Hard drive errors are the cause of many hard drive problems. For example, due to such errors, the computer may freeze, turn on for a long time, and in the most neglected cases, restart. If you notice instability in your computer and are sure that the hard drive is the cause, then it's time to check it for errors. In the article below, we will explain everything about checking the hard disk for errors and how to fix them.
Types of errors and their causes
Before talking about checking the disk for errors, it's worth understanding what failures are and what they can be caused by. All hard drive errors can be conditionally divided into physical and logical.
Physical disk errors occur when the disk is damaged, such as by being hit or dropped. This is how bad sectors appear that cannot be fixed. However, some of them can be "overwritten", normalizing the operation of the disk. Bad sectors on the hard disk lead to the loss of information recorded onthem. Accordingly, the files of the operating system may also suffer in this way, which will lead to its inoperability.
Logic errors occur when the file system is damaged. Such damage can be caused by power surges, power outages, or turning off the computer with the power button. Correcting such errors is much easier, since only the logic of the disk behavior is violated, which can be restored. When such errors occur, the computer may restart, give blue screens of death, and freeze.
Check hard drive on Windows 7
Many errors can be de alt with by means built into the operating system. It is worth noting that the running time of any program that checks a disk depends entirely on the size of the media and errors in it. During the check, it is not recommended to use a PC so as not to cause additional errors that do not need to be corrected. In addition, this will significantly reduce the running time of the program.
Let's start checking the disk for errors in Windows 7:
- Go to the start menu.
- Open "Computer".
- Next, right-click on the drive you want to select.
- In the drop-down menu, select "Properties".
- In the window that opens, go to the "Service" tab and select the "Check" option ("Perform verification").
- In the tab that opens, check both possible checkboxes and click "Start". This will start checking the disk forpresence of errors and their correction.
- Please wait for the program to complete.
This method is quite simple. However, in some cases it is ineffective. If after such a check the operation of the computer has not been restored, it is recommended to use the methods presented below.
Check disk via console command
This function is also built-in and works the same as described above. However, it may come in handy in some cases, such as when you can't access Computer Properties.
Check disk for errors via console command:
- Open command prompt as administrator.
- Enter chkdsk D: /f /r, where D is the drive name.
- Wait for the disk to check for errors.
Disk diagnostics in Victoria
Victoria is a more professional method that will allow you to thoroughly examine the hard drive. The program provides many possibilities. Therefore, let's start checking the disk for errors in Windows in order:
- When you open the program, the Standard tab will be immediately selected. In the window on the right, select the disk to be diagnosed.
- Next, go to the SMART tab and click Get SMART. The inscription GOOD will appear on the right, indicating the normal state of the hard drive, or BAD. In the case of BAD, it is recommended to replace the hard drive. However, don't lose hope and move on to the next step.
- Having received SMART, pay attention to the information in the large window to the left of the button. Item Reallocated sector count (item No. 5) indicates the number of reassigned sectors. Ideally, their number should be zero. However, there are often several such sectors. A large number in this field means that the drive is starting to fall apart and needs to be replaced. For a better understanding of the state, at the end of each item, a score from 5 to 1 is given.
If you haven't thrown away your hard drive yet, go to the Test tab.
This feature will help to study the disk in detail, identifying problematic (with a long response time) and broken sectors. In the lower right corner of the settings, you can select the verification mode:
- Ignore - simple check without corrections.
- Remap - remaps bad sectors.
- The other two modes are rarely used by ordinary users as they are not safe for saving data.
After selecting the mode, press the START button and wait until the end of work.
A program in Remap mode will be able to fix most problems and normalize the disk. However, do not rejoice ahead of time. Most likely, such a procedure will not cure your entire disk, and it will continue to “crumble”. Re-test after some time and in case of disappointing results, replace it. Otherwise, you risk losing all the data on it.
