I am aware that this (remapping of bad blocks) is usually done in the firmware of SSDs automatically.
However, I have a strange case of a very OLD 64GB Supertalent (Indilinx Controller SSD) which every 6 months or so seems to develop bad sector but not reallocating them.
(When this happens, the PC cannot boot anymore. It will boot when I change SATA port, however when the system comes to the bad sector, for example If i want to backup the SSD or simply file-access in the area with the bad sector, the entire system freezes.) What I need to do then is using manufacturer low-level tool to erase SSD and program entirely new.
I am not 100% sure but I read somewhere that SSDs should remap sectors automatically, BUT ONLY WHEN A WRITE HAPPENS to a weak/bad sector?
* Can HD Sentinel (Surface Test, read - write - read refresh data area) be used so it checks the entire SSD and tries to read/write several times...and when it sees an unused cell which is "bad"....the SSD would remap the bad sector?
(Strangely enough in my SMART DATA for the SSD I dont have the value for "successfull reallocation of bad sector", so I don't even see whether the SSD would have found a bad sector and remapped it. But I just wanted to know whether HDSentinel can be used to sporadically test my HD and remap before any further problems might occur. )
On a 64GB old Indilinx generation SSD, how long would such a test take?
Testing SSDs and forcing them to realloc weak/bad blocks?
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hdsentinel
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Re: Testing SSDs and forcing them to realloc weak/bad blocks?
Yes, Hard Disk Sentinel has several ways to force the drive (both SSD and hard disks) to verify the integrity of the sectors and remap them if required.
However, the mentioned test (Surface Test, read - write - read refresh data area) is possible only if the device is not used for any purpose during the test: as the test overwrites the sectors (yes, this is required to force re-allocation / remapping of sectors) it is only possible if no other software (including Windows itself) use the device during testing. So if you use the SSD as system drive then this is not possible.
I'd more recommend to perform the Disk -> Surface test -> Reinitialise disk surface as it has the best ways (multiple overwrites with special initialisation patterns before erasing the SSD to program it as new) to force the drive to remap the sectors when required.
This is described at http://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_cas ... ectors.php
It is hard to estimate how long it takes - as it depends on numerous factors (SSD wear, operating system version, hard disk controller and its driver, etc...) but when you start the test, you'd immediately get an estimate.
However, the mentioned test (Surface Test, read - write - read refresh data area) is possible only if the device is not used for any purpose during the test: as the test overwrites the sectors (yes, this is required to force re-allocation / remapping of sectors) it is only possible if no other software (including Windows itself) use the device during testing. So if you use the SSD as system drive then this is not possible.
I'd more recommend to perform the Disk -> Surface test -> Reinitialise disk surface as it has the best ways (multiple overwrites with special initialisation patterns before erasing the SSD to program it as new) to force the drive to remap the sectors when required.
This is described at http://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_cas ... ectors.php
It is hard to estimate how long it takes - as it depends on numerous factors (SSD wear, operating system version, hard disk controller and its driver, etc...) but when you start the test, you'd immediately get an estimate.