SeaTools for DOS and Windows - How to Use

How to Use SeaTools for DOS and Windows Disk Check Utility ​

Contents:

Part One: SeaTools for Windows
Part Two: SeaTools for DOS
*Caution for AHCI Storage Controller

   Information

Seatools is a powerful tool to analyze the Hard Drives. It can perform a lot of tests like Drive Self-test, Read-Write teat, SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) extraction and performs some advanced actions like bad sector repair.

Though Seatools can test all the brands of HDD, it performs the repair action for the Seagate brand HDD only.

   Warning

It is always better that you back up your data.

OPTION ONE

Seatools for Windows

1. Get it from SeaTools | Seagate

2. Click on I accept and then download. Install the program and run it within windows. It will take a time to scan the drivers, and then the program window will appear. Click on I accept. Now you are on the Seatools For Windows GUI.

3.(a) For Non Seatools Brand HDDs, you can perform Short Drive Self Test, Short Generic Test and Long Generic Test.

3.(b) For Seatools brand Hdds, you can perform all the tests.

Attempted a Basic Test > Fix All > Fast on a non SeaGate HDD, and here is the result.So Repair works on SeaGate only, but you can test any brand of HDD.

   Warning

You are suggested to not take the Advanced tests.

OPTION TWO

Seatools for DOS, Recommended

   Information

If you are using AHCI storage controller, Seatools for DOS will not be able to detect a AHCI disc. So Boot into the BIOS, set the storage controller mode to IDE/SATA before running the test.

All the BIOSs are not the same, but usually this option is found in "Advanced" BIOS settings.When the test is done, Boot into the BIOS again and set the controller mode back to AHCI, otherwise windows will refuse to boot.

1. Get it from SeaTools | Seagate

2. Accept and download. It will come as a disc image file. Actually it is bundled with FreeDOS Operating System. It works as bootable, so it is to burn the downloaded ISO to either a blank CD or a USB pen drive.

PART - I: Writing the Image

1. For writing it to a CD/DVD, follow this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/548-burn-disc-image-iso-img-file.html

2. For writing it to an USB pen drive, the easy way is to use Win32 Disk Imager | Free Development software downloads at SourceForge.net

   Note

The downloaded ISO will not be written to the USB Pen Drive as it is. You need to alter the .iso file a bit to make it writable. Very little job is involved.

• Download or install either 7-Zip (free) or WinRAR (not free).
• Extract the downloaded .iso file.
• Rename the SeaTools.ima to SeaTools.img.
• Burn the SeaTools.img file using Win32 Disk Imager

3. Download and double click to execute it. Select teh USB device, and browse for the renamed .img image.4. Double click on the image, when found.5. Click on Write.6. A Confirm Overwrite message will appear. Click yes.7. See the progress bar for a few seconds and the image is written and ready to boot from.

PART - II: Booting from Seatools for DOS

1. Now it is to boot from the CD/DVD or USB. You may do it using two alternative ways.

• Enter into the BISO and change the BOOT order to CD (or USB) to first.
• Use the BIOS Boot Menu Key to get the list of all possible devices to boot from. Select the CD (or USB) by using the scroll arrow keys and enter.

2. When on the GUI, at first a warning message will appear. Accept it by clicking on "I Accept".Part - 3: Testing

There are three types of tests.

• Short Test;
• Long Test; and
• Acoustic Test.

For most of the cases, Short tests are enough. But if Short tests detect problems, Long tests are suggested.

   Information

Long test has a mechanism to recover/repair some disc errors like BAD sectors. But the recovery/repair options work only for Seagate brand HDDs.

PART - IV: Results

Test results are of two types, in general.

1. Passed; and
2. Failed with errors; which may yield two possible alternative ultimate outcomes.
   • Passed after repair
   • Failed after repair

1. If passed, its all good.2. If the test result a failure, with bad sectors etc, it will suggest you to have a warranty replacement, with a supplied test code.Click on "Done". It will supply you some options to repair the failures.You need to opt for "Repair this one and all remaining".

2.(a) If repairs are successful, it will show a result as passed after repair. It is good, too.2.(b) But if the repair is unsuccessful, then there is no way but try to back up your data and replace the disc.That’s all.

 

[Brink]

Great job Archie.

 

[koolkat77]

Awesome
Updated to my template!

 

[maxie]

Nice work Archie

 

[Arc]

Great job Archie.

Thank you Shawn

Awesome
Updated to my template!

Your templates are highly informative with a wide coverage If some of my writings are able to have a place there, it is my pleasure

Nice work Archie

Thank you Maxie

 

[YoYo155]

Another great one Archie .

 

[Jinian]

For the seatools for DOS configuration, my SATA configuration is AHCI, however changing to ATA option is not available in my BIOS only RAID and IDE. I have also tried changing it to IDE and it doesn't work either. Seagate for DOS won't read my harddrives upon disk image boot via CD.

My motherboard is ASUS Sabretooth z77, my windows hard drive is an intel ssd and my partition hard drive is SATA seagate.

please help

 

[Arc]

IDE and ATA are technically the same thing.

What happens when you choose IDE and run seatools for DOS? What does it state?

 

[dpwoodpecker]

Hello - I want to try this tutorial and test my two Seagate external HDDs....my laptop's drive is a SSD drive and storage controller mode is set to ACHI mode. If I use the Seatools for DOS, to test the external HDDs (not the SSD), I still need to change storage controller mode to IDE/SATA? Also curious to know why the DOS option was recommended over the Windows option.

I also have a few basic questions about HDDs to be sure that they are setup correctly (in switching from one laptop to another, running different OS)....would it okay to post them here?

 

[kbrady1979]

For anyone having problems with Seatools for DOS recognizing drives.........I believe this is a chipset issue. There are a couple of us on here with newer platforms (Sandy Bridge and up) that absolutely cannot use Seatools for DOS. Seatools for Windows, however, does work and will test drives perfectly fine. I just tested (4) 5TB Seagate drives in Windows with no issues.

 

[gregrocker]

I don't know why it took this long to find this Tut. More great work from you Archie!

 

[Arc]

Thank you Greg.

 

[Arc]

For anyone having problems with Seatools for DOS recognizing drives.........I believe this is a chipset issue. There are a couple of us on here with newer platforms (Sandy Bridge and up) that absolutely cannot use Seatools for DOS. Seatools for Windows, however, does work and will test drives perfectly fine. I just tested (4) 5TB Seagate drives in Windows with no issues.

Hi Kelly.

It should be the storage controller mode that resists Seatools for DOS to recognize a HDD. We know that DOS cannot read AHCI. So if your storage controller mode is set to AHCI (or RAID) then it is obvious that Seatools for DOS will not recognize your HDD. And I think you use AHCI.

Set the storage controller mode to ATA/IDE and try Seatools for DOS again. The HDD should be recognized.

Dont forget to apply the native storage controller mode back after the test is done. Otherwise windows will not boot at all.

If your HDD is Seagate or Maxtor, then the long test of Seatools for DOS is the best deal; because it can rectify disk errors upto a certain level.

 

[ThrashZone]

Very nice Archie,
Did a search for harddrive tests and there you are
Cheers.

 

[Arc]

Thank you, Mike.

 

[haramo]

About the following : 2.(a) If repairs are successful, it will show a result as passed after repair. It is good, too.

IT IS GOOD, TOO. Does this mean the harddisk is as new? As I heard that once a harddisk suffers bad sectors, the bad sectors will grow in time.

Can I 100% rely on the harddisk, after seatools repaired bad sectors? What does the tool exactly do while repairing the bad sectors? Does these sectors come free to use or are they disabled some how?

So the harddisk can be smaller in size then it was new?

 

[Arc]

I can say my experience.

The disc that I repaired during making the tutorial is still under use, without any sort of performance drop. 11 months passed, no more problems.

But, a new disc is a new disc. You can never expect an old hardware to perform as good as a new one .... whether repaired or not.

You cannot 100% rely on a hard disc when you are unwrapping it for the first time.

What the tool exactly do while repairing bad sector? I dont know. Like I dont know what the reactor exactly do while producing electricity. But still I use electricity every off and on. One need not to be a scientist to know how to use any tool or service.

No, if the bad sectors are repaired, those sectors are not bad any more. So no scope of reduction in disc size.

 

[haramo]

Thankx Arc for you clear explanation. Well lets hope the harddisk wil work great.

I have a recovery partition (dell) on the harddisk and it's stil visible, so I want to install it back. First step is to install a windows OS. When the laptop restarted to continu the installation, it want to check disk ... .

I cancel it.

Can this mean that The harddisk is not good anymore, even if seagate tool repaired it? Hmmm I will give it a try.

 

[Arc]

Usually the recovery partition is the active partition. And after a clean install of OS this partition will not perform its job for which it is there. So better you do a full format of the HDD, create your own custom partition (not more than 4 primary partitions if you use it as a MBR disc) and try to clean install the OS. Does it still reboots in checkdisk? Let us know.

 

[haramo]

It seems it's not the C drive (active, windows OS is installed) but the E drive (Recovery partitions, Dell image).

I ran checkdisk in windws (right clik partitions, properties, exta, check volume for errors and only the first option is selected.

It found some errors and fixed them.

restarted the laptop and no message anymore to check the disk... .

Hope it's stays like this.