badblocks check

[ccc]

Hi,

How to check a second hard disk for bad blocks? BTW, this second disk can be formatted.

 

[wblock@]

Install sysutils/smartmontools.

Check for any existing grown bad blocks:
# smartctl -a /dev/ada1 | less -Sip reallocated_sector
Scroll all the way to the right, if the last number on that line is higher than zero, consider the drive untrustworthy.

Try a short test next:
# smartctl -t short /dev/ada1

If that succeeds, try a long test:
# smartctl -t long /dev/ada1

Monitor the results with smartctl -a /dev/ada1 | less.

 

[Nukama]

Try badblocks(), which is installed by sysutils/e2fsprogs.

# badblocks -v -b 4096 -c 98304 -p 1 -w -s /dev/DEVICENAME

 

[wblock@]

On modern hard drives, high-level bad block detection is not reliable. The drives have error correction at a lower level that will hide errors from programs like badblocks. smartctl(8) can be used to see the actual bad blocks after the long test will check the entire drive.

 

[Nukama]

I'm using badblocks to do a really long test (with option -p). Letting it run for some days and compare the smartctl output between start and end. Reallocated sector count shouldn't increase, otherwise the drive is sent to RMA.