Faster chkdsk?


  1. Posts : 353
    Windows 10 Professional
       #1

    Faster chkdsk?


    Windows 10 Pro, 5820 running at 4.5 GHz and so on..

    I have a couple Seagate 3TB Barracuda 7200 rpm drives that ONLY get used for backups. One of them started throwing errors, and after doing a chkdsk (a very LONG chkdsk) it was usable again and has been working for several months. The OTHER one started throwing errors recently and CrystalDiskInfo shows caution on Reallocated Sectors Count and Current Pending Sector Count and a couple other things around Sectors that I can't recall at the moment. And, of course, they STARTED DOING THIS about 9 minutes after they went out of warranty.

    The one the WAS working failed on backup 2 days ago so the drives are in the process of being replaced, but I ran a chkdsk to fix things. First it was going to be 8 hours, then 8 more, and at my last check it was going to be 54 (yes 54 hours) as it SLOWLY crawled through the sector repairs...

    And this is a 3TB drive...

    With the direction things are going - to larger and larger drives (I shudder to think how long it'll take for a 6, 8 or 10TB drive with chkdsk), isn't there SOME utility out there that'll do this just FASTER than the chkdsk utility? Or are there options on chkdsk I should or shouldn't use so the thing isn't such a total dog? I did the chkdsk as: CHKDSK V: /F/X/R/scan/perf so I wasn't expecting a 10 minute check, but TWO DAYS?
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 8,111
    windows 10
       #2

    The problem is trying to fix errors a normal scan with no errors should be quick but it will try many times to read bad bits
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2,734
    Windows 10
       #3

    It is a mechanical device and to scan the sectors and mark off bad sectors takes a long time you can't speed it up.
    The worse the condition of the HDD the more work needs doing the slower it gets.
    You don't have to buy 3 TB drives, buy smaller ones.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,453
       #4

    Chkdsk has been the best MS tool IMHO for a long time... there is no alternative - others may scan for bad sectors but cannot rebuild the files system - all good things take time.

    Running it regularly will be prevent the extended repair operation rather than wait 'till the doo-doo hits the fan.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 353
    Windows 10 Professional
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Actually, no, I'm having to buy LARGER ones... These are image backups, and at the moment I'm using more than 3TB for everything. I currently have to backup "current" stuff on one drive, and the "archive" stuff periodically on the other. The two I ordered are 6TB drives.

    And unfortunately, when one of these Seagates has a problem, it's not a SMALL problem. They go from being perfect to throwing huge numbers of errors that appears to take days to fix. That's why as soon as the new drives get here, these two are going out to the garage where they'll be struck repeatedly with a sledge hammer. It's theraputic!
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 1
    Windows 10
       #6

    Yep, have always hated how long a full chkdsk took on Windows, but there is no way around it. Sucks being that it's such a useful tool, at times!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 353
    Windows 10 Professional
    Thread Starter
       #7

    <heavy sigh> Ok. I figured it was worth checking in to see if there's anything faster, but it sounds like not much has changed in the last umpteen years in this regard. Except the hard drives growing so much larger that it now takes horrid numbers of hours to fix problems when they happen......

    And in my world they DO seem to happen. The two Seagates are typical. I have Hitachi drives that are a LOT older and they've been perfect. I have Toshiba X300 drives, equally flawless. And I've had at least a half dozen Seagates over the last 8 years that have self-destructed. This time, I got caught in the new shorter warranty and got the big "screw you" from Seagate.
    The new drives are Toshibas. Hopefully they'll live long and help me avoid spending days trying to get some dying POS working. I should have replaced 'em sooner.

    Thanks for the info y'all.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #8

    These days, I always turn to BackBlaze for failure stats on HDs. They update their reports quarterly, and base their reports on purchasing tens to hundreds of thousands of HDDs yearly. Definitely worth checking out: here's the Q3'17 report as an illustration: 2017 Hard Drive Reliability by Drive Size and Brand. OP should be pleased to see that historically speaking Toshibas are among the best picks around.
    HTH,
    --Ed--
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 353
    Windows 10 Professional
    Thread Starter
       #9

    So do I for the last couple sets of purchases. And every time I do, it reminds why I might want to look to other than Seagate for drives that'll still be around when they get out of warranty.
      My Computers


 

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