Updated Article on Free Hard Drive Testing Programs

[Monroe]

I may or may not have a hard drive going bad ... makes a little noise at startup but then seems to be OK for hours. I have a couple of hard drive testing tools on the computer and they report everything is just fine. Have no idea how accurate they really are.

Searching around for more information I came across this article '13 Best Free Hard Drive Testing Programs' which was just updated on July 05, 2023. Most all these 'free test tools' are still listed as working with Windows XP and newer.

I downloaded everything for any future need should there be one and since they still have Windows XP support. I thought others might also be interested.

13 Best Free Hard Drive Testing Programs

An updated list of the best free hard drive test software programs
By Tim Fisher / Updated on July 5, 2023

https://www.lifewire.com/free-hard-drive-testing-programs-2626183

...

Edited July 7, 2023 by Monroe
sp

[AstroSkipper]

2 hours ago, Monroe said:

I may or may not have a hard drive going bad ... makes a little noise at startup but then seems to be OK for hours. I have a couple of hard drive testing tools on the computer and they report everything is just fine. Have no idea how accurate they really are.

Searching around for more information I came across this article '13 Best Free Hard Drive Testing Programs' which was just updated on July 05, 2023. Most all these 'free test tools' are still listed as working with Windows XP and newer.

I downloaded everything for any future need should there be one and since they still have Windows XP support. I thought others might also be interested.

13 Best Free Hard Drive Testing Programs

An updated list of the best free hard drive test software programs
By Tim Fisher / Updated on July 5, 2023

https://www.lifewire.com/free-hard-drive-testing-programs-2626183

...

Hello @Monroe! Thanks for sharing! Most of the programmes in that article are already part of my private archive. On Lifewire, one can find a lot of articles with software presentations in terms of different topics. In any case, good find! 

[NotHereToPlayGames]

On 4/28/2023 at 2:37 PM, AstroSkipper said:

Antimalware, firewall, and other security programs for Windows XP working in 2023 and hopefully beyond

I hereby open a new thread on the topic of security programs for Windows XP.

<del for brevity>

where I have previously written frequently about antivirus programs, has become rather bloated and confusing due to many informationless posts, is mainly focused on the topic of antivirus programs for Windows XP

<del for brevity>

most so-called antivirus programs can not only identify computer viruses, but also trojans, worms, rootkits, exploits, spyware, and so on. Generally speaking: a virus is a malware, but a malware is not always a virus. Therefore, malware is a generic term for any malicious software, including viruses. For many years now, the so-called antivirus programs have actually been antimalware programs.

In any case, this new topic here is about antimalware, firewall and other security programs for Windows XP. Under the term other security programs, I include among others security suites like internet security and total security, antivirus, antispyware, anti-rootkit, anti-exploit, online and offline scanner, ad blocker, protection layer, virtualization, security check and control programs and so on. Many of these programs can no longer be clearly classified in one of these categories due to their multifunctionality.

<del for brevity>

 

32 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

Hello @Monroe! Thanks for sharing! Most of the programmes in that article are already part of my private archive. On Lifewire, one can find a lot of articles with software presentations in terms of different topics. In any case, good find! 

 

I find it quite funny that you switched from "programs" to "programmes" within the last week or so.  Both are legit spellings, of course.  Just a funny "observation".  

[AstroSkipper]

8 minutes ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

 

 

I find it quite funny that you switched from "programs" to "programmes" within the last week or so.  Both are legit spellings, of course.  Just a funny "observation".  

I explained that some weeks ago. I always try to write in British English but I often mixed up some words with American English. Starting some weeks ago, I now try my best not to do so anymore.  But, I am not a native speaker and surely not perfect. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[Monroe]

1 hour ago, AstroSkipper said:

Hello @Monroe! Thanks for sharing! Most of the programmes in that article are already part of my private archive. On Lifewire, one can find a lot of articles with software presentations in terms of different topics. In any case, good find! 

I have had three of these programs on my ThinkPad computer for over 10 years and they all say the hard drive is OK. What is your opinion with the testing programs ... are they actually able to warn about hard drives going bad in time? Anybody else with knowledge or experience with these testing programs can reply also. I never heard of many of those HD testing programs so I can try them out later on.

I am using this hard drive for over ten years, I think it's a good drive and I hope it still has some life left. They are still for sale as new on Amazon.

Samsung HM160HC SpinPoint M5 160 GB 5400rpm ATA100 8 MB 2.5-Inch Notebook Hard Drive

Thanks ...

[NotHereToPlayGames]

It's "funny" because we have an Engineer here that is quite "low tier" as far as Engineering Hierachy at our company but when he is in any meeting with "higher echelon", he miraculously dons a British accent.

He's never been outside of this midwest State, he's never traveled abroad, his parents didn't attend college and live with him due to being poverty-level.

He thinks he sounds "smarter" when he does this and he denies doing it, but we ALL notice it and it only REDUCES our professional perception of his competencies.

In high school, we called such types of people "posers" or "wannabes", unsure if there is a more modern nomenclature.

It's mainly "P" words that he (seemingly unconciously) starts to pronounce with a British accent.

Progress and Process in American English have a first syllable that rhymes with "ah" - he pronounces them with a "long oh".

Privacy in American English has a first syllable that rhymes with "eye" - he prounounces them with an 'i' as in "in" or "win".

He'll say "naught" instead of "no".

Among others.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

7 minutes ago, Monroe said:

Anybody else with knowledge or experience with these testing programs

My experience is the more you "test" them the FASTER you degrade them.

[AstroSkipper]

20 minutes ago, Monroe said:

I have had three of these programs on my ThinkPad computer for over 10 years and they all say the hard drive is OK. What is your opinion with the testing programs ... are they actually able to warn about hard drives going bad in time? Anybody else with knowledge or experience with these testing programs can reply also. I never heard of many of those HD testing programs so I can try them out later on.

What I always do is to monitor the S.M.A.R.T. values. You can do that with tools like Hard Disk Sentinel or CrystalDiskInfo. I have a license for Hard Disk Sentinel. Therefore, it is always running in the background to notify me if the S.M.A.R.T. values have changed.

[jaclaz]

2 hours ago, Monroe said:

 are they actually able to warn about hard drives going bad in time?

No, the actual "testing programs" can tell if a disk drive has already become bad, and since they need to write on all surface they do stress the disk (particularly in a laptop/where you cannot provide good/additional cooling), you should NOT use them routinely..

The programs that can read S.M.A.R.T. values usually offer a (highly unreliable/unproved) "grading" of these values, providing warnings if certain thresholds are reached, but it is the underlying technology which is not capable of providing (meaningful) predictions:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/128807-the-solution-for-seagate-720011-hdds/?do=findComment&comment=1073898

https://msfn.org/board/topic/153191-does-copying-several-giga-bytes-on-a-daily-base-screw-the-hard-drive/?do=findComment&comment=975216

Keeping an eye on the handful of actually (but partially) useful S.M.A.R.T: parameters as found by Backblaze in their reports (namely 5, 187,188,197,198 and - possibly - 189.) won't make any harm, see also:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/177196-is-my-drive-still-healthy-seagate-sshd-1tb/?do=findComment&comment=1146918

but it won't anyway predict reliably a possible failure.

jaclaz

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by jaclaz

[Vistapocalypse]

The best time to make a clone is before the drive goes bad.

[Monroe]

3 hours ago, jaclaz said:

No, the actual "testing programs" can tell if a disk drive has already become bad, and since they need to write on all surface they do stress the disk (particularly in a laptop/where you cannot provide good/additional cooling), you should NOT use them routinely..

The programs that can read S.M.A.R.T. values usually offer a (highly unreliable/unproved) "grading" of these values, providing warnings if certain thresholds are reached, but it is the underlying technology which is not capable of providing (meaningful) predictions:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/128807-the-solution-for-seagate-720011-hdds/?do=findComment&comment=1073898

https://msfn.org/board/topic/153191-does-copying-several-giga-bytes-on-a-daily-base-screw-the-hard-drive/?do=findComment&comment=975216

Keeping an eye on the handful of actually (but partially) useful S.M.A.R.T: parameters as found by Backblaze in their reports (namely 5, 187,188,197,198 and - possibly - 189.) won't make any harm, see also:

https://msfn.org/board/topic/177196-is-my-drive-still-healthy-seagate-sshd-1tb/?do=findComment&comment=1146918

but it won't anyway predict reliably a possible failure.

jaclaz

 

OK ... I am not going to hold a lot of faith in these HD programs. You were writing about this back in 2014. Thanks for the links, I guess I can get temperature readings and just do a check to see if anything stands out, Otherwise just don't rely on them for much.

Thanks as always for the information.

...

[Monroe]

6 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

What I always do is to monitor the S.M.A.R.T. values. You can do that with tools like Hard Disk Sentinel or CrystalDiskInfo. I have a license for Hard Disk Sentinel. Therefore, it is always running in the background to notify me if the S.M.A.R.T. values have changed.

OK .... I will work with the S.M.A.R.T values. I don't have Hard Disk Sentinel but I will find it and put it on the computer. Thanks for your reply.

[AstroSkipper]

@Monroe! Cloning or imaging a hard disk is the best method to get a backup including the file system structure if the drive is error-free. But if your hard disk has already errors, it will be better to copy all files using a copy programme such as TeraCopy (or similars) which reports all unsuccessfully copied files and skips them. You can set TeraCopy to check the hash of each copied file.  It will backup all files that are readable, and you'll definitely know which files are problematic and to be restored. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by AstroSkipper

[NotHereToPlayGames]

10 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

Cloning or imaging a hard disk is the best method to get a backup

10 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

it will be better to copy all files using a copy programme such as TeraCopy (or similars)

In my experience, you are much MUCH better off just doing the copy-files route and NOT doing any clone or image.

The Windows registry "mangles" over time (some registry "cleaners" will make matters worse!), files become "fragmented" (and defrag does not always solve!), et cetera.

And you just clone or image those "degradations" and carry them over to a new hard drive -- self-defeating.

Back up your files.

Then reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows.

That is the "best method" in my view.

"Mileage may vary."  "To each their own."

Edited July 7, 2023 by NotHereToPlayGames

[AstroSkipper]

15 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

@Monroe! Cloning or imaging a hard disk is the best method to get a backup including the file system structure if the drive is error-free. But if your hard disk has already errors, it will be better to copy all files using a copy programme such as TeraCopy (or similars) which reports all unsuccessfully copied files and skips them. You can set TeraCopy to check the hash of each copied file.  It will backup all files that are readable, and you'll definitely know which files are problematic and to be restored. 

The reason I wrote this post is very simple. Cloning or imaging a hard disk which has errors will usually fail due to read errors. Good copy programmes report these unreadable or unsuccessfully copied files and skip them. In such a case, much better. Generally, I use special backup programmes to make complete images of only working, error-free system partitions. I never clone a drive completely. Other files outside of my system partitions will be backuped or synchronized by different tools depending on how I want to handle them.