Using XP to check sectors

[Joe S]

If I uncheck the XP format option for a QUICK FORMAT then the help text
suggests that XP will test the sectors:

[Quick Format] "Specifies whether to perform a quick
format by removing files from the disk without scanning
the disk for bad sectors. Use this option only if this
disk has been previously formatted and you are sure the
disk is not damaged."


If sectors are tested then how does XP do it?

--Does it write first and then read what it has written?

--Or does it write something like binary zeroes to all the sectors and
get the hard drive to map out any bad sectors?

-------------------------------------

How does the option above differ from what is done in XP's option in
Check Disk to: "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"

The help for this option says:

"Specifies whether Windows repairs file-system errors
found during disk checking, locates bad sectors, and
recovers readable information. ... Windows fixes
any errors on the disk."

 

[Rod Speed]

If I uncheck the XP format option for a QUICK FORMAT
then the help text suggests that XP will test the sectors:

[Quick Format] "Specifies whether to perform a quick
format by removing files from the disk without scanning
the disk for bad sectors. Use this option only if this
disk has been previously formatted and you are sure the
disk is not damaged."

If sectors are tested then how does XP do it?

--Does it write first and then read what it has written?
Yes.

--Or does it write something like binary zeroes to all the sectors

Yes, and you can see that using a disk editor.

and get the hard drive to map out any bad sectors?

Its been around since before drives did that.

-------------------------------------

How does the option above differ from what is done in XP's option
in Check Disk to: "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"

This is obviously a read, not a write. It attempts to read all the sectors.
If this option isnt invoked, only the file structures are checked, it doesnt
attempt to read the sectors that are used for the file storage.

 

[Arno Wagner]

If I uncheck the XP format option for a QUICK FORMAT then the help text
suggests that XP will test the sectors:

[Quick Format] "Specifies whether to perform a quick
format by removing files from the disk without scanning
the disk for bad sectors. Use this option only if this
disk has been previously formatted and you are sure the
disk is not damaged."

If sectors are tested then how does XP do it?

--Does it write first and then read what it has written?

--Or does it write something like binary zeroes to all the sectors and
get the hard drive to map out any bad sectors?

It does a simple read-only test. This method finds only "hard"
defective sectors, i.e. ones that result in reliable errors
when read. Since the introduction of IDE, most defective
sectors are of this type.

-------------------------------------

How does the option above differ from what is done in XP's option in
Check Disk to: "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"

The help for this option says:

"Specifies whether Windows repairs file-system errors
found during disk checking, locates bad sectors, and
recovers readable information. ... Windows fixes
any errors on the disk."

Well, the second tries to read the data in defect secotrs, while
the first just maps them out. Both read all sectors to find the
defective ones. No idea to what lenght XP will actually go in its
recovery atempts. It is customary to do multiple read attemps
in such situation in the hopes that one will succeed. Also
the second option will move recoverd information to other
sectors.

Today, both options should be mostly identical in their effects,
other than that the first also erases the filesystem. Modern
disks do their own reallocation and defect management, just
trying to read a sector is enough to trigger the mechanisms.
Trying multiple reads does not really help, since the disk
will do that by itself anyways.

Arno

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

If I uncheck the XP format option for a QUICK FORMAT then the help text
suggests that XP will test the sectors:

[Quick Format] "Specifies whether to perform a quick
format by removing files from the disk without scanning
the disk for bad sectors. Use this option only if this
disk has been previously formatted and you are sure the
disk is not damaged."

If sectors are tested then how does XP do it?

--Does it write first and then read what it has written?

--Or does it write something like binary zeroes to all the sectors and
get the hard drive to map out any bad sectors?

It does a simple read-only test. This method finds only "hard"
defective sectors, i.e. ones that result in reliable errors when read.

Since the introduction of IDE, most defective sectors are of this type.

Babble babble, rant.

What 'type', Babblebot?
And what other type of defective sectors was there before
'the introduction of IDE'

[snip]