Checking out newly installed HDD

A number of sources recommend that a newly installed HDD should be
checked out by running a Scandisk thorough surface scan *in addition* to
the HDD manufacturers diagnostic tests.

When I added a 100GB HDD to my seven-year-old Dell Dimension 4100 (733
Mhz) I ran a Scandisk thorough surface scan from safe-mode. It took 14.7
hours!

I'm planning to build a PC which will have two HDDs, each at least
300GB. How should I check out those HDDs?

Related question: Is there a Linux equivalent of Scandisk thorough
surface scan? It is frequently stated that the Linux equivalent of
Scandisk is "fsck" (File system check). The manpage for fsck does not
list an option for thorough surface scan.

In article <PRl2i.20136$yM2.6930@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>,
Allen Weiner says...
> A number of sources recommend that a newly installed HDD should be
> checked out by running a Scandisk thorough surface scan *in addition* to
> the HDD manufacturers diagnostic tests.
>
> When I added a 100GB HDD to my seven-year-old Dell Dimension 4100 (733
> Mhz) I ran a Scandisk thorough surface scan from safe-mode. It took 14.7
> hours!
>
> I'm planning to build a PC which will have two HDDs, each at least
> 300GB. How should I check out those HDDs?
>
Don't bother. Never have in 17 years of building PCs, yet to have a
problem.


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Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak.........

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt Allen Weiner <alweiner7@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>A number of sources recommend that a newly installed HDD should be
>checked out by running a Scandisk thorough surface scan *in addition* to
>the HDD manufacturers diagnostic tests.
>
A good suggestion.
Much BETTER would be running Spinrite; but that isn't free.

>When I added a 100GB HDD to my seven-year-old Dell Dimension 4100 (733
>Mhz) I ran a Scandisk thorough surface scan from safe-mode. It took 14.7
>hours!
>
>I'm planning to build a PC which will have two HDDs, each at least
>300GB. How should I check out those HDDs?
>
>Related question: Is there a Linux equivalent of Scandisk thorough
>surface scan? It is frequently stated that the Linux equivalent of
>Scandisk is "fsck" (File system check). The manpage for fsck does not
>list an option for thorough surface scan.

Again, I'd recommend Spinrite.
It runs without the OS.

--
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(_/ / (_(_/|_/ / <_/ <_

"Allen Weiner" <alweiner7@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:PRl2i.20136$yM2.6930@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>A number of sources recommend that a newly installed HDD should be checked
>out by running a Scandisk thorough surface scan *in addition* to the HDD
>manufacturers diagnostic tests.
>
> When I added a 100GB HDD to my seven-year-old Dell Dimension 4100 (733
> Mhz) I ran a Scandisk thorough surface scan from safe-mode. It took 14.7
> hours!
>
> I'm planning to build a PC which will have two HDDs, each at least 300GB.
> How should I check out those HDDs?
>
> Related question: Is there a Linux equivalent of Scandisk thorough surface
> scan? It is frequently stated that the Linux equivalent of Scandisk is
> "fsck" (File system check). The manpage for fsck does not list an option
> for thorough surface scan.

For me, that would be a waste of time. I usually just boot to Partition
Magic's boot disks and do a quick format of the drives I have installed
before installing my OS. There I can also set up any custom partitioning I
want to do before I install the OS. I don't even use the manufacturer's
disks.


Ed

Allen Weiner wrote:
> A number of sources recommend that a newly installed HDD should be
> checked out by running a Scandisk thorough surface scan *in addition* to
> the HDD manufacturers diagnostic tests.
>
> When I added a 100GB HDD to my seven-year-old Dell Dimension 4100 (733
> Mhz) I ran a Scandisk thorough surface scan from safe-mode. It took 14.7
> hours!
>

Somethin' be wrong thar with that PC, argh!

> I'm planning to build a PC which will have two HDDs, each at least
> 300GB. How should I check out those HDDs?
>

Manufacturer's diagnostics.

> Related question: Is there a Linux equivalent of Scandisk thorough
> surface scan?

Manufacturer's diagnostics are usually available as a cdrom image.

> It is frequently stated that the Linux equivalent of
> Scandisk is "fsck" (File system check). The manpage for fsck does not
> list an option for thorough surface scan.

badblocks -ns (-n is a nondestructive scan) from a live cd or tom's
rootboot disc. If there's nothing on the drive you could use a different
option, such as -w, but this is a data destructive scan. I'd still use
the manufacturer's diagnostics if they are available, less hassle it
would seem.

Ari


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