Proper Hard Drive Testing

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PC_User

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I just received a new drive and want to test it properly. Would you guys recommend that I first use Western Digital's Diagnostics to run quick test and write zeros to the drive prior to formatting it (full format) and using it? Is there a better way to test the drive before/after format/usage?
 
Full format = waste of time

Writing zeros to the entire surface = waste of time and unnecessary wear and tear on the drive mechanics

Manufacturer's diagnostics (Advanced/Thorough with full surface scan) = the best possible course of action

'Nuff typed.
 
Joe Average said:
Full format = waste of time

Writing zeros to the entire surface = waste of time and unnecessary wear and tear on the drive mechanics

Manufacturer's diagnostics (Advanced/Thorough with full surface scan) = the best possible course of action

'Nuff typed.
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please explain to me how writing all zeroes to the entire surface is a waste of unnecessary wear and tear on the drive... do you know how many times you will write over the surface over the course of its lifetime?

you do it the first time to make sure there are no mistakes anywhere on the drive. the drive might act fine, but later down the road (could be months before you hit that sector), there could be damage.

nuff typed, yes...you also shoud 'nuff ignorance
 
Not sure about writing zeros causing unnecessary "wear and tear"...

My goal is just to check and make sure my drive doesn't fail sometime in the future. Want to test and make sure everything is in order.

Western Digital Diagnostic Tools has the quick test (which tests the beginning and ending sectors) and the extended test (much longer, tests all sectors). I'd want to do the latter but it will take so long for a 1TB drive...
 
PC_User said:
Not sure about writing zeros causing unnecessary "wear and tear"...

My goal is just to check and make sure my drive doesn't fail sometime in the future. Want to test and make sure everything is in order.

Western Digital Diagnostic Tools has the quick test (which tests the beginning and ending sectors) and the extended test (much longer, tests all sectors). I'd want to do the latter but it will take so long for a 1TB drive...
Click to expand...

If you're so starved on time, just do it before bed or heck, start it before going out tonight. It's not like your sitting at your computer 24/7.
 
I remember someone saying Drive Thrasher will test to see how reliable your drive is, but I cannot find that program.
 
Is it safe to continue using the computer while formatting the hard drive?

Which is more reliable? Writing zeroes to the hard disk or running an extended test from WD's diagnostics?
 
How reliable is the HD Tune error scan?

Edit: Just started Western Digital Extended Test...with very few programs running, it says 400 hours remaining to test the 1TB drive...:eek::eek:

Hard drive passed HD Tune error scan, Western Digital Diagnostics SMART and Quick Tests. Should I just try to format it and use the drive or should I continue testing? I'd feel safer with a full test for bad sectors but don't want to spend 400 hours on it...
 
I'd say just use it. Unless you have reason to believe there is a problem, like bad packaging, you're probably wasting your time with the testing. I can't even remember the last time I had a hard drive error.
 
Forceman said:
I'd say just use it. Unless you have reason to believe there is a problem, like bad packaging, you're probably wasting your time with the testing. I can't even remember the last time I had a hard drive error.
Click to expand...

Well, this is my second hard drive. The first WD10EADS I received from Dell (rather well-packaged) was RMA'ed because I couldn't even get the drive to format. It would format to 99% and say unsuccessful. Upon testing and writing zeroes, it reported several bad sector errors. That was a brand new sealed drive.

This drive came from ZZF. I just want to make sure that its good to go prior to using it because I don't want to copy all my data to it only to lose it in a few days. Maybe I'm just being unreasonable...
 
The reason those other apps are so "quick" is because they're not doin' it right in the first place. The recommendation for the manufacturer's diagnostic is still the best solution... if you simply must put the drive through all that, however. "Needless wear and tear" means stuff you don't have to do but typically put the drive through just because of paranoia or perhaps ignorance.

Kinda like people that think they need to "low level format" a drive needlessly which is something that should only be done once, maybe twice in the life of a drive if absolutely necessary (which means never again once it leaves the factory, basically). But folks will insist on doing it even though there's only 2 tools out there that perform such tasks anymore.

Go figure...
 
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