Hard drive testing

[Michael Hipp]

Leon Goldstein wrote:
> 
> Michael Hipp wrote:
> 
>>
>> Ronnie Gauthier wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>> Anyone have any Linux/oss tools that will test a drive 
>>>> sector-by-sector, mark any bad ones, and then give me a go/no-go 
>>>> answer as to whether this drive is a keeper?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Go to the manufacturers website. They should have a dignostic tool 
>>> that goes onto a floppy or CD. Just boot to the whatever and the 
>>> diagnostic software will run and do its thing.
>>
>>
>> Thanks. I have several of those laying around here. I just don't have 
>> much confidence in them. Was hoping there was something better.
>>
>> Michael
>>
> Well, there is always Spinrite.  It costs $, and it may be a bit 
> complicated to run on a SATA drive, but it will do  what you want.

I've had a paid copy of Spinrite for years and use it a lot for data recovery. 
It has one *glaring* deficiency IMHO...

It gives you lots of data but not much information. I don't know how to take 
all those hexadecimal digits it spits out and turn it into a go/no-go 
decision. I even asked on the Spinrite mailing list but got no takers.

Michael