[ale] what exactly does a long smart hdd test do?

[mike at trausch.us (mike at trausch.us)]

On 05/11/2012 10:34 AM, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:
> I certainly don't think these procedures hurt a drive that's in good
> shape, and they force the hard drive controller to examine each sector
> and actually read and write to it. That can allow the controller to
> detect early and work around any problems with the media surface.

This would be what we use badblocks for --- and it's free.  :-)

That said, I have never once actually encountered problems with silent
corruption.  Typically, I have problems of the motor failure variety.
And let me tell you, those are fun.

I tend to kill my drives with hefty workloads, as opposed to age.  I'm
relatively used to replacing them once every three to five years,
as-needed.  And I have certainly learned the value of backups, the hard
way.  And again.  And again.  And again.  :-)

	--- Mike

-- 
A man who reasons deliberately, manages it better after studying Logic
than he could before, if he is sincere about it and has common sense.
                                   --- Carveth Read, ?Logic?

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