- ignoring the problem (with its subsequent reflection in the test results);
- reassignment of sectors;
- deleting sectors;
- restoration of damaged areas of the disk.
If necessary, you can use each of the specified operating modes of the program in turn.
Hard Drive Testing: AIDA64 Program
Many users are interested in the question of how to test a hard disk. Old versions of the corresponding software are now available on various portals on the Internet. The fact is that in the latest modifications the program is named differently, its name sounds like AIDA64.
It should be noted that given type The software is one of the most functional solutions in terms of hardware performance testing. So, for example, using the program in question, you can test speed hard disk, and more. It can also measure performance. random access memory, processor, flash drives.
The functionality of the program includes various stress tests, involving the implementation of checks in the mode of maximum load on the corresponding type of tests can be carried out for the hard disk of the computer.
Check disk for errors: MHDD program
According to IT experts, the MHDD program is one of the most functional solutions for checking hard drives for errors. Considering which program to test the hard drive, experts can opt for the MHDD solution, because:
- it includes a qualitative test of the surface of hard disk platters;
- it can be launched in a bootable format - for example, from a USB flash drive, which allows testing the hard drive before installing any operating system on it;
- the program includes a large number of useful tests, as well as disk repair tools;
- the corresponding software is free.
Of course, the solution in question can also work from the operating system. How exactly it is better to use it depends on the nature of the problem with the disks, on the hardware configuration on a particular PC, on the specifics of the operating system used, if it is preinstalled on the computer.
MHDD program: testing the disk
Let's consider a number of practical nuances of using the corresponding popular program. Let's agree that the user has a need to use the bootable version of this software. To do this, you need to make a device with which the program will be launched, for example, a USB flash drive or CD.
After the device is ready, the BIOS must be configured to boot from it. By the way, many users are also asking the question of how to test a hard drive through BIOS. Computer manufacturers may well implement the necessary options in the corresponding software interfaces to check the performance of hard drives.
When working with the MHDD program, a nuance should be taken into account: the solution in question does not work with hard drives that are connected to the computer in Slave mode. If this is the case, the disks must be reconnected, and only then should they be tested.
After starting the program installed on bootable USB drive or CD, you must select a specific drive to be tested. Then enter the SCAN command in the command line, which initiates a media check. If you do not need to set any additional scanning parameters, you need to press F4 to start the corresponding test.
But point out Extra options may still be required. For example, if we talk about the Start LBA option, it is used to indicate specific blocks on the hard drive from which the program should check the disk. In turn, the End LBA option is intended to indicate those blocks that are checked at the end of the disk test. However, by default, the program checks the entire surface of the hard drive platters.
How to test a hard disk for errors with subsequent reassignment of bad sectors using the MHDD program interfaces? Very simple: the Remap option is used for this. If you select the Erase Delays option, the program will ignore bad sectors, which will speed up the disk check if there are a lot of bad sectors on its surface.
The MHDD disk scanning program works quite informatively: the scanned sectors are displayed on the user's screen in real time. In a separate section of the interface of the corresponding software, the number of different blocks is counted.
Summary
You can check the status of the hard disk using the built-in Windows tools, and when using special programs... At the same time, the tools of the first type are designed mainly for correcting errors in the file system, the second for identifying and correcting bad sectors using available methods.
Specialized ones can be supplied in both graphical and console versions. Some of the corresponding solutions can be used in a bootable modification: it can be used even if the operating system is not installed on the computer.
Note: how to test external hard disk, practically does not differ from the procedure for testing the built-in hard drive. For this, the same solutions can be applied, the main thing is to correctly connect them to the PC. But this is possible only if the computer supports the communication interfaces through which the connection is supposed. external hard disk.
You started to hear extraneous creaks in system unit? The performance of the system has somehow completely impermissibly decreased, although the processor and memory should not allow this? Well, it's time to check the hard drive. How to do this is in our article.
This is quite an important matter. Aside from performance degradation, although this is certainly important too, it is about your data. You don't want to one day be left without all your data simply because your disk has decided to fail? Here. Therefore, it is important to check the condition of the disk and its health level more often.
Correcting errors in a timely manner also helps to increase the lifespan of the disk. Whether it's a regular hard drive or SSD, file system errors force it to wear out, so it's important to keep it in good condition. Otherwise, data will be lost even faster.
If you understand the importance of this event, then let's get started.
Checking with standard Windows tools
This is the easiest way and can give you quite a bit of information about your hard drive and even try to fix some errors.
Read interesting information and reliable tips in the article -
Command line
If the previous scenario of using the standard Windows tools is not very efficient, the command line method might try to complement it. Its essence is that it is launched from the bootable installation media of the system, that is, the system itself is not started and cannot block some of the requirements of the verification program.
Important! This method has one drawback: you need an installation media, and it is desirable that it be with exactly that Windows version what is installed on your computer.
- Create bootable media and insert it into a floppy drive or USB port. In the BIOS of your computer, select boot from this media. Wait for the operating environment to load.
- When the program reaches the window that says "Start Installation", press the Windows key + F10 key combination.
- Enter the following command in the console window that opens: chkdsk / f. Hit Enter.
- The check will start. The program will display the results right there, on the command line. She will immediately try to fix all the errors found.
Simple third-party software
Let's take a look at a few programs that can help you troubleshoot most of your hard drive problems without going into too much detail.
HDDScan
With the help of this program, you can understand in which sectors the write and read speed is high, and in which it is not. The program is completely universal, with its help you can diagnose anything you want, if only it was an information storage device.
The principle of working with her is extremely simple: you start scanning and wait for her report on the work done, from which it is quite possible to draw some conclusions.
Crystal disk mark
A more specialized utility, although it monitors, in fact, also the speed. The program cannot do anything else, but based on the speed of writing and reading, one can quite understand what is happening to the disk and how long it will take.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to use this program if you want to test an SSD drive. His death when using this software will be even closer: this program fills the entire space with some data, and, although they are weightless and deleted without a trace, for the SSD it is also wear and tear.
More complex software
If neither a standard verification tool nor simple programs you are not satisfied, then you can go to more complex programs for verification. So, let's begin.
Victoria HDD
The most common hard drive troubleshooting software.
Its advantages are that there is both a quick and deep check of the disk, and also that it monitors its temperature. This is also an important indicator, but it does not affect wear so much.
HDD Regenerator
Pro tool in our article. Corrects everything that it finds on its way. Its huge competitive advantage is Russification. It is therefore very easy to use it, despite the impressive set of functions.
The principle of its operation is much more complicated than that of other programs, and these differences clearly benefited the program. She is able to restore what others have failed. Also, unlike other programs, it does not destroy your files that were in the sectors it corrects, but preserves culturally. Well, not life, but a fairy tale.
The program has two versions - graphical and console. If you are not very versed in this topic, use the graphic one with the Russian language, everything is intuitive there. In the console, its capabilities are much wider, because there is less pressure and prohibitions from the operating system.
Let's consider a graphical interface.
On a note! However, this program has one significant drawback - it is paid, and the trial only allows you to check. Well, that's good.
Programs from hard drive manufacturers
Who, besides the manufacturers themselves, can better know how to work with hard drives? Some of these programs only work with discs of a particular brand, some - with all. Experiment.
Let's start.
SeaTools
Essentially simple program:
Data Lifeguard Diagnostics
This is the name of the verification program from the WD manufacturer. In terms of functionality, it is approximately similar to the previous program, but it has a number of advantages.
- firstly, it can be used with any disc. This is a huge plus, despite the prevalence of disks of this brand;
- secondly, she knows how to destroy information;
- thirdly, it can simply cut off dead sectors so that the disk works longer at the same speed, albeit with a slightly smaller volume. Definitely an extremely useful feature.
All options are in context menus... That is, to start scanning a specific disk, you just need to right-click on it (of course, in the program interface) and select the desired action. That's all the work.
We hope these methods have helped you sort out your problems, fix it or prevent it from breaking. Good luck!
Video - How to check your hard drive yourself
Forewarned is forearmed! This rule is very useful for working with hard drives. If you know in advance that such and such a hard drive 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 the S.M.A.R.T. readings. (a set of software and hardware that monitors the state of the hard disk) and draw conclusions on how long it will last.
In general, there are dozens of programs for performing such a hard disk check, but in this article I wanted to focus on some of the most intuitive and easy to use. So…
How to find out the status of a hard drive
Developer site: hddlife.ru/
(By the way, in addition to HDD, it also supports SSD drives)
One of best programs for constant monitoring of the status of the hard drive. It will help to recognize the threat in time and replace the hard drive. Most of all, it impresses with its clarity: after launching and analyzing, HDDlife presents a report in a very convenient form: it shows you the percentage of the "health" of the disk and its performance (the best indicator, of course, is 100%).
If your numbers are above 70%, this indicates a 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 given tough the disc is about 92% healthy (which means that it should serve, if force majeure does not occur, at least the same amount).
After starting, the program is minimized to the tray next to the clock and you can always monitor the status of your hard drive. If it detects any problem (for example, high disk temperature, or too little space on the hard drive), the program will notify you with a pop-up window. See example below.
If the program analyzes and displays a window as in the screenshot below, I advise you not to hesitate with backup copy(and replacing the HDD).
Hard Disk Sentinel
Developer website: www.hdsentinel.com/
This utility can compete with HDDlife - it monitors the state of the disk just as well. What is most captivating in this program is its informativeness, along with its simplicity for work. Those. it will be useful for both a novice user and an experienced one.
After starting Hard Disk Sentinel and analyzing the system, you will see the main program window: on the left will be presented hard drives(including external HDD), and their status will be displayed on the right in the window.
By the way, enough interesting function, by predicting the health of the disk, by how long it will last you: for example, in the screenshot below, the forecast is more than 1000 days (this is about 3 years!).
By the way, the program implements a rather useful function: you yourself can set the threshold for the critical temperature of the hard disk, upon reaching which, Hard Disk Sentinel will notify you of exceeding!
Ashampoo HDD Control
Website: www.ashampoo.com/
An excellent utility for monitoring the status of hard drives. The monitor built into the program allows you to know in advance about the first problems with the disk (by the way, the program can notify you of this even 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 visits to sites on the Internet (useful if you are not alone at the computer and do not want someone to know what you are doing);
- there are also built-in utilities to reduce disk noise, power settings, etc.
By the way, the program is completely in Russian, intuitively thought out - even a novice PC user can figure it out. Pay particular attention to the temperature and status indicators in the main program window. If the program issues errors or the state is assessed as extremely low (+ besides, there is a grinding or noise from the HDD), I recommend that you first copy all the data to other media, and then start to deal with the disk.
Hard drive Inspector
Program website: www.altrixsoft.com/
A distinctive feature of this program is:
1. Minimalism and simplicity: there is nothing superfluous in the program. It gives out three indicators in percentage terms: reliability, performance and absence of errors;
СrystalDiskInfo
Website: crystalmark.info/?lang=en
A simple but reliable utility for monitoring the health of hard drives. Moreover, it works even in cases where many other utilities refuse, crashing with errors.
The program supports several languages, is not replete with settings, is made in the style of minimalism. At the same time, it has rather rare functions, for example, reducing the noise level of the disk, controlling the temperature, etc.
What is also very convenient is the graphical display of the situation:
- blue color (as in the screenshot below): everything is in order;
- yellow: alarm, action needs to be taken;
- red: you need to take immediate action (if you still have time);
- gray: the program was unable to determine the readings.
Official website: www.hdtune.com/
This program will come in handy more experienced users: which, in addition to graphically displaying the "health" of the disk, also need high-quality tests of the disk, in which you can familiarize yourself in detail with all the characteristics and parameters. It should also be noted that the program, in addition to HDD, also supports newfangled SSD drives.
HD Tune offers quite an interesting feature in order to quickly check a disk for errors: a 500 GB disk is checked in about 2-3 minutes!
It is also very necessary information Is a test of the read and write speed of a disk.
Well, one cannot fail to note the tab with detailed information about the HDD. This is useful when you need to know, for example, supported features, buffer / cluster size or disk rotation speed, etc.
HDDScan
The program is designed to check hard drives and SSDs for bad sectors, view S.M.A.R.T. attributes, changes special settings, such as: power management, start / stop of the spindle, adjustment of the acoustic mode, etc. The output of the temperature value of the drive to the taskbar is provided.
Capabilities and requirements
Supported drive types:- HDD with ATA / SATA interface.
- SCSI HDD.
- 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.
- Linear verification test.
- Test in linear reading mode.
- Linear recording test.
- Butterfly Reading Test (Artificial Random Reading Test)
- Reading and Analyzing S.M.A.R.T. parameters from disks with ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire interface.
- Reading and analyzing log tables from SCSI disks.
- Launching S.M.A.R.T. tests on ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire drives.
- Temperature monitor on ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire / SCSI drives.
- Read and analyze identification information from ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire / SCSI drives.
- Changing AAM, APM, PM parameters on ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire drives.
- View information about defects on a SCSI drive.
- Spindle start / stop on ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire / SCSI drives.
- Saving reports in MHT format.
- Printing reports.
- Support for "skins".
- Command line support.
- Support for SSD drives.
- 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 read-only drive.
User interface
The main view of the program at startup
Rice. 1 Main view of the program
Main window controls:
- Select Drive is a drop-down list that contains all supported drives in the system. The drive model is displayed and serial number... There is an icon next to it defining the suggested type of drive.
- S.M.A.R.T. button - allows you to get a report on the state of the drive, based on the attributes of S.M.A.R.T.
- TESTS button - shows a pop-up menu with a choice of read and write tests (see Fig. 2).
- TOOLS button - Shows a pop-up menu for selecting available controls and functions on the drive (see Figure 3).
- More button - Shows a drop-down menu with program controls.
When you press 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 Fig. 4).
Rice. 2 Test menu
When you press the TOOLS button, a pop-up menu will prompt you to choose one of the following options:
Rice. 3 Function menu
- DRIVE ID - generates an identification information report.
- FEATURES - opens a window additional opportunities programs.
- S.M.A.R.T. TEST - opens S.M.A.R.T. 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
Control elements:
- The FIRST SECTOR field is the starting logical sector number for testing.
- The SIZE field is the number of logical sector numbers to be tested.
- BLOCK SIZE field - block size in sectors for testing.
- Previous button - returns to the main program window.
- Next button - adds a test to the task queue.
- 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 managed to obtain stable high-quality results when running 2 or more tests simultaneously (on different drives).
- A test in Verify mode may have a block size limit of 256, 16384, or 65536 sectors. This is due to the peculiarities of Windows.
- Verify test may not work properly on USB / Flash drives.
- When testing in the Verify mode, the drive reads the data block into the internal buffer and checks their 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 the Read mode, the drive reads data into the internal buffer, after which the data is transmitted via the interface and stored in the temporary buffer of the program. The program measures the total readiness time of the drive 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 data block filled with a special pattern with a sector number and transfers the data to the drive, the drive writes the received block ( information in the block is irretrievably lost!). The program measures the total block transfer and write time 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 lies 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 the specified area. This test measures reading and positioning times.
Task management window
Rice. 5 Task manager
This window contains the task queue. This includes all 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 about the dependence of the 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 the 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 block tested 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, the test time of which is longer 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 Sample Identity 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 next to it is a green icon. Attributes that should be paid attention to are indicated in yellow, as a rule, they indicate some kind of malfunction of the drive. Attributes that are outside the normal range are shown in red.
Reports can be printed or saved to an MHT file.
Rice. 10 Sample S.M.A.R.T.
Temperature monitor
Allows you to evaluate the temperature of the drive. Information is displayed in the taskbar, as well as in a special window for information about the test. Rice. 11 contains readings for two drives.
Rice. 11 Temperature monitor in 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 allowable 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:
- Short test - usually lasts 1-2 minutes. Checks the main nodes of the drive, and also scans a small area of the drive surface and sectors in the Pending-List (sectors that may contain read errors). This test is recommended for quick assessment of the drive's health.
- Extended test - usually lasts from 0.5 to 60 hours. Checks the main components of the drive, and also scans the entire surface of the drive.
- Conveyance test - usually lasts a few minutes. Checks the nodes and logs of the drive that may indicate improper storage or shipping of the drive.
A SMART test can be selected from the SMART Tests dialog, invoked by pressing 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 progress and completion status of the task.
Rice. 15 S.M.A.R.T.information window test
Additional features
For ATA / SATA / USB / FireWire drives, the program allows you to change some parameters.
- AAM - the function controls drive noise. Enabling this function allows you to reduce drive noise due to smoother head positioning. At the same time, the drive loses a little in performance during random access.
- APM - the function allows you to save power to the drive by temporarily reducing the rotation speed (or complete stop) of the drive spindle during idle time.
- PM - the 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. Any program accessing the drive will force the spindle to spin up and reset the timer to zero.
- The program also allows you to stop or start the drive spindle forcibly. Any program accessing the drive will force the spindle to unwind.
Rice. 16 Information window of additional features of ATA / SATA drive
For SCSI drives, the program allows viewing defect lists and starting / stopping the spindle.
Rice. 17 Information window of additional features of the SCSI drive
Using the command line
The program can build a command line to control some drive parameters and save this line to a .bat or .cmd file. When such a file is launched, the program is called in the background, changes the drive parameters in accordance with the specified ones, 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:
| Storage device | Controller IC |
| 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 IC |
| 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 not supported by the program:
| Storage device | Controller IC |
| 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 IC |
| 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 marvell controllers |
SSD drives that the program may support:
Additional Information
HDDScan 3.3 can be downloaded from 2.8
| Support: |
