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Tool to scan all HDD at once in DOS?

ComputerGuy2006

ComputerGuy2006

Member
Here is my problem: its 2012 and both Seagate and WD HDD scanning tool can only do a single HDD at the time. I have many HDDs + some of them take over 5 hours to scan.

So scanning my HDDs is a major PITA.

Are there any good HDD dos tools that can scan every HDD at once? Id love to start a scan before going to work, come back home 8-9 hours later and have all HDDs scanned...
 
Can you just put the scanning app on each drive, then open multiple command prompt windows and start scans on each drive?? And by 'scan' you mean chkdsk? Opening up cmd windows and running whatever commands you need on each drive should work.
 
I would just write a script that you can randomly execute that will chkdsk /f or /r each drive you have, then reboot and let it do its thing.

Or since you are talking about using individual tools, see if you can write an automated script for them etc.
 
ComputerGuy2006 said:
Here is my problem: its 2012 and both Seagate and WD HDD scanning tool can only do a single HDD at the time. I have many HDDs + some of them take over 5 hours to scan.

So scanning my HDDs is a major PITA.

Are there any good HDD dos tools that can scan every HDD at once? Id love to start a scan before going to work, come back home 8-9 hours later and have all HDDs scanned...
Click to expand...

What kind of scan are you talking about?
 
A few things. DOS is not multitasking. Windows command prompt is not DOS. Windows doesn't easily allow direct access to hardware, which is the whole point of HDD utilites running in DOS.

Seagate and Western Digital do have compentent Windows programs that run surface scans. You can try to run both at the same time. I know that I have surface scanned disks at work on my work PC using both programs while I multitaksed and moved on with work. I encountered no issues, but I never ran both (Seagate and WD) at the same time.

It sounds like you surface scanning your drives often? If so, your time is better spent replacing the drive.
 
zephxiii said:
I would just write a script that you can randomly execute that will chkdsk /f or /r each drive you have, then reboot and let it do its thing.

Or since you are talking about using individual tools, see if you can write an automated script for them etc.
Click to expand...

I do not write scripts. Besides is checkdisk /r really as good as a full sector scan? And wouldnt writing a script that loops threw all my HDDs still only do one at the time? That would take over 24 hours.

wayliff said:
why?
Click to expand...

Its what the manufactures always say. Id rather do a full safer scan outside of windows.

Smoblikat said:
can someone tell me one that i can use in windows. I dont care about DOS.
Click to expand...
Free method: Use hdTune and open up an intance of hdtune for each hdd.
You can try the demo of Active@ Hard Disk monitor. It has some nifty features but I cant get it to work anymore on most of my hdds (it thinks my HDD has a negative number of sectors so it doesnt scan it)

Nothinman said:
What kind of scan are you talking about?
Click to expand...
Full sector scans that look for bad sectors (aka the drive might be dieing).



razel said:
A few things. DOS is not multitasking. Windows command prompt is not DOS. Windows doesn't easily allow direct access to hardware, which is the whole point of HDD utilites running in DOS.

Seagate and Western Digital do have compentent Windows programs that run surface scans. You can try to run both at the same time. I know that I have surface scanned disks at work on my work PC using both programs while I multitaksed and moved on with work. I encountered no issues, but I never ran both (Seagate and WD) at the same time.

It sounds like you surface scanning your drives often? If so, your time is better spent replacing the drive.
Click to expand...

IVe used both seagate windows scanning tools. They can only do one drive at the time. Besides I try to avoid windows HDD scans.

Also I rarely scan my HDDs. Probably once every 12-24 months. Id like to scan them every 4-6 months but its such as huge hassle and project (and even more annoying that I often got to move HDDs around because some of my eSATA / USB drives aren't detected by scanning tools).
 
Yes, checkdsk /r is a full sector scan. However, I think you have two options. I believe that dban will automatically, secure wipe all drives that it finds which is the same as a chkdsk /r + write checking which should be better because it will force the drive to reallocate any sectors that it can if any are going.

Second, you can write a Linux script and make a custom thumbdrive or disc that boots up and runs 'badblocks -w' on every block device it finds.
 
ComputerGuy2006 said:
I do not write scripts. Besides is checkdisk /r really as good as a full sector scan? And wouldnt writing a script that loops threw all my HDDs still only do one at the time? That would take over 24 hours.

....
Click to expand...
As was mentioned earlier, DOS is not multitasking, neither can your HDD controller access more than one drive at a time.

Scanning two drives will take twice as long as scanning one drive, regardless of the approach you take..
 
ComputerGuy2006 said:
I do not write scripts. Besides is checkdisk /r really as good as a full sector scan? And wouldnt writing a script that loops threw all my HDDs still only do one at the time? That would take over 24 hours.
Click to expand...

To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information, at the command prompt, type chkdsk volume:/r, and then press ENTER.
Click to expand...

(from MS's website)

Then review the report afterwards.

Writing scripts for chkdsk is extremely easy. In addition you can scan multiple drives at the same time (except the OS drive) in windows. However each drive during the scan will be inaccessible until the scan is complete. You can also have these scans automatically scheduled with ease as well.

Id rather do a full safer scan outside of windows.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you would think this...the only advantage a manufacture specific tool has is the additional hardware tests. There is nothing wrong or unsafe about MS's chkdsk utility....or they wouldn't be there for use.
 
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