Low-level format and mapping out bad sectors
October 5th, 2008, 10:21
I thought a low-level format should map out bad sectors so the OS does not "see" them. This does not appear to be happening with your low-level formatting tool.
I formatted a disk using Windows XP disk management and it correctly reports 253,000 KB in bad sectors and a reduction in total disk space, as expected. Then I formated with your low-level formatting tool, Windows XP now reports 0 KB in bad sectors and no reduction in disk space. I think your low-level formatting tool is dangerous and should not be used! If I were to continue using this disk, as-is, I would experience file corruption because the bad sectors were never identified and mapped out by your low-level formatting tool.
My experience with low-level formatting is that you typically execute microcode on the HDD controller which maps out the bad sectors. The result is a reduction in total disk space and the OS reports 0 KB in bad sectors.
I think you should rename your low-level formatting tool to "advanced format tool".
I formatted a disk using Windows XP disk management and it correctly reports 253,000 KB in bad sectors and a reduction in total disk space, as expected. Then I formated with your low-level formatting tool, Windows XP now reports 0 KB in bad sectors and no reduction in disk space. I think your low-level formatting tool is dangerous and should not be used! If I were to continue using this disk, as-is, I would experience file corruption because the bad sectors were never identified and mapped out by your low-level formatting tool.
My experience with low-level formatting is that you typically execute microcode on the HDD controller which maps out the bad sectors. The result is a reduction in total disk space and the OS reports 0 KB in bad sectors.
I think you should rename your low-level formatting tool to "advanced format tool".
Re: Low-level format and mapping out bad sectors
October 5th, 2008, 12:41
rickelwell wrote: I think your low-level formatting tool is dangerous and should not be used!
I think you shouldn't use it.
Re: Low-level format and mapping out bad sectors
October 5th, 2008, 14:34
I guess for most people your low-level formatting program will work fine if there disk is good. Plus your program is free!! However, I have an old disk that corrupts files due to bad sectors. I need to map out these bad sectors somehow. Hmmm... they're must be a way....
Re: Low-level format and mapping out bad sectors
October 6th, 2008, 16:23
Re: Low-level format and mapping out bad sectors
November 23rd, 2008, 20:06
The idea of this tool is to blank the drive and the data to the maps of bad sectors this allows many of us with software based errors to get a fully working HDD, after using it you use another program to scan for errors like HDDScan. I'm sure it was in the instructions somewhere about this.
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