Linux bad sector detection and repair?

Lone Gaffe · External Since: May 14, 2007 Posts: 3

I'm having trouble installing xubuntu on an old laptop and suspect a hard
disk problem. Can anybody recommend a free utility that can do a proper
(ie at least a read-write-read-restore sequence) hard disk surface test. I
don't mind paying for something like spinrite to do the repair if I know
that there is a problem that it might be able to fix.

Thanks,

Robert Harris · External Since: Aug 14, 2005 Posts: 166

Lone Gaffe wrote:
> I'm having trouble installing xubuntu on an old laptop and suspect a hard
> disk problem. Can anybody recommend a free utility that can do a proper
> (ie at least a read-write-read-restore sequence) hard disk surface test. I
> don't mind paying for something like spinrite to do the repair if I know
> that there is a problem that it might be able to fix.
>
> Thanks,

If you go to your hard disk manufacturer's web site, you may well find a
diagnostic program there.

Robert

Andrzej Adam Filip · External Since: Sep 01, 2006 Posts: 19

Lone Gaffe <news.DeleteThis@buffy.sighup.org.uk> writes:

> I'm having trouble installing xubuntu on an old laptop and suspect a hard
> disk problem. Can anybody recommend a free utility that can do a proper
> (ie at least a read-write-read-restore sequence) hard disk surface test. I
> don't mind paying for something like spinrite to do the repair if I know
> that there is a problem that it might be able to fix.

1) Use smartctl first (long test) [smartmontools package on debian]
Most likely the disk support "S.M.A.R.T." checks
2) If the above leaves unresolved problems then take a look at the URL
below to fix "remaining" problems:
http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/BadBlockHowTo.txt

--
[pl>en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi.DeleteThis@priv.onet.pl : anfi.DeleteThis@xl.wp.pl
We are not loved by our friends for what we are; rather, we are loved in
spite of what we are.
-- Victor Hugo

Gordon Henderson · External Since: Jun 10, 2007 Posts: 15

In article <46a1ded1$0$639$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk>,
Lone Gaffe <news RemoveThis @buffy.sighup.org.uk> wrote:
>I'm having trouble installing xubuntu on an old laptop and suspect a hard
>disk problem. Can anybody recommend a free utility that can do a proper
>(ie at least a read-write-read-restore sequence) hard disk surface test. I
>don't mind paying for something like spinrite to do the repair if I know
>that there is a problem that it might be able to fix.

If you can boot off a live CD of some sort, (so the disk isn't "live"),
then you'll probably have the badblocks command. I don't know if it
covers your interpretation of "proper" but it can do what you ask:

badblocks -n -s /dev/hda

for example.

You can run it on a live system too in read-only mode:

badblocks -s /dev/hda

which I'd suggest doing before doing a read/write/restore test.

(maybe use -c 256 to make it go a bit faster see the man page)

But if it supports SMART, then that might be the best way to find out
if it's failling.

Gordon