Is IBM Drive Fitness Tool (DFT) accurate???

[? (=Þ)]

Okay, I've had a 75GXP for about 2 years now, and I don't seem to have any major problems. If I run scandisk in windows, I have zero bad sectors... but if I run the IBM DFT tool, it reports many bad sectors and that I have a defective drive! Now the last time i ran it (about a year ago), I just ignored it and it ran fine.

well, I ran it today and once again i have a ton of bad sectors again and have a "defective drive" according to DFT... my drive appears to be running fine. I'm pretty sure windows scandisk won't report any bad sectors (checked 2 weeks ago). What is up w/ the program? Is it really accurate?

If i do RMA this drive, what do I get in return? and how reliable are those drives? I'd hate to RMA this one and get a jacked up slower/smaller sized drive in return...

And on a side note, what would be a good HD to get to replace this? something in the 40-80GB range, 7200rpm, and reliability will be the most important thing.

 

[baneonrt]

Your post made me go download the DFT and check out my 30GB 75GXP. Luckily Checkdisk and DFT agree, I have a good one.

I would lean towards the IBM drive fitness test tool being more accurate and go with it's results.

Steve

 

[bozo1]

All drives have bad sectors on them. Any of them found at the factory are mapped out and OS's don't see them. (and can't use the bad space, of course) When doing the destructive tests in DFT or similar utilities (Maxblast from Maxtor, etc.), additional bad sectors are mapped out from the OS. When a certain threshhold is reached, the tool should report that the drive is defective.

 

[? (=Þ)]

argh... yea, i was afraid of believing it. Anyone else have input on DFT vs Scandisk? Why is it that scandisk doesn't see the bad sectors that DFT sees?


also, are bad sectors enough reason to RMA the drive? I'm eyeing a Maxtor D750X drive right now and will RMA my 75GXP if get the maxtor drive.

I have error code 0x70 on both drives. However, the 60GXP doesnt work at all (FAT table had the bad sectors), and my 75GXP works fine (as far as I know).

 

[bozo1]

Once DFT maps out bad sectors, an Operating System can not see them. Scandisk has no way to know they are there.

If DFT determines that sector XYZ is bad, any request to that sector is redirected to a good portion of the drive. This is handled within the drives electronics without Windows, Linux, whatever knowing about it.

You cannot RMA a drive unless the number of bad sectors is above a certain percentage of the total capacity of the drive as all drives come from the factory with bad sectors on them. Unless DFT tells you the drive is bad, or if the number of bad sectors keeps growing, they will authorize an RMA at that point.

 

[? (=Þ)]

well, see the thing is, why is it that when I ran scandisk about 2 weeks ago, a full disk scan, it didnt report anything. But when I ran DFT today, it found bad sectors? I've ran scandisk w/ full disk scans regularly every month or two for the past year, and it has only found and mapped 3 bad sectors. DFT found way more than that today, of which I cancelled the repair process after a couple in fears it might jackup my system that currently runs fine. Dont wanna reinstall windows!

 

[RalfHutter]

<< ...an Operating System can not see them. Scandisk has no way to know they are there. >>



Re-read Bozos' posts.

"an operating system' in this case is Windows. Scandisk is part of Windows. The bad sectors that DFT sees are NOT VISIBLE to Scandisk. You can run Scandisk 'till the cows come home and it will not see those bad sectors.

 

[Derango]

Yea...my sisters maxtor drive failed on her. I popped it into my computer, ran a scandisk, and it returned fine. Ran maxtors drive testing software and it had A LOT of bad sectors. These just aren't bad sectors from the factory...windows wouldn't boot

 

[Dre]

<< argh... yea, i was afraid of believing it. Anyone else have input on DFT vs Scandisk? Why is it that scandisk doesn't see the bad sectors that DFT sees?


also, are bad sectors enough reason to RMA the drive? I'm eyeing a Maxtor D750X drive right now and will RMA my 75GXP if get the maxtor drive.

I have error code 0x70 on both drives. However, the 60GXP doesnt work at all (FAT table had the bad sectors), and my 75GXP works fine (as far as I know). >>




If you really want to RMA it, drop the HD on the ground making sure it lands flat so that no pieces break off or sustain physical damage. It will be broken and IBM will replace it. There's no way for them to know you dropped it.

 

[SnoopyDog]

Yup, I had/have the same problem with my two 30GB 75GXP drives.
One of them was fixed by the DFT by seclecting the "erase/delete disk". DFT will then lowlevel format your HD (you will ofcourse lose ALL data on that disk, do a backup before lowlevel format). After that lowlevel format, DFT did not see any bad sectors on my HD, and the RMA code was gone. I then had a "perfect" drive again.

The other HD I ran through the DFT and the lowlevel format was lost forever and now on its way to IBM for an RMA.

How big are the changes of getting a drive exately the same back?????? I need it for my RAID 0

Just my two cent worth.

SnoopyDog

 

[ahsia]

Windows scandisk is not always very accurate. There have been many times where I run scandisk or chkdisk, no errors. But when I attempt to ghost the drive, Norton Ghost quits because of bad sectors. After running DFT, or Western Digital's Diagnostics, bad sectors everywhere. If DFT finds bad sectors, and suggests you RMA the drive, RMA IT!

IBM's RMA system works really well. I have had to RMA two drives, and had received the same drive in return. The first one was a 75GXP 30gb, and the drive I got back has worked just fine. I had another 60GXP 20gb drive for about a year, I ran DFT on it once a month, and about two months ago, it started to hang during the test. Well, I re-ran it over and over again, and it hung at the same place everytime. I called for a RMA, send the drive back two friday's ago, and I just receive the replacement today, same 60GXP 20gb. Excellent service.

 

[Yossarian]

<< If you really want to RMA it, drop the HD on the ground making sure it lands flat so that no pieces break off or sustain physical damage. It will be broken and IBM will replace it. There's no way for them to know you dropped it. >>



Don't be so sure. If they run DFT and it comes up with the "shock damage" error code, you may be out of luck.

Strangely enough my 45gb 75GXP just died on me today. It makes a sound like the head is trying to move to a certain area again and again. I can't get into Windows with that drive attached. I ran DFT and got "corrupted sectors", their tech support guy wanted me to try the "erase drive" option in case it was a data error, but it failed during that operation. RMA on the way.

This is the 2nd one to die this year, I'm done with IBM HDs. I have 2 fat WD's on their way from Newegg now, a 120gb 1200JB primary and a 100gb 1000BB for backup.

 

[hmsrolst]

From my experience, if DFT shows bad sectors and you want to RMA the drive (my 75GXP appeared to be working fine), instead of fixing it as DFT suggests, just print the error code and message that the drive is defective. I included that with the drive and the RMA'd it with no problem--IBM sent a 40GB 120GXP to replace my 30GB 75GXP.

 

[Derango]

<< From my experience, if DFT shows bad sectors and you want to RMA the drive (my 75GXP appeared to be working fine), instead of fixing it as DFT suggests, just print the error code and message that the drive is defective. I included that with the drive and the RMA'd it with no problem--IBM sent a 40GB 120GXP to replace my 30GB 75GXP. >>



Yea, if you try and fix it, they'll just start showing up again right after you fix them

 

[Dre]

They actually have a shock damage error code? hah

 

[ginfest]

<< One of them was fixed by the DFT by seclecting the "erase/delete disk". DFT will then lowlevel format your HD (you will ofcourse lose ALL data on that disk, do a backup before lowlevel format). After that lowlevel format, DFT did not see any bad sectors on my HD, and the RMA code was gone. I then had a "perfect" drive again. >>



Just another $0.02, my 45GB 75 GXP started showing bad sectors in windows, I ran DFT and it showed the infamous "0x70" error and recommended the "repair/low level format", which I did. It then passed, but I bought a Seagate and relegated the 75 GXP to a storage drive. Well, 3 months later, I was trying to get at some files and noticed the drive laboring. Re-ran DFT, it's screwed again!
Of course I had backups, and this time no try to repair, I RMAed it last week, still awaiting my return.
IMHO, once DFT shows trouble, no matter what you do eventually the drive is toast, wish I RMAed in 3 months ago.