A program for fixing bad sectors of a hard drive in Russian. Program for repairing bad sectors
The article contains a lot of information not only about the Victoria program, but also about the DMDE program, with the help of which we will create a sector-by-sector image of the faulty hard drive, this also needs to be done correctly so that user data is not lost.
Hard drive test in Victoria and how to fix bad sectors (bad blocks).
Friends, if you are reading these lines, it means you have some kind of problem with your hard drive, but how to choose HDD discussed earlier in the article.
When do we think that something wrong is happening with our hard drive?
- It is impossible to copy the necessary information from a hard drive to another drive; when copying, the operating system freezes and only a reboot can save it.
- Windows can freeze unexpectedly at any stage of operation.
- It is impossible to reinstall the operating system, during the installation process it gets stuck on unpacking Windows files or the installer reports an error “The installation cannot continue...”, or Windows takes a very long time to install, for example several hours.
- When you turn on the computer, the Chkdsk utility immediately starts and checks the hard drive partitions for errors.
- The hard drive makes strange sounds (clicking, squeaking) and is periodically not detected in the BIOS.
- Download the Victoria program to work directly in the operating system Windows XP, 7, 8, 10
Go to the official website of the program and select the version for Windows. I advise you to download the Victoria 4.3 beta version, since Victoria 4.46 beta does not always work correctly.
Victoria for working from a boot disk
We go to the official website of the program and select.
Victoria on boot disk we also need it, but we will consider working with this version second. If you do not have a disk drive, then we will make a bootable USB flash drive with the Victoria program.
So, let's go, firstly, in the Victoria program we will accurately determine the numbers of bad sectors (bad blocks), then we will make a sector-by-sector copy of the hard drive and thereby save the user data, and then we will hide the bad sectors of the bad blocks (remap) in the Victoria program. We will also learn how to do a “Record across the entire clearing” (Erase test), that is, when a bad sector is detected, rewrite the entire block (256 sectors) of the hard drive with zeros.
For example, let's take a real hard drive with bad sectors:
Friends, the minimum unit of information on a hard disk is a sector; the volume of user data is 512 bytes; if the information in a sector cannot be read, then the sector is unreadable or, in other words, faulty. All freezes operating system occur when reading information from such a sector.
This hard drive WDC WD5000AAKS-00A7B2 (500 GB capacity) is really faulty,
The operating system on it constantly freezes and periodically when loading it starts checking the hard drive for errors. The last straw for the owner of the hard drive was that it was impossible to copy important data to another drive, and even reinstalling the operating system ended with another hangup on unpacking Windows files, replacement installation disk nothing happened with the operating system, the freeze was repeated at another stage of the installation.
That’s when the question arose about what to do with this hard drive, because one of the partitions contained important data and needed to be copied.
Victoria launch:
Launch the Victoria program as administrator. We agree with all warnings about working on a 64-bit system.
Select the initial tab Standard. If we have several hard drives, in the right part of the window, select the desired hard drive with the left mouse, in our case WDC WD5000AAKS-00A7B2
and go to the SMART tab,
press the Get SMART button, the GOOD message will light up to the right of the button and S.M.A.R.T. will open. the hard drive we have selected.
S.M.A.R.T. This screw turned out to be not the best. Why? Read our first article in the series about the Victoria program. Here I will only say that as many as four attributes of S.M.A.R.T. burn red, including the most important parameter, attribute
5 Reallocated Sector Count - (remap), indicating the number of reassigned sectors, this means the spare sectors on the backup tracks are running out and soon there will be nothing to reassign bad sectors with.
Go to the Tests tab.
Hard drive surface test in Victoria program
On the right side of the program window, check the Ignor item and the read item, then click Start. A simple hard drive surface test will run without error correction. This test will not bring any good or bad effects on your hard drive, but when the test is finished, we will know what condition our hard drive is in.
The surface of the hard drive begins to be scanned and after a while bad sectors are detected. After 40 minutes, Victoria gives us the following result:
A lot of good sectors with a good read latency of no more than 5 ms - 3815267
There are also sectors with a bad read delay of 200 ms
There are no sectors with unsatisfactory read latency of more than 600 ms (candidates for bad blocks), but...
What’s really bad is that there are full-fledged bad sectors (bad blocks), the information from which could not be read at all - 13
13 bad sectors (bad blocks), they all start in the area 6630400 and end at 980000000, that is, scattered throughout the hard drive. Bad block numbers must be written down. Friends, it is quite possible that all our problems with the hard drive can be due to these 13 bads and we need to get rid of them, but first we will make a sector-by-sector image of the diseased screw.
The hard drive of the victim WDC WD5000AAKS-00A7B2 (capacity 500 GB) was divided into two partitions: drive D: with the operating system, capacity 120 GB, and drive E: with data, capacity 345 GB.
Before working with the Victoria program, let’s protect ourselves and make a full image of the E drive partition: the volume is 345 GB and we will extract the data from the image. We will create the image in another DMDE program and place it on another physical disk SAMSUNG HD403LJ (400 GB capacity). I will show you how to do this.
Managing my computer's disks
Important data is located on the New Volume (E:) with a capacity of 347 GB of the WDC WD5000AAKS hard drive (total volume 500 GB), which means we will create an image of the partition (E:)
We will create a sector-by-sector image of the partition (E:) on a SAMSUNG HD403LJ hard drive (400 GB capacity), there is only one partition without data on it New volume(F:)
The third physical disk in the system is solid state drive SSD (120 GB capacity) disk (C:), it contains our running Windows 8.1 operating system, which is where we are now.
Creating a sector-by-sector image of the entire hard drive or the desired section in the DMDE program
Also DMDE is very good tool to create sector-by-sector copies of a faulty hard drive.
We go to the DMDE program website http://dmde.ru/download.html and download the program, click GUI for Windows.
DMDE is downloaded in an archive, unzip it and run the file dmde.exe.
Then select the language Russian.
We accept the terms License Agreement. IN initial window To create an image, we need to select either a physical device (that is, a full hard drive) or a partition with data to create an image.
We only need volume E:, so left-click on our WDC WD5000AAKS hard drive, then check Logical drives
and partition (E:), then click OK.
Menu. Create image/clone...
Place for recording, click Disk.
New volume F: and OK. It is necessary that the partition on which the sector-by-sector image of the faulty hard drive (or partition with unreadable data) will be created should be no smaller in volume than this disk.
On the new volume F: all data will be deleted, we agree Yes.
The creation of a sector-by-sector copy of the partition (E:) of the diseased hard drive WDC WD5000AAKS begins on a new volume (F:) of another healthy hard drive of the SAMSUNG HD403LJ drive, which continues for 6 hours (the image is removed from particularly “bad” screws for several days) and freezes completely at 83 percent, after waiting a couple of hours, I clicked the Abort button!
Friends, if we interrupt the creation of the image of a sector-by-sector division at the very end (after all, 83%), then two options await us, as Suvorov used to say - “either the chest in the crosses, or the head in the bushes.”
After interrupting the operation, we go to the New volume F: and see if there is any data on it and... they are there, the DMDE program managed to transfer everything we needed to the F: volume, almost all the data is read without errors. So our case is not complicated and
the bads are mostly software ones
But in some cases, not everything will be so rosy, and when we try to enter a partition with a sector-by-sector copy, we will be greeted with this error: No access to F:\ . The file or folder is damaged. Reading is impossible.
No access to F:\. The file system is not recognized. Make sure that all required system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not damaged.
But even in this case, we will not give up and will do so.
What to do if creating a sector-by-sector image fails?
Friends, the process of creating a sector-by-sector copy does not always end successfully even after several hours, but if you stop creating a sector-by-sector copy, the data in it may become unreadable.
Or, in the process of creating a sector-by-sector copy, the following error will appear: “The request was not completed due to an input/output error on the device” (see screenshot below), indicating that DMDE was unable to read the information in the bad sector (the sector number is indicated in the error) in this case click
Repeat, there will be a second attempt to read information from this sector and it may end in success. If this error with the same sector will appear again, then click
Ignore and the creation of a sector-by-sector image will continue, but we will lose information in this sector and, as a result, no file will open in the sector-by-sector copy. If the "The request was not completed due to an I/O error on the device" error appears too often, you can select
Ignore all and all such errors will be skipped, or you can press the button
Parameters and configure the DMDE program accordingly for such a severe case. Click the Options button in this window.
You need to be careful in the parameters, as you can configure a lot of things here. For example, force DMDE to create a sector-by-sector image from a hard drive not from the beginning, but from the end, for this you need to check the box
Reverse the move, sometimes it brings results.
And click Options again.
In this window, check the Don't wait if the device is not ready - Always check box. If you select this option, the operation will continue even
in case of an error due to the device not being ready. If you do not check this option, then on some “poor” hard drives a warning will be displayed with the expected user reaction, that is, the image will not be created automatically.
Number of auto retries on CRC error - 0
Number of auto retries if sector not found - 0
Fill bad sectors with hex
Then OK and OK, the creation of the sector-by-sector image begins.
Left click to enlarge image
This setting option also proved to be workable.
Ignore I/O errors - Always
Don't wait if device isn't ready - Always
Number of retries on CRC error - 0
In general, I advise you to study the manual for the DMDE program http://dmde.ru/manual.html or http://dmde.ru/docs/DMDE-manual-ru.pdf, you can also wait for our article on creating a sector-by-sector image of a faulty hard drive with various programs, in it we will even look at creating a bootable flash drive with the DMDE program.
- If DMDE does not help you, then you can try other programs, for example Acronis True Image. Of course, there are still ways in which you can make a sector-by-sector image of a faulty screw, for example, booting from some operating system based on Linux, for example Ubuntu, but I will not describe the process itself here and would rather write a separate article. You can also run the safecopy utility under Linux.
- What to do if you still cannot make a sector-by-sector copy of the hard drive is up to you to decide. You can contact a good and proven data recovery service and specialists will take a sector-by-sector copy of your hard drive using special expensive equipment, for example using the same PC−3000 complex. If you don’t mind your data, then you can take a risk and run algorithms in the Victoria program that rid the surface of your hard drive of bad sectors (bad blocks), how to do this is written below, the hard drive can come back to life after this operation.
- Important: Kazansky (developer of the Victoria program) promises that the most innovative algorithm for hiding bad blocks BB = Advanced REMAP is NOT destructive for data, but in some cases it can be destructive for your files, since even the most advanced Victoria algorithm Advanced REMAP hides defects (remap), this is, in any case, a change in the translation of the screw, which means the loss of user data (details below. I want to say that sometimes it happened that a Victoria hard drive would cure bad problems and you would even be able to copy information from such a hard drive, but unfortunately not All information is readable.
So, in our case, we made a sector-by-sector copy of the diseased hard drive, namely the new volume E: the DMDE program was able to do it, although in some places DMDE froze a little, but everything ended successfully. The sector-by-sector copy of the new volume (E:) is an exact copy and is located on volume F: All existing data is successfully read and copied.
The main problem has been solved and user data has been saved, now we proceed to the hard drive treatment procedure.
How to get rid of bad sectors (bad blocks) using the Victoria program
Friends, let’s now imagine that we were unable to make a sector-by-sector image of a hard drive with bad blocks and we couldn’t come up with anything else and decided to rid our hard drive of bad blocks in the Victoria program, in the hope that after hiding the bad sectors we will be able to read and copy the information to your hard drive.
Note: it is difficult to rid a screw of bad blocks in a running Windows, especially if, for example, you have a laptop with one hard drive and an operating system is installed on the same hard drive and you want to cure the same operating system from bad blocks. In such cases, create a bootable USB flash drive with Victoria, boot the laptop from it and get rid of bad sectors. I propose to create a bootable USB flash drive in the next article, but now we will find out how this is done directly in a running operating system, I will show you everything.
Remap
In the main Victoria window, check the Remap item, which denotes the algorithm for reassigning bad blocks to sectors from backup tracks during the scanning process. Test in Read mode, that is, from beginning to end and click on the Start button.
While the scanning is underway, let's talk about this.
1. What happens with this Remap algorithm? An attempt is made (several times) to force information to be written to the bad sector of the hard drive; if the attempt is successful, then the sector becomes healthy and is removed from the list of bad blocks (remap does not occur). If the write attempt is unsuccessful, then the diseased sector is reassigned to a healthy sector from a hard drive backup track specially designed for such cases.
2. Remap is the reassignment (replacement) of a diseased sector, assigning its LBA number to another physically healthy sector from the reserve track. Information from the sector (at the time of reassignment) hangs in the screw's RAM, and as soon as the sector is reassigned, it is written back.
Remap is basically not destructive for information; if your data is lost, it will only be in one bad sector, but you must admit that the data in the bad block was already unreadable. In the second case, the data will simply be transferred to the sector from the backup track.
Result. As I said, it is difficult to fix anything in a running Windows and Victoria cannot perform a Remap. After 20 minutes, the same result, 13 bad blocks, and you and I will have to make a bootable flash drive with Victoria and work in DOS.
How to scan a specific area on your hard drive in Victoria
If you know the exact addresses of bad sectors, you can set the exact scanning parameters in the Victoria program. For example, we know that our bad blocks start from sector 770,000,000, then in the Start LBA: item, set this number here and the Victoria program will begin scanning and fixing the surface of the hard drive from sector 770,000,000, also, if you set what you need number in the End LBA item: then Victoria will finish scanning in the sector you need.
Erase algorithm
Friends, you can ask me, what will happen if we use the Erase test or is there also Write?
When Erase detects an unreadable sector, it forcibly rewrites the entire block of 256 sectors with zeros (be careful, in some cases your data on the hard drive will be deleted).
- Most often, you come across software (program) bads that are removed most quickly by resetting them - the Erase algorithm, and even if writing to the zero sector is unsuccessful, Remap may well occur, since the hard drive firmware may consider such a sector to be faulty. If Erase does not help, then you can choose Remap, but as we know, the chances that Remap will be performed in a running Windows are low.
- In some cases, software bads can even be removed simple formatting using Windows itself.
I don’t want to experiment with our WDC WD5000AAKS hard drive, since in the next article I plan to cure it of bad blocks in DOS mode using a bootable flash drive with the Victoria program and still return to the owner the hard drive cured of bad blocks with intact data.
I'll just show you on another hard drive how to run this test in a running Windows.
In the main window of Victoria, select our hard drive and go to the Tests tab, check the Erase item (be careful, in some cases your data on the hard drive will be deleted) - if an unreadable sector is detected, it forcibly rewrites the entire block of 256 sectors with zeros, naturally the information is in the entire block sectors are completely lost, but if an overwrite occurs, the block returns to work (becomes healthy).
Test in Read mode
That is, from beginning to end and click Start.
Often, when “resetting” in a running Windows, the following errors will appear:
Block (bad sector number) try Erase 256 sectors. It was not possible to rewrite the block of sectors.
Write algorithm
The Write mode does not look for any bad sectors, but simply immediately erases all the information on the hard drive by filling all sectors with zeros, this is what repairmen call “Write all over the clearing”, this algorithm is able to cure a hard drive from bad ones and simply bad sectors with a long read delay, but after such a test it will be impossible to restore data on the hard drive, so copy everything first important files to a portable hard drive.
Bad sectors are found on almost all HDDs. Especially those that are actively used for a long time. Sometimes the problem gets out of control and turns into a real disaster, destroying all data on the HDD in any partitions. To prevent this from happening, find out how to repair bad hard drive sectors at home.
What are bad sectors and why do they appear?
You can imagine a bad block as a book with the last chapter torn out. You can read it up to a certain point. But as soon as there is a gap in the pages, you will not be able to finish reading. HDD works the same way. The magnetic head reads information within the track, but in some area it encounters a damaged surface or an empty bit of information, which makes it impossible to extract the information completely.
Almost everything hard disks have broken sections. There may be one or several, and in most cases it is not scary. But over time, there are more and more of them, and they make it increasingly difficult to operate information on the HDD. Such areas can be identified scanning hard disk for bad sectors using special utilities.
There can be many reasons for the appearance of bad sectors:
- impact of the disc or use in improper conditions;
- interrupting recording by turning off the power;
- overheating and temperature surges;
- natural wear of the heads and writing disk;
- low quality products.
Here you can divide bad sectors into non-recoverable and recoverable sectors. The first are those caused by shock or overheating. They are destroyed once and cannot be restored, and information, as a rule, disappears forever. The second type of bad sectors appears as a result of an interruption in the recording process. They can be revived by simply rewriting the disk.
Over time, write and read speeds may decrease. And after a slight fall of your laptop, the disk may stop working altogether. Everything would be really bad if it weren’t possible to somehow regenerate bad blocks. The fact is that hard drives have a certain reserve area, which means a potentially larger volume than stated on the receipt. Use extra space possible to transfer contents from damaged areas to it. How to recover bad sectors of a hard drive in this way is indicated below.
Danger is near
You can notice the problem not only after a hard drive failure, but also in the initial stages. You should be wary of the following signs:
- Disk writing/reading speed has dropped;
- unusual noise is heard when accessing the HDD;
- began to overheat;
- subjected to mechanical stress;
- The system often crashes, and at startup chkdsk runs without permission.
As a rule, these reasons indicate the beginning of the end of your HDD. To avoid losing data, be the first to good decision there will be a backup. Transfer all the necessary files to another computer, flash drive, disk, and, if possible, set up synchronization with the cloud.
Most modern hard drives check for bad sectors themselves, without user intervention. This is both good and bad, since you cannot influence the elimination of bad blocks and know about their appearance on system partitions.
When to scan?
You can scan your hard drive for errors at a certain frequency, which depends on the frequency of use of the computer and is calculated individually. Some people carry out scheduled computer maintenance once a month, others - once every six months.
To do this, you can use system utilities or programs to restore bad sectors of the hard drive. A scan should be performed immediately after detecting the problems listed above.
Scanning using standard tools
Starting with Windows 8, the system itself is capable of scanning disks on a schedule and thereby extending HDD operation. You can set up a scanning schedule at: “My Computer” / “Management” (a tab will appear in the main menu when the section is active). IN Windows check hard drive on bad sectors can be implemented regular program chkdsk. The utility can be launched in several ways:
The work is not fundamentally different, so let’s consider the first option:
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Click right click Click on the Start menu icon or simply in the lower left corner on Windows 8 and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the list.
- If you want to scan system disk, enter the command with the keys chkdsk /f /r to scan and immediately fix the entire disk, and chkdsk D: /f /r - to fix only partition D or any other existing one. Additionally, you can enter the /x switch to disable the volume being scanned during the scan. If you diagnose a working disk, the program will prompt you to reboot in order to complete the work without logging in.
- If chkdsk finds errors in the partitions in use, it will offer to reboot and fix the sectors before the system starts.
To display all options, type help chkdsk. A list will appear showing all available keys with explanations. You can use any combinations at your discretion if you understand the essence of what is happening and possible consequences. At the end of the scan, all data about the operation will be displayed in the log.
Third party programs
In addition to the built-in chkdsk, you can use third party programs. There are many software that can recover damaged partitions.
Among the popular free software, I would like to highlight Victoria. This program for recovering bad sectors of a hard drive is well known and at one time was very popular among repairmen. The Victoria program can work in both windowed and DOS mode, which allows it to be used even on dead systems to restore information.
Victoria interface
The program is perfect for recovering bad sectors of a hard drive. Victoria is intended more for experienced users, since it contains virtually no interface and does not even have a localization tool included. But this does not prevent it from working correctly with hardware and file systems.
There are quite a lot of settings, switches and different numbers, and when you open the program for the first time, it can be difficult to navigate. But by following the steps below, let's learn how to repair bad sectors on your hard drive.
Testing and Analysis
In the Smart tab of this program you can quickly evaluate general state disk. The score is given based on analysis different meanings given in the table. There you can also view the status of each parameter individually.
For simple testing, go to the Tests tab. There are quite a lot of settings in each section, so for the initial analysis you can leave everything at default. Click on the Start button and wait until testing is completed. A complete check of the hard drive for bad sectors takes a long time. Therefore, you can safely leave testing overnight and go to bed.
Additionally, the window contains a speed graph or a color display of sectors. You can switch the view using the Grid checkbox next to the timer.
Correcting sectors
If you don’t have time to wait for several checks, then after assessing the condition, you can immediately begin treating bad sectors of the hard drive. Victoria uses the Remap method to rewrite blocks. It reassigns bad blocks to normal ones from the spare disk space. To repair bad sectors, do the following:
During the scan, the log will display all errors found and a report on the measures taken. It also indicates in which part of the disk the problems were detected.
How to trim?
Often, bad partitions predominate at the beginning or end of the disk. The thought immediately comes to mind: “What if we don’t use the space with bad sectors?” Yes, it can be cut off and no longer used. Find out which section disk space It’s better to cut it off like this:
You should only work with the system disk in DOS mode until the OS is loaded. While the backup or restored one can be marked directly from Windows. This method is good for large HDDs. But it does not help specifically restore broken partitions on the hard drive, as happens during the remap process.
Prevention
To prevent the hard drive from “dying” in your hands, it is advisable to carry out some preventative measures. Depending on the type of equipment.
If you have a laptop:
- try not to hit him;
- do not shake too much, especially in work time;
- Do not expose to vibrations or temperature changes.
If you have desktop computer:
- do not place the system unit in a damp place;
- do not allow components to overheat;
- although the HDD itself is sealed, the board can be damaged by a layer of dust, so get rid of it;
- Install additional cooling on the hard drive if the computer is actively used or the hard drive is unable to cool itself.
Defragmentation is a useful preventive measure for all hard drives. There are a lot of programs, both in-house and third-party, to carry it out.
Now you know how to repair bad sectors on your hard drive and maybe even be able to save valuable information on it if problems arise.
Despite significant progress, thanks to which computer technology becomes more and more powerful and reliable, the issue of data safety on the hard drive is more relevant than ever. After all, the volumes stored on such drives grow very quickly, and it even happens that the loss cannot be immediately detected.
Therefore, it is important to learn how to identify the first signs of hard drive problems in order to make copies of important data in a timely manner, complete an important project, or avoid computer downtime by purchasing new disk. Well, if you wait for a breakdown, then you should know how to restore your hard drive while preserving important information.
How to recognize the problem
External signs by which you can determine a hard drive malfunction are very obvious, because the stability of the entire system depends on the operation of this element.
- When the power is turned on, clicks are heard, Windows does not load, the monitor does not show anything;
- Windows stops starting and error messages are displayed;
- During operation, the computer regularly freezes, errors appear when saving files, etc.;
- copying, deleting, saving files is extremely slow, and the process periodically freezes and then continues;
- The necessary files or folders are missing, and when you try to open documents, an error message appears.
All these signs, of course, may indicate a malfunction of other PC components, but still the hard drive is considered the most important, because it is where all user data is stored.
How do you know if data recovery is possible?
When a user is faced with the fait accompli that a critical component of the computer has suffered a disaster, the first obvious question is how to recover the hard drive files. Let's look at options to solve the problem.
To determine how to restore a hard drive, and whether it is realistic at all, only testing it, which is carried out as standard means, built into Windows, and using specialized programs.
In the first case, it is necessary for Windows itself to boot, which is not always possible, because when breakdown of the hard disk, it becomes inaccessible along with other files and folders. It's easier when the problem is related to a breakdown second hard a disk that is not bootable, but is used exclusively for storing various data.
One of the common test options is as follows: you need to disconnect the hard drive from the computer, having first disconnected all the cables and unscrewed the mounting bolts, and connect it to another known-good computer as a second drive. In this case, it is easy to check whether the necessary information on it (you can also immediately copy it to another medium).
The second verification option is a little more complicated, but only because it requires the user to preliminary preparation bootable CD. Although it can be recorded on another computer if necessary, such components are usually universal, they are not tied to a specific system. With such testing, for example, it is easier to find a solution to the question of how to recover a deleted hard drive.
In any case, when the computer is running, even outdated version Windows or another program that allows you to view the contents of disks can already verify whether folders are readable or files are copied from a faulty drive.
It is worth noting that if you master the technique of working with internal storage system unit, then the user will no longer have a problem with how to restore external hard disk. The question, it turns out, is not so difficult. In addition, it will become clear how to restore a laptop hard drive.
Programs for testing
There are many utilities for checking the performance of hard drives, and some offer not only identifying errors and breakdowns, but also correcting some of them that can still be eliminated. For this reason, all programs are usually divided into several categories.
- Utilities for checking the surface of hard drives and fixing problem sectors. For example, HDD Scan or HDD Regenerator.
- Programs for checking the logical structure of the drive and correcting all identified problems. For example, Norton Disk Doctor.
Fully universal programs does not exist, although software developers are trying to create them. The fact is that the procedure for restoring hard disk sectors, files and folders requires specific knowledge, which requires appropriate specialists. Therefore, the most powerful and effective programs do not have any universal capabilities, but work with one or two functions.
Well, when you have a verified hard drive, there shouldn’t be a question about how to recover data, because... Special programs are also used for this.
HDD Scan
The most accessible utilities for the average user are those that work under Windows control. They have a clear and familiar interface that completely replicates other user programs.
The only disadvantage of such products is that they can only be used if the faulty hard drive is connected as a second drive. Although no one excludes such a possibility as loading a special Windows versions from a CD, where you can run all the usual programs, including those for checking the disk.
One of the most common programs can be called HDD Scan. Its functionality is limited to obtaining information about state of rigid disk.
- Three modes for checking the drive surface: “read”, “erase”, “check”.
- Reading SMART information from hard memory disk in which all hardware errors that occurred at least once during operation are recorded.
In addition, the program determines the exact disk model, volume and firmware version under which the hard drive operates. But, unfortunately, such software does not know how to restore hard drive partitions, so if they are damaged, then it will not be possible to check the surface.
HDD Regenerator
This program has the usual Windows interface and contains a set of functions for checking and restoring the hard disk surface, in particular:
To start checking the drive, just after starting the program, select the desired disk and click on the “Start process” button. You may receive a warning that you need to close all programs that use the disk you are checking. We must agree with this and wait until the verification is completed. The program can correct errors automatically.
It is worth noting that before restoring the hard drive, you should try to copy the data that is still readable to other media. But if they are not readable at all, then there is nothing left but to restore the hard drive sectors.
Programs for data recovery from hard drive
For some unknown reason, programs for recovering data from a hard drive are considered difficult for the average user. But this is absolutely not true; most of them have a familiar Windows interface and a Russian-language menu. It is enough just to carefully study the proposed items, and even an untrained user will be able to restore everything that is still available for this.
Programs can be divided into two main categories:
- those that search for deleted files, for example, Undelete;
- those that search for files throughout the entire hard drive, for example, ZAR (Zero Assumption Recovery).
The functionality of programs of the second type usually includes searching for deleted files, so they turn out to be more universal, which does not in any way affect the efficiency of their work, because all lost files, be it manual removal or accidental loss due to a software failure, are searched using one algorithm.
ZAR
The ZAR (Zero Assumption Recovery) program is considered quite advanced in its capabilities. For example, this is one of the first data recovery utilities that understands Russian characters in the names of files and folders.
The main features of this program are impressive:
- support for all known file systems (FAT, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS);
- recovery of hard drive partitions;
- support for Russian and simply long file names;
- support for compressed disks;
- can restore RAID arrays.
All this set of options is easy to use. The startup procedure consists of selecting the desired disk and clicking the “Next” button. Once the search for files is complete, it will be enough to select those that are really needed and specify the folder into which to copy the recovered files.
The main thing is to stock up on an additional hard drive and patience, because this program works for quite a long time (large storage drives can be processed for several hours). The second disk is needed because files are recovered by copying, which avoids writing to the damaged disk and increases the chances of salvaging other files.
Despite certain requirements, the program perfectly solves the question of how to recover hard drive partitions. That's why it is especially popular. In addition, the utility allows you to solve the problem of how to restore an external hard drive.
Is it possible to return data without special programs?
Enough utilities have already been developed to restore both the hard drives themselves and information from them, but they all have some drawback. For example, easy-to-use programs with a familiar interface are usually paid, which will require some purchase costs license key. Demo versions or programs with a small set of capabilities are distributed free of charge.
Another variant. Powerful and effective programs require specific knowledge from the user. For example, working with the command line, knowledge of the entire structure of data storage on disk, etc. But still, the recovery procedure will be carried out by the program itself.
It simply won’t be possible to do something manually due to simple ignorance of how to do it. And you won’t be able to find documentation on the Internet either. After all, software development is a business, and no one will agree to simply give away recovery technology for free for free use.
The only option when you can get by using the operating system itself is when you removed the hard drive from the list of drivers. How to restore it? You can do it with a simple reboot. The driver will be automatically found and the disk will appear again.
Common myths about data recovery and loss
In practice, there are quite interesting, even funny myths, which, nevertheless, are quite tenacious, and thanks to the Internet they spread from one user to many others.
Some of the most persistent myths include the following:
- If the hard drive begins to click and make other strange sounds, you need to tap it lightly with a screwdriver or other light tool.
In fact, these components should not be subjected to any shock loads, especially when they already started having problems. Any extraneous sound inside its body means, unfortunately, that the service track, which is needed for self-tuning and accurate operation of the read head, has failed. Most often, for restoration you will have to contact service center, where there is special equipment that avoids this problem. There is nothing you can do at home.
- In a clean, dust-free room, you need to disassemble the hard drive and remove all the debris that has gotten under the head, which interferes with reading the data.
In fact, this is absolutely forbidden to do! There is always dust at home, even if you don’t see it, and it is very dangerous for the surface of magnetic disks. The distance between the head and the surface of the disk is very small, and even a piece that is invisible at first glance will lead to scratches and complete failure of the drive.
- There are “machines” that restore hard drives after any failure.
In fact, there is equipment that allows you to read data from damaged disks, but for its operation certain requirements and conditions must be met, for example, the electronics of the drive must be in good working order, the surface of the disks must be free of scratches, etc. The element itself, after restoration, must still only be recycled. So there should be no debate about how to restore a damaged hard drive. This issue is resolved. The task here is completely different - how to restore hard information disk.
- You can recover lost data in any situation using free programs.
In fact, free utilities only work with the simplest cases, because... An effective algorithm has a developer who will not just give away the results of his work. Most often, the simplest programs allow you to restore only recently deleted files, and serious failures require the use of professional software.
How to prevent the problem?
Manufacturers have created many different technologies to protect hard drives from failure. Some of them are better, others are worse. By at least, hard drives in laptops can easily withstand operation while driving a car and carrying a computer within the house from room to room.
But what this critical component has never learned to withstand is falling, especially when turned on. Most often, the cause of failure is shock loads, so there is one answer to the question of how to protect a hard drive from failure. It must be protected from impacts and strong shaking. And you don’t have to rack your brains about how to restore your hard drive.
In other cases, various technologies are quite effective and can return all lost data.
The computer hard drive is a very sensitive component. Errors that appear in its file system, bad sectors on the surface, and mechanical problems sometimes cause a complete failure of the computer system.
The same problems are typical for flash drives, which in essence are practically no different from a hard drive. How to determine the presence of errors and bad sectors and how to correct them if possible?
Just a little bit of theory
Many people simply confuse mistakes file system and bad sectors. Therefore, we will try to explain the difference between these phenomena and the reason for their occurrence. We will also determine what the symptoms of errors that appear on the surface of the hard drive may be.
File system errors
When they talk about hard mistakes disk and trying to fix them using the built-in Windows utilities chkdsk, then most often they mean file system errors. Such errors are associated with problems in the metadata that describe the file system itself: errors in the $Bitmap, $BadClus files, the main file table, and various indexes.
For example, errors in the $Bitmap file NTFS systems may cause the system to incorrectly recognize the volume free space volumes And problems with the $BadClus file can lead to incorrect identification of bad sectors and an attempt to write data to such sectors, which will cause the computer to completely freeze.
Bad sectors
The nature of bad sectors is somewhat different. The hard drive is “cut” into sectors at the factory during production. It is then that its logical structure is created, then it receives magnetic properties for recording data. These structures become faulty as a result of the gradual degradation of areas of the surface of the hard drive, which become so due to careless handling of the hard drive, which was accidentally dropped on the floor or was hit on the case even with an ordinary screwdriver.
Testing programs that fall on parts of a degrading surface detect so-called faulty or damaged sectors - bad sectors. Sectors that have lost their magnetic properties do not allow data to be read or written to them. It is possible to eliminate faulty hard drive structures. For this purpose, manufacturers create special reserve areas of sectors. When a bad sector appears, diagnosed at a specific address, its address is reassigned to a sector from this reserve area.
Symptoms of errors and bad sectors
We have already talked a little about the symptoms of file system errors above. However, the symptoms are sometimes very varied. Here are some manifestations of errors and bad sectors that have arisen in the hard drive.
- Noticeable freezing of the operating system when performing read and write operations.
- Failure to load the operating system. For example, downloading continues only until the download notification and Windows logo appear.
- Frequent occurrence of errors in the operating environment.
- Extremely slow and unproductive operating system.
Here is a far from complete list of error manifestations associated with file system problems and the presence of degrading areas of the hard drive. What to do in such cases?
Checking errors using Windows
Checking and fixing file system errors in Windows is carried out standard utility this operating environment called chkdsk. It can also be useful in eliminating programmatically generated bad sectors as a result of viruses. It can be launched both in a graphical environment and from command line. Let's consider the most affordable option its execution in a graphical environment.
Checking an inactive volume
Checking an inactive volume is the simplest. It can be completed completely in graphic mode. Under inactive volume we mean a partition on which the current one is not installed this moment operating system. This could be another connected hard drive or, for example, drive D.
Click the "Run check" button.
The utility is launched from the “Service” tab of the volume properties. This tab contains the “Run check” button. If you click it, the chkdsk utility window will open. To check bad sectors that appeared as a result software errors you need to check the box next to the corresponding option. Next, just click the “Run” button - the utility will check and correct errors.
The chkdsk utility checks volume D, also diagnosing bad sectors.
Checking the system volume
Checking and correcting errors on the system volume, where the operating environment valid at the time of checking is located, is carried out a little differently. The utility identifies such a volume as mounted, and therefore warns that it cannot perform the check, but offers to perform it during the next reboot.
The chkdsk utility reports that it cannot scan the disk.
After restarting the computer, the user will find that during boot, after the Windows logo appears, a black screen appears. This black screen is gradually filled with lines of text. This is the chkdsk utility running, checking system volume hard drive. After checking and making the necessary corrections, it will show the result, and then the operating system will continue loading.
The chkdsk utility checks volume C after a reboot.
Programs for checking hard drives for bad sectors
On the market software There are a number of applications that can test the surface of a hard drive. In this case, not just one volume is tested, but the entire surface of the hard drive. Of course, the user can independently set the boundary sectors and test individual areas. To identify bad sectors, a sector read test is usually performed.
Important: the results of the test for the presence of bad sectors must be considered in conjunction with SMART indicators, such as Reallocation Sector Count, Reallocation Event Count.
Data Lifeguard Diagnostic
This utility was created by Western Digital developers. It is available for download on the company's official website. Lifeguard Diagnostic works great with hard drives from almost any manufacturer, and not just native WD hard drives, as one might think. It offers a number of tests: Quick, Advanced, as well as the ability to fill hard drive sectors with zeros.
Interface of the Data Lifeguard Diagnostic utility.
We are most interested in the extended test. This test allows you to detect bad sectors on the surface of disks. When the program finds a bad sector, it informs the user about it, asking him to choose whether he wants to fix the detected error. If it agrees, then the application writes to sector 0, so the sector data will be lost.
A selection of utility tests. We need Extended Test.
This test takes longer than the quick test. Testing time depends on the size of the drive, since the test is carried out across the entire surface, starting from sector 0 and ending maximum value L.B.A.
Extended Test utilities in operation.
HDDScan
The HDDScan application also seems to be an excellent hard drive surface tester. It can often be seen as part of entire software packages such as LiveCD. This application has GUI and offers a number of tests, among which, in our case, the most interesting is “Surface Tests”.
Select the Surface Test from the drop-down list.
Important: when conducting surface tests under Windows, you must close all running programs to avoid random results during the test caused by the action of these programs.
After selecting a test, an additional window will open, which presents the test parameters. Let's leave the “Read” option enabled, which will only allow us to read data from sectors. Thus, we will define sectors from which information cannot be read within a specified time (bad sectors), frozen sectors and normal cells. We will leave the fields of the initial and final sectors unchanged if we want to check the entire surface.
Let's leave the Read test option enabled.
When testing with this program, a number of sectors are identified:
- bad sectors,
- stuck sectors, reading data from which takes more than 500 ms,
- sectors with reading time from 150 to 500 ms,
- sectors with reading time from 50 to 150 ms,
- sectors with reading time from 10 to 20 ms,
- HDDScan considers sectors whose data is read within 5 ms to be normal.
The program test result is available in the form line graph, maps of sector distribution, as well as in the form of a regular text report.
Checking the hard drive surface.
Ashampoo HDD Control
Unlike the programs discussed above, HDD Control is not free program. This application is a whole set of tools designed to restore the health of your hard drive. This program also offers the ability to test the surface of the hard drive.
Select the "Surface Test" option.
The test is very simple and accessible to the average HDD Control user. To start it, you just need to click the “Surface Testing” button. He is deprived additional options, which would allow you to customize the type of test. During testing, only two types of sectors are identified: with excellent result reading and bad sectors.
Victoria HDD
Victoria considers the health of the hard drive being tested to be "GOOD".
This application can collect information about the SMART health of your hard drive. It also allows you to test the disk surface, reassign damaged sectors using the Remap operation, and reset bad sectors. It also divides sectors into groups:
- bad sectors (Error),
- stuck sectors with a read time of more than 600 ms,
- freezing sectors with read times from 200 to 600 ms,
- sectors with reading time from 50 to 200 ms,
- sectors with reading time from 20 to 50 ms,
- Victoria diagnoses normal sectors within the framework of data reading up to 5 ms.
To test your hard drive, you can run this program in a graphical Windows mode. Next, you will need to select the “Tests” tab. This is where the surface tests are located. There are four options available for working with the hard surface:
- Ignore,
- Remap
- erase,
- Restore.
First of all, you can perform the Ignore test to determine whether there are bad sectors on the surface of the hard drive. If they are, then you need to start the Remap test. This test will allow you to reassign the addresses of damaged sectors to the reserved area, where normal sectors are located.
Types of available tests and sector categories. Victoria checks the surface.
If after the test Remap Victoria continues to diagnose bad sectors, you can still try to restore their functionality by using the Restore test. The Erase option should be used wisely under Windows, as it writes zeros to sectors - erases sector data. It can only be used within a certain selection of sectors, the data of which is not related to the operating system.
Brief summary
It should be noted that there is a difference between the errors eliminated by the operating chkdsk utility Windows systems And bad sectors, eliminated by programs such as Victoria HDD. The former are caused by file system problems, and the latter are often the result of the loss of magnetic properties of sectors of the hard drive surface and its gradual degradation. However, chkdsk can also fix some problems with bad sectors.
To eliminate bad sectors, you can use such applications as: Data Lifeguard Diagnostic, Ashampoo HDD Control, HDDScan, Victoria. We highlight the Victoria HDD application as the best for checking and eliminating bad sectors, as it offers a number of tests: Ignore, Remap, Erase and Restore. It allows you not only to detect faulty hard surface structures, but also to treat the HDD.
Problems with hard drives on your computers always arise spontaneously. Main indicator possible problems with HDD - time! Yes, time is not only a “doctor”, but also an absolute destroyer!
Signs indicating problems with “tin” are very banal.
Firstly, these are strange sounds that occur while your hard drive is running: squeaks, clanks and other sound effects.
Secondly, this is the heating of the surface of the hard drive case: as you know, a normal HDD does not heat up at all (well, at most its surface is slightly warm).
Thirdly, frequent crashes of the operating system: this indicates great amount damaged sectors of your hard drive (clusters).
As you can see, friends, there are quite a few reasons. How to solve a problem? There are two solutions:
- buy a new hard drive;
- try to “cure” the old one.
Recovering damaged hard drive sectors
First, you should know the reasons that are the catalyst for the occurrence of bad sectors on the HDD:
- improper shutdown of the computer;
- viruses and Trojans;
- incorrect removal of programs and games.
How to do it? There is nothing complicated in the procedure, since it is as simple as three pennies. Go to “Start - My Computer”. Place the cursor over any local disk and right-click. A menu will appear in which you select the last line “Properties”. By clicking on “Properties”, you open the “Properties: system disk (drive letter)” window. There, in this window, you see several active tabs - click on the “Service” tab. Do you see: three sections have appeared and each section has active buttons? In the “Check the disk (Check volume for errors)” section, click on the “Check the volume” button, and then check the checkboxes in the “Scan and repair damaged sectors” and “Automatically correct system errors” items.
Next, click on “Launch” and wait for the process to complete. Warning: The process of fixing hard drive problems can take a very long time! This directly depends on the condition and “age” of your hard drive. Therefore, do not panic if your disk is being “treated” for several hours in a row: this is normal for old or heavily damaged HDDs. Attention: if your broken disk(for example, C) is currently busy with work, the OS will prompt you to check sectors the next time the system boots. We agree, click “Ok” and restart the system. That's it: now your disk has begun to “heal”. All you have to do is wait for the process to complete. After this, we check the disk for adequacy: we try to launch programs and applications, and monitor the speed and quality of execution. But still, it should be taken into account that the old hard drive will sooner or later be covered with a “copper basin”! Therefore, if your HDD is old, be prepared to replace it. Good luck!