Bad Sectors Question

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

I'm starting to question if I'm even using the right tool anymore.

I'm using Hirens.Boot program-thing, that includes a lot of other tools within, and I'm using the provided bad sectors tool.

So, I don't know if all the related tools for reading/repairing bad sectors are practically the same or there's something better.

In addition, the reading/repairing process hardly takes long than I expected. So this other factor makes me question, again, if I'n using the right tool or there's something better out there...

[Omega]

Bad sectors can not be repaired.

Software that fixes hardware does not exist.

Windows 10 has a build-in tool for scanning disks for bad sectors and disabling them.


Windows start button > Type "CMD" > rightclick the CMD and select "launch as administrator" > now run the "chkdsk AFFECTED_PARTITION_LETTER /f" command

So for example: chkdsk C: /f

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Omega:

Bad sectors can not be repaired.

Software that fixes hardware does not exist.

Windows 10 has a build-in tool for scanning disks for bad sectors and disabling them.


Windows start button > Type "CMD" > rightclick the CMD and select "launch as administrator" > now run the "chkdsk AFFECTED_PARTITION_LETTER /f" command

So for example: chkdsk C: /f

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2XRVKURcV4

That's the exact program that I've seen being used at my work - also to repair Windows 10.

[Omega]

It will not repair anything. Only disable bad sectors.

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Omega:

It will not repair anything. Only disable bad sectors.

I don't understand. There's no such thing as repairing bad sectors? Then why does it exist? Why have I seen it being used in my job, by another worker, who checks client's hard drives that they complain their PCs hardly run, and he uses that tool to check for bad sectors and it works - finding more than one bad sector most of the time?

[Omega]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Omega:

It will not repair anything. Only disable bad sectors.

I don't understand. There's no such thing as repairing bad sectors? Then why does it exist? Why have I seen it being used in my job, by another worker, who checks client's hard drives that they complain their PCs hardly run, and he uses that tool to check for bad sectors and it works - finding more than one bad sector most of the time?

Yes the tool might work but it will not repair anything. All it does is try to save data and disable the bad sectors to keep them from being used.

Windows has it build in already.
chkdsk /f (disable bad sectors)
chkdsk /r (attempt to save data and disable bad sectors)

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Omega:

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

I don't understand. There's no such thing as repairing bad sectors? Then why does it exist? Why have I seen it being used in my job, by another worker, who checks client's hard drives that they complain their PCs hardly run, and he uses that tool to check for bad sectors and it works - finding more than one bad sector most of the time?

Yes the tool might work but it will not repair anything. All it does is try to save data and disable the bad sectors to keep them from being used.

Windows has it build in already.
chkdsk /f (disable bad sectors)
chkdsk /r (attempt to save data and disable bad sectors)

It's in both Windows 10 and Windows 7?

[Cathulhu]

It was even back in MS-DOS. That tool exists literally for decades.
And the answer to your question is yes.

[Omega]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Omega:

Yes the tool might work but it will not repair anything. All it does is try to save data and disable the bad sectors to keep them from being used.

Windows has it build in already.
chkdsk /f (disable bad sectors)
chkdsk /r (attempt to save data and disable bad sectors)

It's in both Windows 10 and Windows 7?

Yes. chkdsk has been a tool in Windows for a long time already. Every Windows since Windows NT has had chkdsk as far as I am aware.

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

It was even back in MS-DOS. That tool exists literally for decades.
And the answer to your question is yes.

Originally posted by Omega:

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

It's in both Windows 10 and Windows 7?

Yes. chkdsk has been a tool in Windows for a long time already. Every Windows since Windows NT has had chkdsk as far as I am aware.

So why the tool I'm using, similar to the one in the video, the same one that we're using at work, is still being used?

[Omega]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

It was even back in MS-DOS. That tool exists literally for decades.
And the answer to your question is yes.

Originally posted by Omega:

Yes. chkdsk has been a tool in Windows for a long time already. Every Windows since Windows NT has had chkdsk as far as I am aware.

So why the tool I'm using, similar to the one in the video, the same one that we're using at work, is still being used?

Probably because they are not aware of chkdsk. (Which every tech should be) If they worked for me I would fire them.

#TechFlame
They probably use Driver Booster aswell for installing drivers.. And they downloaded the Windows 10 .iso from torrentz or they ripped it from a disk..

[Aliquis Freedom & Ethnopluralism]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Omega:

It will not repair anything. Only disable bad sectors.

I don't understand. There's no such thing as repairing bad sectors? Then why does it exist? Why have I seen it being used in my job, by another worker, who checks client's hard drives that they complain their PCs hardly run, and he uses that tool to check for bad sectors and it works - finding more than one bad sector most of the time?

Because they will be disabled and not used any more whereas the functional parts is.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Omega:

Yes the tool might work but it will not repair anything. All it does is try to save data and disable the bad sectors to keep them from being used.

Windows has it build in already.
chkdsk /f (disable bad sectors)
chkdsk /r (attempt to save data and disable bad sectors)

It's in both Windows 10 and Windows 7?

Yes, it's been in MS-DOS and all WinOS, period.

You don't even need something like Hirens BootCD for this.

If you lack tech tools, just boot from a WinOS DVD or USB Flash Drive
Once at the installer where it asks Language to get started, press SHIFT+F10 to launch CMD
Then switch away from X:\ to another drive letter; like
cd C:
or others, such as D: E: etc...
When using CMD this way from a Windows installer, C letter might not be correct for the corrisponding Drive in question. To check the drive label after switching drive letter, do the following:

X:\Sources\cd C: (cd= change directory + drive letter; the colon is required for such a switch)
C:\ (this will be the next line after changing directory)
C:\dir (dir=directory listing; this will also reveal the Drive Volume Label; if this says "System Reserved" then this is not the main drive letter for OS/Data Drive; in which case try others such as D: or E: once you find the correct drive label; lets say it ends up that E: drive is the correct one for the hard drive with Windows OS on it you are trying to check)
E:\chkdsk /f /r (this will run Check Disk and the /F /R will check for and mark off any Bad Sectors that are found)

Now if you wish to later secure-wipe a disk drive, yes use something like Hirens BootCD and find and launch Active-Kill-Disk. However, to avoid accidents, only ever connect the drive you wish to wipe fully, as there is no going back once you attempt to wipe. Then in ActiveKillDisk, select the root drive and start the wipe. Wipes take a long time, even on large SSDs, once a wipe reaches around 10% or higher, that is plenty. Now you can simply press CTRL+ALT+DEL to Reboot and go from there.

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Aliquis Freedom & Ethnopluralism:

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

I don't understand. There's no such thing as repairing bad sectors? Then why does it exist? Why have I seen it being used in my job, by another worker, who checks client's hard drives that they complain their PCs hardly run, and he uses that tool to check for bad sectors and it works - finding more than one bad sector most of the time?

Because they will be disabled and not used any more whereas the functional parts is.

But if an HDD doesn't have an OS on it, then it's still okay that I'm using this tool, because if I want to, for example, to reuse an old HDD that has no OS installed on it, but probably has bad sectors, I should continue to use the tool, right?

[Omega]

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

Originally posted by Aliquis Freedom & Ethnopluralism:

Because they will be disabled and not used any more whereas the functional parts is.

But if an HDD doesn't have an OS on it, then it's still okay that I'm using this tool, because if I want to, for example, to reuse an old HDD that has no OS installed on it, but probably has bad sectors, I should continue to use the tool, right?

If the HDD doesn't have an OS on it I will pop it in a docking station and run the scan from one of the shops PCs.

[Jinn-Gon Qui]

Originally posted by Omega:

Originally posted by Blazko Boy:

But if an HDD doesn't have an OS on it, then it's still okay that I'm using this tool, because if I want to, for example, to reuse an old HDD that has no OS installed on it, but probably has bad sectors, I should continue to use the tool, right?

If the HDD doesn't have an OS on it I will pop it in a docking station and run the scan from one of the shops PCs.

Can't I just do it at home, using the tool I'm using?