Diagnostics and recovery of hdd windows 7. - - Useful utilities for repair and testing of hard drives. How to check the hard drive with built-in Windows tools.

The hard drive is an extremely important piece of hardware in a PC. Therefore, the user may need to solve problems related to testing the hard drive for errors, as well as fixing them. What tools can be involved in this? What are the most common errors in the hard drive?

What problems with the hard drive can arise?

Before considering how to test HDD, let us examine what may be the reason for the implementation of the corresponding check. What problems can arise in his work?

The system will ask us to check the volume the next time the system boots, when it has full access to files. Disk scan and attempt to recover bad sectors... This option performs an accurate test of the entire disk and attempts to repair bad sectors and, if possible, restore the information contained in these areas of the disk.

HDD check: main directions

Calling the program without additional parameters will run it in read-only mode. This means that the application displays the status of the current disk without doing anything to fix the errors. If a program is using a disk, a message appears indicating that you need to check the disk the next time you start your computer.

It should be noted that a PC hard drive is a device that is characterized by a fairly high sensitivity to external influences. Shaking, dropping the hard drive (even in the smallest degree of impact on it) can damage various components that make up the structure hard disk... It is worth noting that modern models of carriers are sufficiently protected from the influence of such factors: for example, they, as a rule, implement the function of stopping the rotation of the rotor with a sharp mechanical impact on the disk. But it may not always work perfectly. To find out this, as well as to check the state of the hard drive as a whole, a program that allows you to test the hard drive of your computer will help. What errors can the corresponding software reveal in this case?

If we omit the size parameter, the program will display the current file size. Using the command line, the program can ask us the following question. This means that the program is currently using files on the disk that we are scanning, for example, we have open document... Allowing it to unmount the volume, the document loses its connection to the disk, and we will not be able to save it in the system.

Using our computer, we collect hundreds of files on it. At some point, our hard drive slowly starts to fill up, the first messages about the lack of space appear, we can no longer copy another album with the musician. We need to get out of the way. There are many ways to free up space. We usually start by deleting unnecessary files such as music that we don't like. What if everything we have on disk is irreplaceable? Of course, you can start uninstalling programs that we rarely use.

Among them is the presence of bad sectors on the surface of the disk platters. That is, those that cannot be written to. In some cases, bad sectors do not allow reading files already written to disk.

Correcting the corresponding sections of the hard disk is extremely difficult. It is easier to configure the hard drive so that the bad sectors present on the surface of its platters are not used at all. Instead of them, in turn, reserve sectors can be used, which are on most modern hard drives.

But what happens when we need the app again? Disk Cleanup collects all files that can be safely deleted in one window. We usually have to deal with this when we click on the balloon that shows us when it starts to waste disk space.

We can also launch it by clicking Start, Accessories, Utilities, Disk Cleanup, or Clean in the Run window. In this case, we will be asked about the disk that we want to execute for cleaning. When we select a volume, we will show you the standard program window. We can choose which items we want to remove, as well as display those files so that we can be sure that we will not remove anything important to us.

Another common type of hard disk problem is the placement of files on it with errors. In this case, we are talking, rather, about problems in the software maintenance of the hard drive by means of the operating system or application programs that have an appropriate purpose. In turn, file system errors are quite recoverable. But even to detect them, a special program may be required. By the way, the built-in Windows tools also allow you to test the hard disk for errors in the file system. But in some cases, a deeper analysis of the file system through specialized solutions may be required.

What to do if the HDD is physically damaged?

On the Advanced Options tab, we can free up disk space in a more radical way than described above. The second section allows us to delete unnecessary programs that we no longer use. A restore point is created when new program or hardware is installed every time. It serves to restore the system to a specific action. For example, we are installing a new driver for sound card creating a restore point. If the card is now faulty, we can restore the system to its previous state with a certain point.

What can they be? How do I test my hard drive with them?

Signs of hard drive problems

However, before trying any of the appropriate solutions, you can try to diagnose the problem based on the behavior of the computer in order to later select the optimal program.

The fact that the PC operating system starts to work with noticeable inhibitions, takes a long time to load, processes even small files with significant delays, most likely indicates that bad sectors appeared on the hard drive in an amount that makes it difficult for the OS to work stable.

This can slow down a lot of space. In the main window, the main window displays only files that have been stored on disk for more than a week. We can move directories, but we type the appropriate command. We will always work with them no matter where they are. Some files will not be deleted.

This will be possible after a reboot. When we run out of gaps on our drives, a balloon will appear in the lower right corner of the screen, informing us of this. This balloon can of course be turned off. Unfortunately, we cannot turn off the notification for one drive only. By typing the above. The meaning is that the system will not inform you about the lack of space on all available disks.

If there is no decrease in the speed of the operating system and file processing, but programs close themselves spontaneously, they freeze or work unstable, there are probably errors at the level of the disk file system.

In many cases, the occurrence of problems in the operation of the hard drive is due to actions computer virus... Therefore, before using this or that software tool testing the hard disk, as well as fixing the errors found, it is recommended to scan the computer with an available antivirus program... It is highly desirable that the anti-virus databases in it were the most recent. As soon as all found viruses are removed from the PC, you can already start verification of hard disk. Consider what means can be used in this case.

However, an auto-translated article isn't always perfect. It may contain vocabulary, syntax or grammatical errors, as if the foreigner could be mistaken in your native language. Microsoft is not responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or damage caused by incorrect translations of content or the use of inappropriate translations by customers. When you perform certain actions or open certain files, your computer crashes or your programs freeze.

Sometimes the computer is noticeably slower or programs freeze when accessing certain files. Note Before checking the disc, be sure to close all open programs and files. Click right click mouse on the disk you want to check.

Fixing file system errors: using Windows tools

How to test a PC hard drive for file system errors? For these purposes, as a rule, it is sufficient to use the built-in Windows solutions... They are found in almost all modern versions of this operating system for desktops and laptops. The main one will be the "Check Disk" or Chkdsk program.

Click Properties. Click the Check button. If you want to perform a detailed test on your hard drive, you can check the Scan and Repair checkbox for bad sectors. You should do this on your warranty suspicion of a hardware error in this case. But please note that the operation can take a long time.

It is recommended not to select this option for a normal first check. If the drive you want to check is currently in use and it is the system drive, you will see a dialog box with a warning message. In this case, press reprogram check disk.

This decision can be used both through the graphical interfaces of the operating system and through the command line. The first option is usually easier for the novice user, while the second may require more skill in using Windows diagnostic tools.

To use the utility in question, you need to go to the "Computer" section, then right-click on the hard drive icon. There may be several of them, in this case it makes sense to check each one in turn. After right-clicking on the hard drive icon in the menu that opens, select the "Properties" option. In the window that appears, go to the "Service" tab. Then click on the "Check" button and follow the instructions.

In some Windows versions the utility in question is not configured for testing on which are hosted system files OS. But in this case, the "Check Disk" program provides an option: initiation of testing the hard drive at the next boot of the operating system. You can select it and immediately restart Windows: during the startup process, the system itself must ask the user for permission to check the disk on which the system files are located.

So now we know how to test a hard drive using the popular built-in Windows tool- Chkdsk programs. This solution allows you to efficiently correct file system errors. But what if the alleged failure of the hard drive is associated with the appearance of bad sectors on it? How to test a laptop or desktop hard drive for damage?

The widest range of solutions can be used for these purposes. The most popular of them include such programs as:

Data Liferguard Diagnistic.
HDD Scan.
Ashampoo HDD Control.
Victoria HDD.
AIDA64 (formerly Everest).
MHDD.

Let's study their features.

Testing the hard drive: Data Lifequard Diagnostic

This program is developed by the Western Digital brand, which is one of the world's most famous hard drive manufacturers. How do I test my hard drive for errors using this software?

The corresponding program works in several modes. The most informative from the point of view of reflecting information about errors on the disk is the Extended Test mode. In particular, it can be used to find damaged sectors on the surface of the hard disk platters. If they are found, the program will prompt the user to use an algorithm by which bad sectors will be excluded from those used by the hard drive to write and read files.

Testing the hard drive: HDD Scan

Another popular solution for checking disks is HDD program Scan. How do I test my laptop or desktop hard drive with it?

The application in question also contains several tests. Among those that may be useful to us is the Surface Tests. It, like the previous solution, allows you to analyze the surface of the disk platters for damaged sectors. It is noteworthy that the program in question allows you to detect not only bad sectors, but also those on which there are problems with reading and writing. Thus, HDD Scan can reveal areas on the surface of hard disk platters, where the read speed can be tens of times lower than normal values. In practice, this can mean, as in the case of bad sectors, it is desirable to exclude the corresponding sections from those used by the hard drive to write files.

Disk Testing: Ashampoo

Another popular program is Ashampoo HDD Control, how can I test my hard drive for errors?

It is worth noting that the application in question contains a fairly large number of tools for checking the hard drive, as well as working with detected disk problems. Of these, you can use, for example, the option for testing the surface of the device's plates - Test Surface.

According to the results of the corresponding, it shows the sectors that have high read rates, as well as bad sectors.

Victoria HDD

The next popular solution for testing hard drives is Victoria HDD. It can be noted that this program allows you to test the hard drive on Windows 7 (8 or any other), and check the hard drive through the DOS command line.

This feature increases the versatility of the considered solution. In addition, the corresponding software has very good functionality.

So, the program allows you to test the hard drive for broken sectors, reassign their use, classify areas of the hard drive surface into different categories depending on the speed of reading files from them.

If the English graphic version of the program in question is used, you must run it, then go to the Tests tab. On it there are tests of the surface of the hard disk platters. If necessary, you can configure the program's actions when bad sectors are detected:

ignoring the problem (with its subsequent reflection in the test results);
reassignment of sectors;
deleting sectors;
restoration of damaged areas of the disk.

If necessary, you can use each of the specified operating modes of the program in turn.

Hard Drive Testing: AIDA64 Program

Many users are interested in the question of how to test a hard drive with the Everest program. Old versions of the corresponding software are now available on various portals on the Internet. The fact is that in the latest modifications the program is named differently, its name sounds like AIDA64.

It should be noted that this type of software is one of the most functional solutions in terms of testing equipment performance. So, for example, using the program in question, you can test the speed of a hard disk, and more. It can also measure performance. random access memory, processor, flash drives.

The functionality of the program includes various stress tests, involving the implementation of checks in the mode of maximum load on the corresponding type of tests can be carried out for the hard disk of the computer.

Check disk for errors: MHDD program

According to IT experts, the MHDD program is one of the most functional solutions for checking hard drives for errors. Considering which program to test the hard drive, experts can opt for the MHDD solution, because:

it includes a qualitative test of the surface of hard disk platters;
it can be launched in a bootable format - for example, from a USB flash drive, which allows testing the hard drive before installing any operating system on it;
the program includes a large number of useful tests, as well as disk repair tools;
the corresponding software is free.

Of course, the solution in question can also work from the operating system. How exactly it is better to use it depends on the nature of the problem with the disks, on the hardware configuration on a particular PC, on the specifics of the operating system used, if it is preinstalled on the computer.

MHDD program: testing the disk

Let's consider a number of practical nuances of using the corresponding popular program. Let's agree that the user has a need to use boot version of this software. To do this, you need to make a device with which the program will be launched, for example, a USB flash drive or CD.

After the device is ready, the BIOS must be configured to boot from it. By the way, many users are also asking the question of how to test a hard drive through BIOS. Computer manufacturers may well implement the necessary options in the corresponding software interfaces to check the performance of hard drives.

When working with the MHDD program, a nuance should be taken into account: the solution in question does not work with hard drives that are connected to the computer in Slave mode. If this is the case, the disks must be reconnected, and only then should they be tested.

After starting the program installed on bootable USB drive or CD, you must select a specific drive to be tested. After enter in command line a SCAN command that initiates a media check. If you do not need to set any additional scanning parameters, you need to press F4 to start the corresponding test.

However, you may still need to specify additional parameters. For example, if we talk about the Start LBA option, it is used to indicate specific blocks on the hard drive from which the program should check the disk. In turn, the End LBA option is intended to indicate those blocks that are checked at the end of the disk test. However, by default, the program checks the entire surface of the hard drive platters.

How to test a hard disk for errors with subsequent reassignment of bad sectors using the MHDD program interfaces? Very simple: the Remap option is used for this. If you select the Erase Delays option, the program will ignore bad sectors, which will speed up the disk check if there are a lot of bad sectors on its surface.

The MHDD disk scanning program works quite informatively: the scanned sectors are displayed on the user's screen in real time. In a separate section of the interface of the corresponding software, the number of different blocks is counted.

Summary

You can check the status of the hard disk both using the built-in Windows tools, and when using special programs... At the same time, the tools of the first type are designed mainly for correcting errors in the file system, the second ones for identifying and correcting bad sectors using available methods.

Specialized ones can be delivered in both graphical and console versions. Some of the corresponding solutions can be used in a bootable modification: it can be used even if the operating system is not installed on the computer.

It can be noted that how to test an external hard drive practically does not differ from the procedure for testing a built-in hard drive. For this, the same solutions can be applied, the main thing is to correctly connect them to the PC. But this is possible only if the computer supports the communication interfaces through which the connection is supposed. external hard disk.

Malfunctions of computer components can lead to malfunctions in the operating room. Windows systems or the sudden loss of valuable data. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically check whether something is wrong with our equipment. And first of all, you need to periodically conduct tests for hard disk errors, because it stores tens, hundreds or thousands of gigabytes of our photos, videos, texts and many other useful information for us.

You can find many on the Internet free software and applications that are used to test the health of your computer's hard drives. HDD test can be done as built-in Windows tools and the programs intended for this

One of best programs for checking the health and performance of the hard drive we can recommend is HD Tune. In addition to its small size, it is easy to use and has decent functionality.

After installing the program and launching it, the main program window appears with a black field and several tabs. The test graph will be displayed on a field with a "broken" grid, and the main menu provides convenient access to various program functions

To start the test, first in the drop-down menu (in the upper left corner) you need which you will diagnose, and then on the Benchmark tab, click on the Start button. Wait a few minutes for the HDD check to finish.

The current state of the hard drive will be reflected in the graph. The field on the right will provide information such as the minimum (Min), maximum (Max) and average (Average) data transfer rates, access time to the disk Access Time, interface speed Burst Rate (the speed of reading data from the hard disk operating system) and the percentage of processor load CPU Usage. It should be noted that the temperature of the selected hard disk is displayed at the top of the window.

The rest of the HD Tune tabs allow you to get more detailed information status and performance. The Info tab contains information about the installed on the computer hard drives, their volume, percentage free space, file system, performance, and supported features. The Firmware version of the hard disk is displayed at the bottom of the window. serial number and a standard drive connection interface.

The Health tab displays HDD statistics - its actual results (Current column) and worst (Worst), as well as its total operating time in Power On Hours Count hours. At the bottom of the window, in the Health Status item, its current state is displayed. If the status of the disk is OK, it means that the program did not detect any abnormalities in the operation of the equipment. But if Failed is displayed, as a last resort, one of the listed sub-items shows a failure. This is the first signal that the disk may fail and you need to take measures not to lose data.

On the Error Scan tab, you can test the state of the HDD surface for sector errors. If red "blocks" appear, this indicates the presence of bad sectors. Thus, we can estimate how extensive the possible damage to the hard drive is.

You can set the parameters of the program on the "Settings" tab. Here you can minimize the program's work (Start minimized), add it to Windows startup (Run at startup), adjust the test speed (Test Speed / Accuracy), change the critical temperature threshold, upon reaching which the program will warn the user.

Checking the drive with MHDD

To test the hard drive, you can use the MHDD program, which can also be used to find out its status and performance.

First, the program must be written to boot disk or a USB flash drive. After loading, a window will appear. Choose option 2 and move on.

A list of hard drives installed on the computer will appear on the screen:

Select a hard drive to test. In our case, this will be position 1. Enter the number of the selected disk and press "Enter". Thus, you will enter the main menu of the program.

To scan the disk for errors, press the F4 key. A window will appear with additional settings.

In order to conduct the initial test, you do not need to set additional parameters, so go ahead by pressing the F4 key again.

However, for curious users, imagine additional features what each option represents:

Start LBA is the start position of the surface range that we want to scan. This option is useful because when stopping the previous scan, we can continue from where the test was stopped.
End LBA - the place on the surface of the disk where we want to stop scanning.
Remap - if enabled, it writes broken sectors to the G-list.
Timeout - specified time in seconds, set aside for reading the bad sector.
Spindown after scan - stop the disk after scanning is complete (the disk goes into hibernation mode).
Loop test / repair - to carry out testing and restoration cyclically.
Erase Delays - function for erasing bad sectors. Works selectively in the locations of these sectors.

Exclusively for the test, there is no need for additional options, we continue by pressing F4. Then the program will start scanning the disk.

The scan results are displayed on the right side of the console. Sectors marked in gray are working sectors. Green means that the sector has been read for a longer time, but is within the normal range. Pink sectors indicate a problem with reading data, informing the user about a significant delay in reading. The browns are unstable and may change into the bad sectors. The last ones marked with X are these "bad" sectors. Ideally, this is when the test shows all the gray blocks.

Of course, the test results are invaluable in assessing the condition of the disc. If the hard disk has bad sectors, you can fix them by performing the "Erase" operation.

Testing HDD status using built-in Windows tools

You can also test for hard drive errors using the built-in Windows application. This tool is available on Windows 7/8/10 versions.

To do this, go to the "My Computer" tab and right-click on the hard drive you want to check. Enter the "Properties" window and in the "Service" section you can test for errors. Built-in Windows application not as efficient and less functional for the above programs.

Conclusion

Performing a hard drive test periodically will keep your hardware from crashing. We can detect in advance that something is wrong with the disk and take measures to copy important data to another medium.