Exhaustive disk surface testing

[swiftie]

I keep a spare drive on my shelf, for use when a drive on my system fails. But having bought my spare drive, how can I be sure that it will work? I don't want to discover that it is faulty at the critical time.

So, instead of keeping the spare drive on the shelf, I installed a caddy, and I use the "spare" drive as an extra level of backup. But I can't be sure that the drive is fault free as it is never filled to capacity.

I know about "Scan now..." under Tools in a drives properties, but I'm unsure if it runs an actual surface test.

 

[Golden]

You best test you can run is the DOS version of SeaTools, as explained here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/313457-seatools-dos-windows-how-use.html

We use it extensively as part of our BSOD work here.

 

[swiftie]

You best test you can run is the DOS version of SeaTools…

Thanks for the reminder; I already had SeaTools on my system, but had forgotten about it. I installed it during an episode where Seagate shipped drives that make an intermittent sound exactly like the noise you get from a seek recalibration.

I've still got a couple of these drives (in my Drobo 5D) and they're still making that noise.