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.

 

[Arc]

I successful repair will give you enough time to copy the data and replace the disk. I would suggest you that if that disk is containing any data that is valuable to you then back it up. It may fail again.

If you plan to wipe the disk entirely and redo the partitions etc, then Partition Wizard will be your tool to do it.

 

[guyver99]

Hello, not sure if this forum still active but here is my exp so far.

I have to use sea tools dos and was able to start a long scan thx to all the pervious info from this forum.
Currently is scanning a 1TB drive which has lot of bad LBAs, I noticed the long test will only fix 99 errors at a time.
Once is repaired it will replied with passed after fix. But I'll have to start the long test again and it will pick up a new sets of 99 bad LBAs to fix. This cont. on for a while.... which is very time consuming coz you have to start from scratch after it fixed 99 bad sectors. Have anyone seen this behaviour? I was hoping for the "fix all long test" but I dont see it avil on the dos 2..23 version.

 

[Layback Bear]

If it was my computer I would save all my needed or wanted data to a external drive and replace the problem drive in question.
If you keep testing the problem drive you might not be able to retrieve the data.

 

[libbo2003]

Hi everyone found this by chance hope some one can help me
I am having the same problem as guyver99 I keep on getting blocks of 99 repairs to be done by seatools. Do I keep on re running the long test until it clears all the disk errors?
I am having trouble booting up windows so cannot access any files to back up, I would like to be able to boot up so I can back up and then replace the Hard Drive with a new one.

 

[Arc]

Seatools attempts for a repair, but in the real world experience a repaired bad sector is not well functional.
Let the process take its time. If the bad sectors are really repaired and the disk boots back, then you can access your data as usual.

The time taken to repair the bad sectors may be long enough; after that long time it may report a success or a failure.
Even if it is a success, run short test once again to verify that report.

Even if seatools reports a success, prepare to back up your data and shift to another disk.
If seatools fails to repair the disk, try to recover the data using this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/287439-emergency-kit-save-your-files-dead-os.html

 

[djrobison22]

Booting from USB thumb drive problem

I followed you fantastic tutorial and decided to create SeaToolsDOS on a USB thumb drive as I have been having problems ejecting dvd while in System Repair (which is also why I could not use the System Images I created...I couldn't get the Installation DVD to eject so I could insert them!). Everything appeared to have burned properly using the Win32DiskImager so I adjusted the Boot order, inserted the USB drive and restarted.

Instead of booting to the GUI for SeaTools I am at a blank screen other than FreeDOS is in the upper left corner followed by a blinking cursor.

Nothing will get me out of this screen. I cannot type anything nor can I Escape.

What should I do now?

*UPDATE: Not sure what the problem was with the USB option but I created the program on a DVD adn it booted in to the GUI perfectly, found no errors after running the Long Test and the Short DST. I am very grateful that my hard drive appears to be fine so that I can use it as a backup drive after upgrading to an SSD but now I need to figure out what the problem really is...I was certain it was hard drive failure!

 

[Arc]

To boot from a USB device, you may need to disable Fast Boot and UEFI Secure Boot in the BIOS/UEFI Firmware Setup; if those are enabled.

For a Sony VAIO, you may also need to enable "External Drive Boot" in "Advanced" field of the BIOS/UEFI Firmware Setup.
Then Either Esc, or F10 or F11 (depending on the build; usually disclosed in the POST screen) will let you access to the Boot Menu. The USB device will be listed there. Select it to boot from it.

If you are not having the disk issue, very good news. Please make a thread in a suitable area of the forum relating to your issue; some of your fellow members will be able to assist you.

 

[User16457]

I'm having a slight problem following along, as when I try to set the storage controller mode to IDE/SATA in order to run SeaTools, the only other available option is RAID.

 

[JimN262]

Hi!
I know this is an old thread, but I hope someone else slogging through here with the same issue may find this helpful.

My first question would have been "Have you tried ignoring the "wrong" AHCI setting?

I am running Sea Tools for Dos right now (second attempt) on an older Dell laptop that did have an AHCI/ATA setting, BUT... while I was poking at it, I got to thinking about my wife's new (1 month old) Lenovo laptop, which I know has no such setting, and wondered how I would boot up this DVD if I ever had to.

It turned out I didn't have to make any changes to the Lenovo's BIOS. Although It was set for AHCI, It somehow figured out that it had legacy disk and handled it properly. I do believe I ended up hitting F11/F12 alternately quickly at the start to get its attention and pick the CD/DVD drive, but then it booted, and recognized the internal disk.

CONCLUSION:
I'm beginning to think the new BIOS setups are not giving fewer choice just to be cheap. It might be because they are smart enough to figure stuff out that we used to have to set by hand.
... or maybe I'm just an optimist.

--
Jim

 

[AmberHere]

I was instructed to do this over on the Eight forum due to system crashes. I've followed along everything and set the storage controller mode to IDE (it's under Compatible, but it says that'll set it to IDE?) but it doesn't work, it just takes me to Windows.

 

[AmberHere]

Alright, I got past that and made it to the page depicted in Part 2, Step 2 but now it's telling me that no hard drives have been detected?

 

[jraju]

Hi, Can i use Seatools for dos for testing my usb external hard drive of 1.5 tb size.
I tried seatools for windows, which does not show S.M.A.R.T TAB in any tab in

but when i checked the internal hard drive, the SMART test is shown.
Why this is so by seagate
Could not one test a huge storage ,like mine for SMART
They are specific, that Smart details by third party would not be correct with regard to other tools like hd sentinel.
is there any way , [;ease re[;u

 

[jraju]

hi, Arc, why no repl to my query. i usuallyl get reply within a day or two