Looking for a zero-fill util

[srenshaw]

Hi,

The setup: 2 x 70 GB, NTFS, Dynamics, Ultra 320 SCSI drive. Using Windows 2003 to create a mirror. Compaq disks on a Compaq server.

The problem: Disk 1 has some bad sectors/blocks on it. Disk Management display its status as "Healty (At Risks)". Disk 0 is fine. Since Disk 1 has error on it, the synch between my 2 disks always fail.

According to

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325615

I need to do a LLF format on disk 1 to fix the errors at the hardware level. The bad sectors will be remapped to good ones and my mirror won't fail.

So I've tried to find a LLF util. What I found out was that what is called LLF for modern drives is in reality a zero-fill of the drive.

Can someone suggest a good (hopefully) free util that would work with the disk in question ?

Or something that would help me fix the errors at the hardware level.

I looked at Compaq/hp website but did not find anything useful.

Might be easier to just replace the disk but I would prefer to save it if I could.

Thanks,

Simon

 

[wolluf]

http://www.killdisk.com/features.htm

 

[Freestone]

I would imagine that, if anywhere, a low-level format utility would be found in the SCSI controller's BIOS. Have you looked there? Controllers I'm familiar with usually require you to press <Ctrl><A> during a boot to access their BIOS.

 

[mainegeek]

srenshaw,

I would just replace the drive.

or........

http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/low-level-format.html

 

[edfair]

You understand, of course, that if it is bad now, it will get bad again.

One option would be to force the used partition out past the error. But you would do the same with the mirror.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[mainegeek]

I would imagine that it would take some time to LLF a 70gig drive.

Also, It would really suck if your good drive "craped out"
and you were relying on a questionable drive to retain data until you were up again.

If it were me, not only would I replace the bad one, I think I would replace both and move the mirror to a new set of drives. But thats just me........