Re: Suggestions, PLZ, for Win-based HDD diagnostic utilities & procedures

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Bob Willard wrote:
Jim Macklin wrote:

Spin-Rite www.grc.com

To the OP, I note that:
1. SpinRite is not free
2. It is not clear that SpinRite accomplishes any actual data repair on
a current HD (technology has changed a lot since SpinRite was created)


SpinRite has also changed a lot since the days of DOS. The newest version supports NTFS file systems and does repair damaged disks. I had a 100 GB master drive start failing on me. Ghost would not clone the drive because of the errors. Running SpinRite on the drive fixed the errors and allowed Ghost to clone the drive successfully. While SpinRite is not free the cost is nothing compared to using a data recovery service or the loss of important data. It is also a great program for testing a drive if you are uncertain about it.



Hence, I don't recommend buying SpinRite, at least until you have tried
everything else. {I'm not a SpinRite hater; I have a paid-for copy.}

Chkdsk and other HD test/diagnostic apps only test that the HD's sectors
are capable of holding data; they do not verify that the data currently
residing therein is correct. From your description, it sounds as though
the registry data is corrupt, not that the underlying HD is sick. So,
if you have a XP CD, I recommend booting from that and then doing a
"repair install"; you may then need to reinstall many of your other apps
(and data), so I hope you have faithfully backed up your stuff.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Failing secondary hard drive
    ... The configuration of SpinRite was tested on a working IOMEGA ZIP ... "If a removable hard drive......" ... has to be sent in for repair, you will either have to trust the repair ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: [opensuse] Is there a way to read data from a hdd, with a worm eaten bootsector?
    ... The problem with Spinrite is that it attempts to repair the drive, rather than copy the data to another drive. ... A few years ago, there was a presentation on disk recovery, at the Toronto Linux Users Group, by someone who does that professionally. ... He also said the standard procedure in his work is to copy as much as possible from the old drive and then work with the copy, rather than attempt to fix the original. ...
    (SuSE)
  • Re: Failing secondary hard drive
    ... The configuration of SpinRite was tested on a working IOMEGA ZIP ... > data which resides on the removable media. ... > has to be sent in for repair, you will either have to trust the repair ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: [opensuse] Is there a way to read data from a hdd, with a worm eaten bootsector?
    ... James Knott schreef: ... The problem with Spinrite is that it attempts to repair the drive, rather than copy the data to another drive. ... To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx ...
    (SuSE)
  • Re: Question About SpinRite
    ... Spinrite has worked for me since 2001. ... I most recently used it in 2007 May on an 80GB SATA disk on a Dell ... I couldn't backup or clone the disk in the state that it ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)