Somebody recommend me a good HD test program (Windows)

[Fritz]

Don't trust HD Sentinel. Need something that can see ALL drives, not just SATA drives hooked to the on board controller.

Thanks

 

[andrewbedia]

Um... the program you are looking for is HDSentinel. It sees everything, afaict.

 

[Fritz]

Anybody else?

 

[epicurean]

Another vote for Hard disk sentinel

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

 

[andrewbedia]

Forgive my ignorance, but can you explain your lack of trust in hard disk sentinel? Saying something like that seems dubious/ludicrous/FUD.

 

[Fritz]

HD Sentinel will peg a HD as bad when OEM diags, i.e Seatools, WD Diags, etc. Will find nothing wrong with the drive. HD Sentinel uses terms not found in any other program. It's gotten to the point where If it says a HD is bad, I have my doubts. I don't trust it therefor I'm looking for something else. The main issue is all other programs, i.e. CrystalDiskInfo, etc. Will not detect a drive hooked to a RAID controller, HBA. Hell, Even HGST's own WinDFT will only see ATA / SATA drives hooked to MB controllers. So how am I supposed to check HGST SAS drives.

 

[Fritz]

CRAP !! Just let me add that I'm simply asking if anyone knows of an alternative, I'm not looking to get in a pissing match with HD Sentinel fans.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

Even HGST's own WinDFT will only see ATA / SATA drives hooked to MB controllers. So how am I supposed to check HGST SAS drives.

The HGST Partner Tools can do it. You probably want HiTest: "HiTest is developed to support HGST HDD distributors or customers of distributors focused on customer Line Integration Reject or Field Reject Failure Diagnostics. This software can be given to distributors or their customers."

There's a second tool called Niagara which comes in both field and factory versions. The field version performs tests and collects logs (it is scriptable, and can also talk to the drive's separate serial diagnostic port), while the factory version provides log analysis and syndrome-based diagnostic paths in addition.

A search for either of those program names in conjunction with "HGST" might provide something, but beware of landing on "keyword spammer" sites.

 

[Fritz]

Thanks Terry. Did a quick search and couldn't find a DL link. I'll keep looking.

 

[EffrafaxOfWug]

Don't use it myself, but how does smartmontools for windows stack up...? There's apparently a GUIfied version called gsmartcontrol as well if you prefer that to CLI.
Download – smartmontools

Gauging the healthiness of a drive is always going to be a bit hit-and-miss IME, even with the manufacturers' SMART utils. smartmontools generally keep pretty good track of new SMART attrs and drives and the like so might be worthwhile to give it a go even if only as a fallback option.