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NOW SpinRite 6.1 – Fast and useful for spinning and solid state mass storage!
ValiDrive-IconValiDrive
Quickly spot-check any USB mass storage drive
for fraudulent deliberately missing storage.
MapDetails
ValiDrive's detailed operation

In a random, non-repeating sequence, at each of 576 separate evenly spread locations on any drive, ValiDrive reads the current contents of that region. It then fills that region with random “data noise” then reads back the region's contents to verify that the “data noise” was actually stored. ValiDrive then always rewrites the region's original data to restore whatever data may have been originally stored there.

Since some drives contain internal cache RAM which would confound such testing, ValiDrive first determines whether any RAM caching is present and if so the size of transfer required to bypass any caching.

Each of the 576 individual cells tested produces one of four results:

  Validated
The region's original data was read, random noise data was written then read, and the original data was replaced. At no time was any error reported, and the presence of storage underneath the tested location was fully verified.
 
  Read Error
During either of the two read operations – reading the drive's original data or reading the random noise test data – the drive reported that it was unable to successfully perform the read. Since this prevents the validation of storage at that location, ValiDrive notes that fact with blue.
 
  Write Error
During either of the two write operations – writing the random noise test data or replacing the drive's original data – the drive reported that it was unable to successfully perform the write. Since this prevents the validation of storage at that location, ValiDrive notes that fact in yellow.
 
  No Storage
The region's original data was read, then random noise data was written. But despite no errors ever occurring at any point, the test data that was then read back did not match what was written. Therefore, at that tested location the drive is not storing data and is not providing any indication of any error.
ValiDrive


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Last Edit: Oct 08, 2023 at 13:42 (343.55 days ago)Viewed 28 times per day