Seagate External Hard Drive!

I see no reason to low level format his drive. If he does a normal full format and not a quick format this will attempt to recover lost sectors. Unless really necessary I would not recommend a low level format due to the possibility of ruining the drive with no real reason to do so. Even if the sectors are not recoverable the drive will mark the bad sectors and no attempts will be made to use said bad sectors. So bad? Yes but not really bad. If more start popping up, this can be an indication that a drive is failing. However, as Donetao has stated these sectors have been marked for a long time.

 

So What are you saying Gimbo?? As long as no more sectors show up as being bad, don't worry to much.
If more bad sectors start showing up, then I should be concerned. I don't know? The drive seems to be OK. I don't hear any noise.
I may get another HHD and be ready for some thing to happen. It's just a storage drive with mostly images stored on it.
Thanks Gimbo!

 

All this tool will do is invoke chkdsk /r /f which for the most part will attempt to relocate files from the detected bad sectors and then label the sectors as bad and hide them from the Host system so Windows wont use them. But still using a tool to write Zeros to the entire drive is the better option.

Seagate use to have an Advanced drop-down box ages ago but simplified the interface by only having it popup if there was an issue with a "Seagate only" HDD. Like donetoa has discovered.

 

Thanks Aus that is the part I had forgotten about Sea Tools so it still appears the best course would be to remove the files that are store to another drive and then see what can be done with the existing drive. I have always found that once checkdisk starts effecting repair and replacement of sectors it is ony a question of time until the whole drive is lost and I would never trust anything that matters to such a drive so I simply move on.

 

Thanks guys! I think we have this one figured out. I'll watch it closely for more bad sectors to show up. I'll probably get one of those new slim line USB's. This one is big and has it's own power supply. Kind of a antique.

 

Don't be so quick to toss the bigger unit with its own power supply. Two reasons why usb drives last longer are fans and an on/off switch (especially where the ones that go off with the computer lose with users who never shut the laptop down). The Usb ports on laptops and the front ones on desk tops get weaker and weaker and more and more new usb portable external drives today are coming with two usb plugs for a reason. A reason being defeated by laptop makers who every year put fewer usb ports on their laptops that are also weaker usb ports as well as fewer! Usb drives that plug in and are stationery are really going to last longer and make so much more sense if you seldom move your laptop.

 

A good point to remember when disconnecting external Hard Drives is to use the "Safely Remove Hardware" option in the task bar, or you can run the risk of the Drive turning RAW .
Don't just pull the cord out of the USB port.

 

That used to be true Dougie but alas no more. Since Windows Vista hard drives show by default in Device Manager
as "optimized for quick removal", the setting that eliminates the need to use that tool.

 

I had an external drive turn RAW in Windows7,Rich.
After posting on a forum I was told by more than one Techie that was the most likely cause.
Anyway better safe than sorry. I run two externals.

 

This article I just Googled,Rich was written in 2014 long after vista. Worth a read.

http://html5.litten.com/updated-how-to-fix-external-disk-drive-suddenly-became-raw/

 

Dougie, there's techies and then there's techies. Go into device manager, then right click "Disk Drives" then right click your external hard drive and choose "Properties" then "Policies" and read where you see the default check for "Quick Removal" and then read the description. "Disables write caching on your drive and in Windows but you can disconnect the device carefully without using the safely remove hardware icon."
Prior to Windows Vista you were 100% right and that change was not widely heralded either.

 

On all USB storage devices the correct way to remove is use the "Safely RemoveHardware" method even in Windows7 onwards.

I am not wrong,Rich.

You are seeking another method which no one I know uses.

Who in their right mind would waste time going your route.??

Using the "Safely Remove Icon" is recommended and fast.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/10169-safely-remove-hardware-eject-device.html

 

I believe Dougie is correct. Safely remove hardware Rich. Sometimes the obvious was the most intelligent though you would think not.

 

Not to jump in here, but what about hot swap drives.....where do they fall into the safely remove category.

As to what Rich is alluding to with his way, goes directly to the statement he made "there are techies then there are techies". This is something a hardcore techie uses, provided they don't need or want the write caching service on a drive which then allows them to just simply eject the drive. Although MS doesn't recommend it but then again MS recommends a lot of things we turn off.

BTW, I think that is a pretty cool tip

 

Dougie and IceMan, read the actual message in Device Manager, it states if optimized for quick removal the safely remove hardware switch is no longer necessary to use.
How on earth can you argue with that.

 

Guys! Why do you argue? I mean discus this. I've always heard a picture is worth a 1000 words.
Well here's a picture friends. This is what @Rich-M is saying! LOL

 

Post removed by Dougie.

 

I read your post before you removed it. That was not called for. I'm here to learn and pass forward things I think are helpful.
I'm glad you removed your reply Dougie!

 

This is a little off topic, but it adds to my other reply. I'm sick and tired of hearing these things on help forums. "Your Off Topic"
I'm tired of hearing "Your reply does not pertain to the issue" I'm tired of getting banned from help forums where a staffer's EGO is so big that they can't stand to have a pee- on like myself correct them. I'm tired of the cliques that can't stand a new member to post on issues when they think they have a suggestion to the issue, because they are afraid the new guy might know more then they do..
I posted the screen shot to show exactly what @Rich-M was saying, not to say I'm smarter then anyone here. I just think a screen shot can say a lot.
I love the Windows PSR tool. It will copy every step you take when you perform a action; like how to use a certain program. It's a great program for sending grandma a zip file showing each step she needs to do. The tool makes a zip file that you can attach to a thread.
I could find a link on Google that would do the same thing, but I like using the PSR feature.
I have been chastised on a help forum for saying "Google is my friend"
I have seen none of these things here on CHF and I have been given a wide room here to post my feelings. I know I'm windy, to friendly and I do get off topic.
I love the windows PSR feature, but it does create a zip file and if staff has a problem with zip files, I won't use them!
Ranting is now over!

 

It's My thread; and a little more ranting, and then I'll behave. When I was a member on CHF before all the above things were going on here.
The cliques and to much interference from staff. I sure hope we don't go back to those days.
I'm through now! Let's leave the big EGO's at the door step!