So, if I'm understanding this correctly when doing the read + WRITE + read test, HDS will read the drive data, write it again and read again to compare it, right? If so then what is the point of not disabling the "Write pattern" options in the Configuration tab? I think it is confusing, even more than confusing it is scary to see that HDS will supposedly zero the drive when in fact it will write back the original data.
As a side question, I have some bad/weak sectors on a HDD and HDS is recommending to do a Disk Repair test, is it OK if instead of doing a Repair test I do the aforementioned test?
Question about one of the tests
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hdsentinel
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Re: Question about one of the tests
Yes, exactly as you wrote about the main purpose: to read, write back and then read to verify that the contents are readable and not aletered/damaged.
No, the "Write pattern" is absolutely not confusing and not scary in any ways, designed to be there as it is applicable of course.
Please carefully read the description of the test when you select Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test which describes:
Reads stored data from each blocks, writes back the contents and finally reads the information and compare with original contents. By the extensive test, an additional write cycle is used before writing back the contents to improve the efficiency of the error correction (drive regeneration).
By default, this additional write cycle is used before re-writing the original data. The "Write pattern" determines what kind of data to be written in this additional step. The idea is exactly to cycle the memory cells (in case of flash storage) or magnetic media (in case of hard disk drives) before writing back the original data.
If you check the Configuration tab in this window, you may notice the "Extensive read-write-read test with additional write operation" option on the bottom, which is enabled by default. If you disable that, the "Write pattern" section will be automatically disabled, exactly to confirm the relation between these options.
> As a side question, I have some bad/weak sectors on a HDD and HDS is recommending to
> do a Disk Repair test, is it OK if instead of doing a Repair test I do the aforementioned test?
Absutely NOT.
The Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test designed to be used on a disk drive (hard disk or SSD, memory card, flash storage etc.) where the data is generally readable "just" slower and there are no weak / bad sectors present. The purpose of this test is exactly to refresh a generally working drive.
The Read + Write + Read test does not attempt any kind of repair when it encouners a weak sector, that will be skipped.
This is why the Disk Repair test is recommended on the weak sector page:
https://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_ca ... ectors.php
as that test designed to repair such issues - or (in case of higher amount of weak sectors) the Reinitilalise Disk Surface test is useful.
The Read + Write + Read test is not designed for a disk drive which has weak/pending sectors at all.
No, the "Write pattern" is absolutely not confusing and not scary in any ways, designed to be there as it is applicable of course.
Please carefully read the description of the test when you select Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test which describes:
Reads stored data from each blocks, writes back the contents and finally reads the information and compare with original contents. By the extensive test, an additional write cycle is used before writing back the contents to improve the efficiency of the error correction (drive regeneration).
By default, this additional write cycle is used before re-writing the original data. The "Write pattern" determines what kind of data to be written in this additional step. The idea is exactly to cycle the memory cells (in case of flash storage) or magnetic media (in case of hard disk drives) before writing back the original data.
If you check the Configuration tab in this window, you may notice the "Extensive read-write-read test with additional write operation" option on the bottom, which is enabled by default. If you disable that, the "Write pattern" section will be automatically disabled, exactly to confirm the relation between these options.
> As a side question, I have some bad/weak sectors on a HDD and HDS is recommending to
> do a Disk Repair test, is it OK if instead of doing a Repair test I do the aforementioned test?
Absutely NOT.
The Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test designed to be used on a disk drive (hard disk or SSD, memory card, flash storage etc.) where the data is generally readable "just" slower and there are no weak / bad sectors present. The purpose of this test is exactly to refresh a generally working drive.
The Read + Write + Read test does not attempt any kind of repair when it encouners a weak sector, that will be skipped.
This is why the Disk Repair test is recommended on the weak sector page:
https://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_ca ... ectors.php
as that test designed to repair such issues - or (in case of higher amount of weak sectors) the Reinitilalise Disk Surface test is useful.
The Read + Write + Read test is not designed for a disk drive which has weak/pending sectors at all.
Re: Question about one of the tests
Thank you, I was confusing some terms and I don't know how I missed the "Extensive read-write-read test with additional write operation" box, which is the reason I was confusing everything.hdsentinel wrote:Yes, exactly as you wrote about the main purpose: to read, write back and then read to verify that the contents are readable and not aletered/damaged.
No, the "Write pattern" is absolutely not confusing and not scary in any ways, designed to be there as it is applicable of course.
Please carefully read the description of the test when you select Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test which describes:
Reads stored data from each blocks, writes back the contents and finally reads the information and compare with original contents. By the extensive test, an additional write cycle is used before writing back the contents to improve the efficiency of the error correction (drive regeneration).
By default, this additional write cycle is used before re-writing the original data. The "Write pattern" determines what kind of data to be written in this additional step. The idea is exactly to cycle the memory cells (in case of flash storage) or magnetic media (in case of hard disk drives) before writing back the original data.
If you check the Configuration tab in this window, you may notice the "Extensive read-write-read test with additional write operation" option on the bottom, which is enabled by default. If you disable that, the "Write pattern" section will be automatically disabled, exactly to confirm the relation between these options.
> As a side question, I have some bad/weak sectors on a HDD and HDS is recommending to
> do a Disk Repair test, is it OK if instead of doing a Repair test I do the aforementioned test?
Absutely NOT.
The Disk menu -> Surface test -> Read + Write + Read test designed to be used on a disk drive (hard disk or SSD, memory card, flash storage etc.) where the data is generally readable "just" slower and there are no weak / bad sectors present. The purpose of this test is exactly to refresh a generally working drive.
The Read + Write + Read test does not attempt any kind of repair when it encouners a weak sector, that will be skipped.
This is why the Disk Repair test is recommended on the weak sector page:
https://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_ca ... ectors.php
as that test designed to repair such issues - or (in case of higher amount of weak sectors) the Reinitilalise Disk Surface test is useful.
The Read + Write + Read test is not designed for a disk drive which has weak/pending sectors at all.
I'm going to do a Disk repair then, thank you for clarifying that too, as always very helpful.