Hi. In relation to a project I am working on I have been doing the following on a WD2500AVJS:

Wiped the disk (dban, three pass)
Verified in a hex viewer that there is all zeros over the disk
Cleared the G-list using PC-3000
Scanned and recovered aprox. 100 leftover files (from previously marked bad sectors), using PC-3000

So far as expected, but.. when looking at the disk again in the hex-viewer, it´s still all zeros. Is this normal? Or should I see the previously marked bad sectors now sinc the G-list has been cleared?

All input appreciated! Thanks

-Espen

An ATA Enhanced Secure Erase will also erase the sectors in the G-list.

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

Thanks. But the question is more if it is natural that a hex viewer only sees zeros after the G-list had been cleared. I would expect the hex viewer to be able to see data from the previously marked bad sectors since the G-list now has been cleared and the data is present at the user area.

Or am I wrong?

Examine the drive again, and see if the g-list has entries again. Maybe the drive´s housekeeping has marked those blocks as bad again

but it doesn't erase the g-list itself

apparently nothing can edit the g-list (except scam apps for millionaires like pc3000)

even powerful allegedly "low level" apps like mhdd are powerless against the g-list