Love your software. But I have been having problems with an external usb drive and at this very moment somehow, HDS is doing 2 separate scans of the same drive in which one has all green squares and the other has 20 or so red squares. The only difference in the scans is one I configured to do a random check. When the scan "hung" yesterday, I started another one because I couldn't close out of it. I don't know how to post screen shots, etc. I think this is a bug right. I have re-initialized this drive, and done many scans with nothing ever seeming wrong with it. But it just disappears from windows explorer, and I have to plug it in over and over. I think it's probably the power / cable and the drive is fine. But suddenly on this one scan I have 27 bad clusters. The scan that is going on right next to it says there are none.
Please Help!
Justyermama
Two Scans Simultaneously different ???
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hdsentinel
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Re: Two Scans Simultaneously different ???
> When the scan "hung" yesterday, I started another one because I couldn't close out of it.
Usually when the disk surface test stops ("hung"), it is caused by that the hard disk is not responding, for example no longer accessible.
Then (of course) all subsequent operations on the remaining blocks may fail (will result in red blocks) as the sectors can't be tested.
> I don't know how to post screen shots, etc.
The easiest way to capture the disk surface test result is by using the small floppy button in the upper right corner of the disk test window, which saves the current disk surface map to image. You may post here - but also you can send in e-mail to info @ hdsentinel . com address so then it is possible to check the results.
> I think this is a bug right.
No, I can confirm that there is no bug here - at least not in Hard Disk Sentinel.
The "problem" was that the hard disk disconnected / turned inaccessible - and this resulted in failed test.
This is usually related to cables, connections and/or insufficient power provided by the USB line (if this hard disk is powered from USB line).
Very common situation with 2.5" hard disks connected with single USB connection, which may not provide enough power for proper operation. If you're lucky, you will see things working - for some time, but more intensive disk usage (for example caused by the random positioning) would require more power and the USB line can't provide that.
Using a double Y USB cable (which connected to 2 USB slots) usually help, as described at http://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_case_spin_retry.php (describing an other problem which is also often caused by cables/connections and insufficient power).
> I have re-initialized this drive, and done many scans with nothing ever seeming wrong with it.
Yes - as the hard disk is otherwise working correctly: the hard disk have no problems, all sectors usable.
"Just" when it does not receive enough power, it may not able to work in all cases.
This is why the tests of Hard Disk Sentinel are useful: they not only verify the hard disk itself, but can reveal any kind of problems related to the current operating environment, for example issues caused by the cables / connections or the insufficient power.
> But it just disappears from windows explorer, and I have to plug it in over and over.
Yes, it is completely normal in this case.
Just too many such cycles may cause wear of mechanical components and can reduce the disk lifetime.
> I think it's probably the power / cable and the drive is fine.
Yes, I agree: from the information you wrote, I'm almost sure that the issues are related to cables, connections and/or power source.
If you prefer, you may use Report menu -> Send test report to developer option, as then it is possible to check the complete status of the hard disk (just to verify - and to compare with a possible future status if things may go worse).
> But suddenly on this one scan I have 27 bad clusters. The scan that is going on right next to it says there are none.
Yes of course. As those problems are not really related to the disk surface (not related to any sectors), but related the fact that the hard disk could not complete the operation (when it needed to test those particular area) due to the operating environment.
Usually when the disk surface test stops ("hung"), it is caused by that the hard disk is not responding, for example no longer accessible.
Then (of course) all subsequent operations on the remaining blocks may fail (will result in red blocks) as the sectors can't be tested.
> I don't know how to post screen shots, etc.
The easiest way to capture the disk surface test result is by using the small floppy button in the upper right corner of the disk test window, which saves the current disk surface map to image. You may post here - but also you can send in e-mail to info @ hdsentinel . com address so then it is possible to check the results.
> I think this is a bug right.
No, I can confirm that there is no bug here - at least not in Hard Disk Sentinel.
The "problem" was that the hard disk disconnected / turned inaccessible - and this resulted in failed test.
This is usually related to cables, connections and/or insufficient power provided by the USB line (if this hard disk is powered from USB line).
Very common situation with 2.5" hard disks connected with single USB connection, which may not provide enough power for proper operation. If you're lucky, you will see things working - for some time, but more intensive disk usage (for example caused by the random positioning) would require more power and the USB line can't provide that.
Using a double Y USB cable (which connected to 2 USB slots) usually help, as described at http://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_case_spin_retry.php (describing an other problem which is also often caused by cables/connections and insufficient power).
> I have re-initialized this drive, and done many scans with nothing ever seeming wrong with it.
Yes - as the hard disk is otherwise working correctly: the hard disk have no problems, all sectors usable.
"Just" when it does not receive enough power, it may not able to work in all cases.
This is why the tests of Hard Disk Sentinel are useful: they not only verify the hard disk itself, but can reveal any kind of problems related to the current operating environment, for example issues caused by the cables / connections or the insufficient power.
> But it just disappears from windows explorer, and I have to plug it in over and over.
Yes, it is completely normal in this case.
Just too many such cycles may cause wear of mechanical components and can reduce the disk lifetime.
> I think it's probably the power / cable and the drive is fine.
Yes, I agree: from the information you wrote, I'm almost sure that the issues are related to cables, connections and/or power source.
If you prefer, you may use Report menu -> Send test report to developer option, as then it is possible to check the complete status of the hard disk (just to verify - and to compare with a possible future status if things may go worse).
> But suddenly on this one scan I have 27 bad clusters. The scan that is going on right next to it says there are none.
Yes of course. As those problems are not really related to the disk surface (not related to any sectors), but related the fact that the hard disk could not complete the operation (when it needed to test those particular area) due to the operating environment.