HDD verification tool

[Sharif]

Hi, While formatting my new "Transcend External Hard Drive StoreJet 25H3P- 1TB" to change the file system from FAT32 to NTFS I used the software provided by Transcend which is "StoreJetFormatter". This software after initiating the process started not responding and I had to force shutdown the StoreJet Formatter program. Upon accessing the drive it asked me to format. I then used EASEUS partition manager which gave me some error. (before I take a note of the error message the system got shutdown as I checked marked the option to shutdown the computer after format finishes). I started the computer and used EASEUS again now the format process finished without any error. Now I can access the disk.

Before I start using the hard disk I want to verify it for any errors. I request all to please let me know any suitable professional tool and different types of checks I can perform on this disk.

Thanks.

[SquaL]

For free MHDD.

[Vulcan]

@Sharif,

Looking at your previous thread, it is interesting that you have had previous problems with a previous USB-attached disk, as well. Perhaps your problems are not (at least initially) with the disks...

For a USB-attached disk (which I think your Transcend is), then HDDScan will be easier to use successfully for basic testing, than MHDD but that's just IMHO.

However I would start by testing that external drive when it is attached to a different known-working PC, and not when it is attached to the same PC where you have had the problems. Then do lots of read/write testing of the drive while it is attached to that different PC, to get some confidence in that drive. In any case, I suggest you reformat the drive while it is attached to that known-good PC, since something strange clearly happened during the format process, according to your story.

[Sharif]

@Vulcan

Thanks for your reply. This is new 1TB HDD the previous one was 320 GB. I'll test it using the tool you mentioned.

I suggest you reformat the drive while it is attached to that known-good PC

After solving the previous problem I was using my 320 GB HDD with some issues of it getting disconnected automatically and displaying a "USB dirve malfunctioned message" in Windows 7. It works fine after I wait for at least 30 seconds and reinsert the USB. I guess there may be some problem with the Hard Disk or USB cable or in the Case. I backed up all my data simply by copy paste to my new 1TB and it disconnected once during the backup process. I want to reformat the 320 GB HDD and will test with the tool you mentioned.

Please suggest any specialized tool that you recommend to reformat the drive. Thanks for your help.

[Vulcan]

Unfortunately your reply has confused me. Perhaps I wasn't clear myself... My previous suggestions in this thread were all suggestions for you to perform on the new 1TB disk, because that is the disk which you were asking about. However as I said, after looking at your earlier thread, the fact that you have had (apparently similar) problems with that previous 320GB drive, indicates that your problem(s) may not be due to the drives.

Now you seem to be mixing information about the 1TB disk and the previous 320GB disk, and that is confusing me.

After solving the previous problem

- Which previous problem exactly have you solved?
- How did you solve that problem exactly?

I was using my 320 GB HDD with some issues of it getting disconnected automatically and displaying a "USB dirve malfunctioned message" in Windows 7.

Based on your description, it does not seem that the real problem affecting that drive has been solved - hence why I don't understand you saying that you have solved a problem above...

I backed up all my data simply by copy paste to my new 1TB and it disconnected once during the backup process.

- Which drive disconnected during the copy process?
- Have you checked that your backup on the 1TB disk is uncorrupted and completely readable, by doing a full comparison between the files on the 320GB disk and the 1TB disk?
- If your plan is to format the 320GB disk, are you happy to take the risk that your data will exist only in one place i.e. on the 1TB disk, and that you will be relying completely on the success of your copy from the 320GB disk, and the reliability of that 1TB disk?

(FYI I have seen many examples over the years, where people thought that a copy had been successful, but it was actually incomplete or the target of the copy was corrupt, for a variety of reasons.)

I want to reformat the 320 GB HDD

- What exactly are you trying to achieve by doing that? Are you trying to prevent the USB disconnections or something else?
- Which PC do you plan to use, to perform the formatting of that drive?

[Sharif]

Unfortunately your reply has confused me. Perhaps I wasn't clear myself...

Sorry for the confusion, you replied saying that you have read my previous thread and that's the reason why I gone explaining both issues.

Any way...The issues with 1TB HDD was only to verify the disk for any errors.

Now coming to my 320GB HDD

After solving the previous problem
- Which previous problem exactly have you solved?
- How did you solve that problem exactly?

The solution to the problem for 320GB HDD from user fzabkar was followed and I was able to access the data on 320 GB disk. Below is the problem with solution.

Windows is detecting the capacity correctly as ...

38913 x 255 x 63 x 512 = 320 070 320 640 bytes

However, the partition table is telling us that there is a FAT32 volume beginning at sector 63. Its size is 67108801 sectors. This corresponds to a capacity of 32GiB.

ISTM that the drive has been reinitialised with a 32GiB FAT32 volume after starting out as a single full sized NTFS volume. I say this because the boot sector (LBN 63) is an NTFS boot sector, not FAT32. The size of this NTFS volume is 0x2542D680 + 1, which is equal to 320GB.

http://www.google.com/search?q=0x2542d6 ... in+decimal

AISI, there is a very easy solution that should recover your data. It involves editing the partition table in sector 0 using DMDE.

You need to change the following line ...

0x01c0 01 00 0c fe ff ff 3f 00 00 00 c1 ff ff 03 00 00

... to this ...

0x01c0 01 00 07 fe ff ff 3f 00 00 00 81 d6 42 25 00 00

Then eject and reconnect your drive so that the OS re-enumerates it.

Now that the above mentioned partition table problem is solved I'm able to use the 320 GB HDD with some issues of it getting disconnected automatically. Specifically while accessing or some times moving large files from the 320 GB disk to pc or another disk and displays a "USB dirve malfunctioned message" in Windows 7. It works fine after I wait for at least 30 seconds and reinsert the USB I guess there may be some problem with the Hard Disk or USB cable or the Case.

Which drive disconnected during the copy process?

The 320 GB drive disconnects during the copy process.

- Have you checked that your backup on the 1TB disk is uncorrupted and completely readable, by doing a full comparison between the files on the 320GB disk and the 1TB disk?

I have verified the copied data on 1TB disk and is readable.

- What exactly are you trying to achieve by doing that? Are you trying to prevent the USB disconnections or something else?
- Which PC do you plan to use, to perform the formatting of that drive?

There are two reasons one I want to attach the 320 GB disk to my secondary PC and also because I regained access to my data by changing the partition ID byte from FAT to NTFS I thought of formatting it to eliminate any such future instances.

Thanks for your help and support

[Vulcan]

Thanks for that explanation.

I think you're saying that you now have your data on the 1TB disk, and you are happy on rely on only that disk to hold the data from the old 320GB disk (which is a risk, of course, if there is no other backup of that data).

Therefore it seems that your questions at the start of this thread are now obsolete (moot), because you were originally asking about testing the 1TB disk before putting data on it, and now you've gone past that point. I hope you've done enough testing of that disk, in combination with the PC to which it will be attached, to be confident that this configuration is stable.

Regarding the 320GB disk: Reformatting the disk will not stop the intermittent problems you are experiencing when using it (including that odd change to the partition table, which IMHO was likely related to something which Windows did, after one of the many USB errors which you have reported). Whatever the underlying cause of the various USB errors which you have described, it is a hardware-related cause IMHO, and not related to the formatting on the disk.