Ever had problems with your disk that might be bad blocks? There are some other bad block scanners around, but most of then lack some features, or they are just plain to big (or too expensive!)
Well, this program may suit your needs, and it's free and small.
But before we start, some legal stuff first:
Disclaimer:
This program was created because I needed something it. Although we are quite confident that Disk Scanner is not harmful to your data on non-destructive tests, we disclaim all responsability for anything that may happen when you use it.
Copyright:
This program is not public domain. I retain all copyrights. You may use the program freely and give (not sell) it to everyone you like. You may not charge anything however, nor include it in a product (commercial or not) without my written permission.
What is a bad block?All hard disks contain bad blocks, that is to say, blocks that you can't read or write. They are caused by flaws in the recording medium, small spots where some bits are stuck in one way. SCSI disks handle bad blocks themselves.If you format a disk, the controller verifies all blocks on the disk. The ones that don't, are the bad blocks. The controller makes a note ofthe bad ones, and substitutes a spare block for the bad ones. Where do these spares come from? During formatting a number of blocks is set aside for this purpose, usually about one block per track.
During the lifetime of the disk some blocks that were good enough to pass verification during format can go bad. That's not a big problem, you loose only the data that was inside that block. Format the drive, and the bad block will go away (it will be remapped by the controller). But wait, format will cause you to loose all data on the disk (but that's what backups are for), and it will take some time. Especially on a big disk, formatting can take a long time (sometimes about an hour), and restoring the backup also takes a lot of time (ever reloaded a big disk from floppies?).
This program can check your disk for bad blocks, using very little memory and fast. There is almost no other piece of software that scans a disk as fast as this program.
Usually, no bad blocks are found, and after the scan there is nothing you can do. If bad blocks are found, you are given the option to remap them, that means telling the disk to substitute new blocks for them without the need to reformat. But (isn't there alwaysa big but), the data that once was contained in the blocks gone bad can't be read anymore. That means that the file the bad block was in, is damaged. There is nothing that can be done about that, it's just the nature of bad blocks. But it means that you can loose accessto the data in that file (in fact you already have lost it).
So, as a safety, check your disks. No bad blocks found, great. Bad blocks present, some problems. Note however, that these problems are caused by the bad blocks, not by remapping them!
A word from our sponsor:
The SCSI Disk Scanner is a free goodie from the makers of SCSI-Power. The SCSI-Power Utilities package consists of several components to help to to get the most out of your hard disk. SCSI-Power features:
• Allows the creation of any number of partitions on a SCSI disk.
• Partitions can be mounted using a desk accessory or an FKEY.
• Partitions can be protected with a password. Every partition can have its own password. A ‘Super User’ password is possible as well.
• The SCSI Power Utilities package uses one of the fastest drivers on the market.
• Compatibility with almost every “normal” SCSI hard disk and every Macintosh computer. All hard disks employed in products of Apple Computer Inc. are supported, as well as a lot of other brands. See current list at the back of this form. New disks are added when we receive them.
• The driver supports disk drives with removable media, such as the Syquest™ SQ555 or the SONY magneto-optical 600Mb mechanism. Cartridges can be partitioned and password protected.
• User selectable interleave factor when formatting disk. Software suggests optimal setting for most disk/Macintosh combinations.
• Allows to update the driver without losing any data on the disk.
• Even the startup volume may have a password. This prevents unauthorized access to your computer.
• Every partition has its own set of user-controllable options.
• There is also a set of options at the drive level. These options may override the partition’s options.
• Performs media verification for finding bad blocks.
The About SCSI Disk Scanner document gives information on how to order your copy ofSCSI-Power. Or write to Maarten Carels, De Lairessestraat 58-3, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mechanisms currently supported by SCSI-Power:
CDC Wren series
Conner CP3045, CP3040
Kalok KL341
Miniscribe M3180S, M8425, M9380S
Quantum Q200 series (Q250, Q280), Prodrive series (P40S,P80S, P105S, PD 120, PD170, PD210)
Rodime RO632, RO3000T, RO5000S
Seagate ST1xxN series, ST2xx series
Sony SMO-C501, SRD2040
SyQuest SQ555
plus some more. New mechanisms added to the list as we receive information about them.
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