Confidence in newly formatted drives

Shaolin_K · 17 Sep 2009 at 00:17

Hi

I've recently got a couple of Hitachi 1TB 7K1000.B's.

Having formatted them in Windows using the full option, I decided to run the long advanced tests in Hitachi's own Drive Fitness Test software in DOS (for extra reassurance).

These drives did not encounter any problems during the Windows format, and successfully passed the DFT long tests.

Problem is, when I perform a SMART or Short DST using Seagate's Seatool in Windows, they fail.

Quick error scans in HD Tune appears to be OK too!?

How much confidence should I have in starting to fill these drives up with data?

Bin Boy · 17 Sep 2009 at 02:11

If the drive isn't locking up your computer and there is no ticking noise from your drive and it's showing up in the bios (properly), all this after 24 hours, then its like another working drive, working until it breaks.

If your so worried then invest in a external drive that you only put on when backing up.

Fahim · 18 Sep 2009 at 16:39

try WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostics in windows, see what it reports.

EsaT · 18 Sep 2009 at 20:21

Run full surface scan/butterfly read few times to stress it. (in case of "infant mortality")
http://hddscan.com/

JonJ678 · 20 Sep 2009 at 03:28

Smart is different to write errors, its the drive reporting that it thinks it's dying/going to die.

I would not trust data to a drive which is failing a smart test without thrashing it first, which is pretty much what EsaT is suggesting. I ran destructive-write badblocks through a suspect one a few days ago. It took nearly a day, and hammered the drive, but it passed and I now trust it