Use HDDScan: The operation of computer technology consists of the processing of data presented in digital form. The status of the storage medium determines the overall performance of the computer, laptop, or other devices. If there are problems with the carrier, the operation of the rest of the equipment becomes meaningless.
Important data actions, project creation, calculations, and other work require safeguarding of information, constant monitoring of the condition of the media.
Various programs are used for monitoring and diagnostics that determine the status and the rest of the resources. Let’s take a look at what HDDScan requires, how to use it, and what its capabilities are.
What the program is and what it is needed for
HDDScan is a utility for testing information storage devices (HDD, RAID, Flash). The program is intended for diagnostics of information storage devices for the presence of BAD-blocks, viewing of SMART-attributes of the drive, changing of special settings (distribution system, start/stop of the spindle, adjustment of acoustic mode).
The portable version (ie no installation required) is distributed on the Web for free, but the software is better to download from the official resource: hddscan.com/ … The program is easy and will take only 3.6 MB of space.
Supports Windows operating systems from XP to later.
The main group of devices being serviced is hard drives with interfaces:
- IDE;
- ATA / SATA;
- FireWire or IEEE1394;
- SCSI;
- USB (there are some limitations to the operation).
In this case, the interface is a way to connect the hard drive to the motherboard. USB devices are also handled, but with some functional limitations. For flash drives only test work is possible. Tests are also the only type of survey for RAID arrays with ATA / SATA / SCSI interfaces.
In fact, HDDScan is capable of working with any removable device that connects to your computer if they have their own storage. The application has a full set of features and allows you to get the best possible result. It should be borne in mind that the task of the HDDScan utility does not include the repair and restoration process, it is designed only for the diagnosis, analysis, and identification of problem areas of the hard disk.
Features of the program:
- Detailed disk information;
- surface testing using different techniques;
- View SMART attributes (Self-diagnostics tools that determine Residual Resource and General Condition)
- adjusting or changing AAM (noise level) or APM and PM (advanced power management) values;
- displaying the hard disk drive temperature taskbar for continuous monitoring.
Download and run
- Download the HDDScan.exe file and double-click it to run.
- Click “I Agree” and the main window will open.
When you restart, the main application window opens almost immediately. The whole process is to identify the devices with which the utility will have to work, so it is believed that the program does not require installation, operating on the principle of port-version of many applications.
This feature extends the capabilities of the application by allowing the user to run it on any device or removable media without having administrator privileges.
How to use HDDScan
The main window of the utility looks simple and concise – at the top, there is a field with the name of the storage medium.
It has an arrow when you click on it, a list appears, dropping all the media connected to the motherboard.
From the list, you can select the media you want to test
Below are three buttons for calling basic functions:
- SMART General Health Information. Clicking on this button will bring up a self-diagnostic window that displays all the settings of the hard disk or other media;
- TESTS Read and Wright Tests. Start the hard disk surface test procedure. There are 4 test modes, Verify, Read, Butterfly, Erase. They produce different types of checks – from reading speed checks to defining bad sectors. Selecting one or the other option will cause a dialog box to appear and start the testing process;
- TOOLS Information and Features. Calling controls or assigning the desired function. 5 tools are available, DRIVE ID (serviced disk identification), FEATURES (especially ATA or SCSI control window opens), SMART TESTS (choice of one of three test options), TEMP MON (display of current media temperature), COMMAND (opens command line for the program).
In the lower part of the main window are the details of the investigated media, its parameters, and name. The following is the task manager’s call button – the window for information on passing the current test.
You should start by reviewing the SMART report
If there is a green mark next to the attribute, there are no deviations in the work
All items that work normally and do not cause problems are indicated by a green color indicator. Possible problems or minor flaws are indicated by a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. Serious problems are marked in red.
- Go to test selection
- Select one of the test types
Testing is a lengthy process that requires some time. It is theoretically possible to perform several tests at the same time, but in practice, it is not recommended. The program does not give a stable and high-quality result in such conditions, so if you need to perform several types of testing, it is better to spend a little time and perform them in turn. Available options:
- Verify. The pure speed of information reading is checked, without data transmission on the interface;
- Read. Checking the read speed with data transmission over the interface;
- Butterfly. Checking the speed of reading with transmission over the interface, performed in a specific sequence: first block-last-second-penultimate-third … etc;
- Erase. A special test information block is written to disk. The quality of writing, reading is checked, the speed of data processing is determined. The information on this section of the disk will be lost.
When selecting the type of test, a window appears, indicating:
- the number of the first sector to be verified;
- the number of blocks to be tested;
- size of one block (number of LBA sectors contained in one block).
When you press the Right button, the test is added to the task queue. In the Task Manager window, a line appears with the current information about passing the test. A single click on it brings up a menu where you can get information about process details, pause, pause, or delete a task completely.
Double-clicking on a row will bring up a window with details of passing the test in real-time with a visual display of the process. The window has three visualization options, in the form of a graph, map or block of numerical data. With so many options, you can get as detailed and understandable as possible to the user about the progress of the process.
Pressing the TOOLS button makes the tool menu accessible. You can get information about the physical or logical parameters of the disk by clicking on the DRIVE ID.
The results of the test media are displayed in a convenient table
The FEATURES section allows you to change some media settings (except for USB devices).
In this section, you can change the settings for all media except USB
There are opportunities:
- Noise reduction (AAM function, not available on all types of discs);
- adjust spindle rotation modes to save energy and resources. Adjusts the speed of rotation, up to a complete stop during inactivity (the ARM function);
- activate the spindle stop delay timer (RM function). The spindle will automatically stop after the specified time if the disc is not currently in use;
- possibility of the immediate start of the spindle upon request of the executable program.
For SCSI / SAS / FC interfaces, the option of displaying detected logic or physical defects, as well as starting and stopping the spindle, is available.
SMART TESTS operations are available in 3 variants:
- short. It lasts 1-2 minutes, checks the surface of the disk and conducts a quick test of problem sectors;
- expanded. Duration – about 2 hours. The nodes of the carrier are examined, the surface is checked;
- conveyance. It lasts for a few minutes, a survey of the drive electronics and the identification of problem areas.
The disk scan may take up to 2 hours
The TEMP MON function allows you to determine the degree of heating of a disc at the current time.
The program outputs the carrier temperature
A very useful feature, as overheating of the media indicates a decrease in the life of moving parts and the need to replace the disk to avoid the loss of valuable information.
HDDScan has the ability to create a command line and then save it to a * .cmd or * .bat file.
The program reconfigures the media settings
The point of this action is that running such a file will initiate the startup of the program in the background and reconfigure the drive. There is no need to enter the required parameters manually, which saves time and allows you to easily set the desired mode of the media.
Performing a full check on all items is not the job of the user. Usually, certain parameters or functions of the disk are inspected that give rise to doubt or require constant monitoring.
The most important indicators are the general diagnostic report, which provides detailed information on the existence and size of problem sectors, as well as test checks to show the surface condition of the device.
Conclusion
HDDScan is a simple and reliable assistant in this important business, a free and quality application. The ability to control the status of hard disks or other media attached to the motherboard of your computer allows you to guarantee the preservation of information and to replace the disk in a timely manner when dangerous signs occur.