Baslinux mailing list

[Matrix Mole <matrixm AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Sun, 28 Dec 2003, Sindi Keesan wrote:

> I think ef2sck runs automatically if you turn off linux without exiting
> properly, or it crashes.  Scandisk checks the actual physical disk for bad
> sectors as well as checking file systems.  We probably did this before
> formatting.

Scandisk (both the DOS and windows version) only check partitions, even
the surface scan will only check the partition it was told to check.
Obviously, if you did this prior to partitioning the linux system out of
the 8gb then it should've found any possible bad sectors (and marked
them). Also, most format programs (mke2fs on linux IIRC) have an option to
check sectors and mark bad ones as bad. Or perhaps it's just that it tests
the sectors that are already marked bad.

For truly finding the bad sectors there's one possibility that I could
recommend, but only if you have no qualsm about rebuilding all the
software again. Find out the manufacturer of the HD and go to their web
site, then d/l the low level format utility from them. The low level
format utility will usually make it's own boot disk. Make a seperate boot
disk that is bootable (either use the disk version of BL, or make a
DOS/win9x boot disk). If using the dos option put fdisk, format, and
scandisk on the boot floppy. After the low level format, fdisk to create a
partition (or however many you want), format all the partitions as dos
partitions. Then run scandisk with surface scan on all the partitions. I
don't know the linux disk tools well enough to explain how to do it with
them. I'm sure it's pretty much the same just replace the file names with
appropriate linux versions. I believe they are cfdisk, mke2fs, and ef2sck.
Obviously, as I mentioned at the begining, you'll have to reinstall
everything onto the machine once finished though.

A couple other options. First, the manufacturer _might_ have a diagnostic
utility that can be used on the HD, but this is doubtable. Or, you could
check to see if the drive is still covered under teh manufacturers
warranty. If it's an 8gb, it might be new enough to still be covered. I'm
not sure about the legalities. I do know that if the person who threw the
system to the curb had given it to you, the warranty would still be
considered in effect, so it might just work (although I'd still refrain
from mentioning to the manufacturers person that it was found at the
curb). You might be able to get a replacement HD at the very worst. Of
course, a replacement would require reinstalling everything as well, but
it be essentially a brand new HD :) Actually, at the very worst, you have
to keep the current HD, but it's still useable.

Matrix Mole
matrixm AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org