Need hard drive diagnostic for usb-connected drives that runs offline,like seatools online?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike
  • Start date Start date
M

mike

I need a freeware tool to test disk drives at swapmeets.

Seagate has a tester called seatools online.
It installs an active-x browser component that understands usb and firewire
drives. I can hook up a drive and test it from within windows.
Works great.
Problem is that when I need it, I'm "in the field" and I don't have an
active internet
connection. Most of what's needed is already installed on my machine,
but the html is a nested script that won't let me access all the parts.
And they lock the pages so I can't save 'em all.

I made some progress saving and editing the html/scripts. I can select
the test, but can't get the "execute it" button to appear. I have no
idea what I'm doing.

Is there a way around this to let me test USB connected drives when I
don't have
an active internet connection?

Or an alternative freeware self-contained drive tester that understands usb?

I tried asking Seagate, but I can't get past a cgi error on their submit
page. It's always something...

Suggestions?
Thanks, mike
 
Previously mike said:
I need a freeware tool to test disk drives at swapmeets.
Click to expand...
Seagate has a tester called seatools online.
It installs an active-x browser component that understands usb and firewire
drives. I can hook up a drive and test it from within windows.
Works great.
Problem is that when I need it, I'm "in the field" and I don't have an
active internet
connection. Most of what's needed is already installed on my machine,
but the html is a nested script that won't let me access all the parts.
And they lock the pages so I can't save 'em all.
Click to expand...
I made some progress saving and editing the html/scripts. I can select
the test, but can't get the "execute it" button to appear. I have no
idea what I'm doing.
Click to expand...

Basically all these tools run a SMART self-test today. The
There is a fast self-test and a slow self-test. The fast one
usually runns a few minutes, the slow one hours.
Is there a way around this to let me test USB connected drives when I
don't have
an active internet connection?
Click to expand...
Or an alternative freeware self-contained drive tester that understands usb?
Click to expand...

You cannot test USB drives. You can just test-read them. For
this you can use any software that does disk-unspecific tests.
Does not tell you much, though.

Arno
 
Basically all these tools run a SMART self-test today.
Click to expand...

No they don't.
There is a fast self-test and a slow self-test.
The fast one usually runns a few minutes, the slow one hours.
Click to expand...
You cannot test USB drives.
Click to expand...

Yes you can.
You can just test-read them.
Click to expand...

See, you can.
For this you can use any software that does disk-unspecific tests.
Does not tell you much, though.
Click to expand...

Neither does the S.M.A.R.T. selftest.
 
Folkert said:
No they don't.




Yes you can.




See, you can.




Neither does the S.M.A.R.T. selftest.
Click to expand...
YOu guys should check out seatools online.
Does SMART and a couple of levels of read/surface tests on USB drives.
Does just what I need...if only I could figger out how to run it without
an active internet connection.
mike
 
Previously mike said:
YOu guys should check out seatools online.
Does SMART and a couple of levels of read/surface tests on USB drives.
Click to expand...

Well, I will have a look. However the last from the USB standardizion
says that SMART over USB cannot be done in a portable fashion, i.e.
the only way is vendor extensions to the USB protocol.

Arno
 
Just try 'offline' in your browser. Let IE work from it's cache.
Well, I will have a look. However the last from the USB standardizion
says that SMART over USB cannot be done in a portable fashion, i.e.
the only way is vendor extensions to the USB protocol.
Click to expand...

Nonsense. The USB protocol can encapsulate any data you want.
It's the upper protocol layers that don't necessarily.
 
You guys should check out seatools online.
Click to expand...

Why, what does it do that the desktop version can't do.
Does SMART and a couple of levels of read/surface tests on USB drives.
Click to expand...

And the desktop version doesn't?
Does just what I need...if only I could figger out how to run it without
an active internet connection.
Click to expand...

Run it in IE offline mode.
 
Well, I will have a look. However the last from the USB standardizion
says that SMART over USB cannot be done in a portable fashion, i.e.
the only way is vendor extensions to the USB protocol.
Click to expand...

Ok, I had a look at it and tried it win an USB drive. As expected, it
is not a SMART self-test and neither does it display SMARTY attributes
or checks them. It does emulate short and long SMART selftests to some
degrtee, as it offers a 90 second random read and a full surface read
(the short SMART selftest on the disk in question takes 150 seconds,
as far as I reacall).

As such the results ase far less significant than from a SMART
self-test and attibute check.

Th random scan would need a bit of programming, but for the full
rufrace read, just do one of the followig under Linux:

dd if=/dev/hd<whatever> of=/dev/null
cat /dev/hd<whatever> /dev/null
dd_rescue /dev/hd<whatever> /dev/null

The last one (if dd_rescue is installed on your system) also
gives you a nice progress report and error counter. The Seagate
tools does basically the same.

Arno
 
Misunderstood the question.
Removable HDD caddy in the desktop ; a 2½ to 3½ adaptor ; Robert
is your parent's sibling.
 
Aidan said:
Misunderstood the question.
Removable HDD caddy in the desktop ; a 2½ to 3½ adaptor ; Robert
is your parent's sibling.
Click to expand...
Excellent suggestion. I'll mount my desktop on a cart with a car
battery, inverter and CRT mointor.
 
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