GRC SpinRite

For some years, GRC SpinRite has been widely considered one of the best, if not the best, hard disk rescue and maintenance tool available. SpinRite is a DOS program that runs from a bootable CD, DVD, or other device, such as a floppy disk or USB pen drive. Because you boot your computer into SpinRite, the software has full low-level administrator access to the hard disks on your computer.

SpinRite can perform a broad range of checks on your hard disk(s) and includes the following features.

• A real-time graphical status display, showing the health and status of your hard disk. This graph is updated in real time, displaying data and disk recovery and repair as it happens. All events are also logged so you can review them later.

• Detailed technical logs of the hard disk. Helpfully, the error information these logs provide includes clear descriptions that can help you determine exactly where errors are located and what they are. GRC boasts about the clarity of the language they use when providing reports on your hard disks, and I can confirm that the quality of the information SpinRite can give you is excellent indeed.

• The Surface Analysis Monitor uses exhaustive techniques to detect defects on the hard disk. It deliberately creates scenarios on your hard disk to try to replicate the worst types of failure that can occur. This is an extremely thorough and excellent way to check for defects.

• Extensive data recovery tools that work tirelessly to recover your data. A special tool called Dynastat appears if SpinRite has trouble reading data on a faulty hard disk. This tool provides more detailed information in real time about the software’s attempts to recover your files and data.

• Detailed information about the existing partition structure on hard disks. SpinRite also checks partitions for errors.

In all, SpinRite is an invaluable tool for diagnosing and repairing errors on physical hard disks. Its support for different drive formatting options is extensive, and it is, as I have said, held in high regard within the technical community.

SpinRite and solid state disks. Solid state disks (SSDs) operate differently from mechanical hard disks in that they store all of your data on silicon chips and include no moving parts. Therefore, SpinRite is not the best tool for diagnosing errors on these types of disk.

Source of Information :  Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out