Re: Need disk error checker for Windows XP

Porpoise wrote:

> Low Level
> formatting is done by the drive manufacturer and cannot be done by
> the OS - regardless of whether you use the built-in scandisk or any
> 3rd party utility that claims to do otherwise. Any problems at the
> Low Level cannot be "fixed" only the High Level stuff (which scandisk
> does anyway) so I really can't see any advantage (other than it
> possibly telling you slightly earlier that your HDD is fsked and
> needs replacing).:
>
> <quote>
> Hard drive manufacturers have created for modern drives replacements
> for the old LLF utilities. They cause some confusion, because they
> are often still called "low-level format" utilities. The name is
> incorrect because, again, no utility that a user can run on a PC can
> LLF a modern drive. </quote>
> http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatUtilities-c.html

pcguide is an excellent resource.  When I posted these links in the
beginning, it wasn't my intention to cite snippages from each section
thereof:

Mike Easter wrote:

> If you want to read some scary stuff about disk integrity, you should

> http://www.grc.com/sranalysis.htm  SpinRite's Surface Defect

> http://www.grc.com/srphysics.htm  SpinRite Defect Detection


// Can SpinRite low-level format my IDE, EIDE, or SCSI drive?

No software of any sort can truly low-level format today's modern
drives. The ability to low-level format hard drives was lost back in the
early 1990's when disc surfaces began incorporating factory written
"embedded servo data". If you have a very old drive that can truly be
low-level reformatted, SpinRite v5.0 will do that for you (which all
v6.0 owners are welcome to download and run anytime). But this is only
possible on very old non-servo based MFM and RLL drives with capacities
up to a few hundred megabytes. //  http://www.grc.com/srQ&A.htm


I'm also well aware of John Navas fight with Steve Gibson over spinrite
issues that Joni posted and of other security experts over security and
other issues.

-- 
Mike Easter
kibitzer, not SC admin