{"id":713,"date":"2024-12-04T12:03:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T12:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/?p=713"},"modified":"2024-12-04T12:23:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T12:23:36","slug":"bad-sectors-in-hard-disk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/","title":{"rendered":"How to check bad sectors in hard disk"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This article will explain how to check bad sectors in hard disk using in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squarebrothers.com\/cloudlinux-dedicated-server-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Linux dedicated server<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Let us start by defining a bad sector\/block, it\u2019s a section on a disk drive or flash memory that can not be read from or written to anymore, as a result of a fixed\u00a0physical damage on the disk\u00a0surface or failed flash memory transistors.<\/p>\n<p>As bad sectors continue to accumulate, they can undesirably or destructively affect your disk drive or flash memory capacity or even lead to a possible hardware failure.<\/p>\n<p>It is also important to note that the presence of bad blocks should alert you to start thinking of getting a new disk drive or simply mark the bad blocks as unusable.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, in this article, we will go through the necessary steps that can enable you determine the presence or absence of bad sectors on your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/web-hosting.html\">Linux<\/a> disk drive or flash memory using certain\u00a0disk scanning utilities.<\/p>\n<p>That said, below are the methods:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-722 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/goof-bad-sectors.png\" alt=\"bad sectors in hard disk\" width=\"621\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/goof-bad-sectors.png 621w, https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/goof-bad-sectors-300x203.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Methods_to_check_bad_sectors_in_hard_disk\" >Methods to check bad sectors in hard disk<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#1_Using_smartctl_SMART_Monitoring\" >1. Using smartctl (S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Steps\" >Steps:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#2Using_badblocks\" >2.Using badblocks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Steps-2\" >Steps:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#3_Using_fsck_File_System_Check\" >3. Using fsck (File System Check)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Steps-3\" >Steps:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#4Using_hdparm_Disk_Health\" >4.Using hdparm (Disk Health)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Steps-4\" >Steps:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#5Using_dmesg_System_Logs\" >5.Using dmesg (System Logs)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Steps-5\" >Steps:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/bad-sectors-in-hard-disk\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Methods_to_check_bad_sectors_in_hard_disk\"><\/span>Methods to check bad sectors in hard disk<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Using_smartctl_SMART_Monitoring\"><\/span>1. <strong>Using <code>smartctl<\/code> (S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <code>smartctl<\/code> tool is used to interact with the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) system, which can help you detect issues with your hard drive, including bad sectors.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps\"><\/span>Steps:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>1.Install smartmontools<\/strong> (if not already installed):<\/p>\n<pre>sudo apt-get install smartmontools # For Debian-based systems\r\nsudo yum install smartmontools # For RHEL-based systems\r\nsudo pacman -S smartmontools # For Arch Linux<\/pre>\n<p><strong>2.Check the health status<\/strong> of your disk:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo smartctl -a \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<p>Replace <code>\/dev\/sdX<\/code> with the actual device name of your disk, such as <code>\/dev\/sda<\/code> or <code>\/dev\/sdb<\/code>.<\/p>\n<p>The output will show various attributes of the disk, including any &#8220;Reallocated Sectors&#8221; or &#8220;Pending Sectors,&#8221; which are indicators of bad sectors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.Run a Self-Test<\/strong> (optional): To run a basic short test to check for issues, use:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo smartctl -t short \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<p>After the test finishes, you can view the results:<\/p>\n<div class=\"contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950\">\n<pre class=\"flex items-center text-token-text-secondary px-4 py-2 text-xs font-sans justify-between rounded-t-md h-9 bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-token-main-surface-secondary select-none\">sudo smartctl -a \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2Using_badblocks\"><\/span><strong>2.Using <code>badblocks<\/code><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <code>badblocks<\/code> utility is specifically designed to scan and identify bad sectors or blocks on a disk.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps-2\"><\/span>Steps:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 1.Run the badblocks command<\/strong>: To scan the disk for bad sectors (replace <code>\/dev\/sdX<\/code> with your disk name):<\/p>\n<pre>sudo badblocks -v \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<p>The <code>-v<\/code> option makes the command output more verbose, showing progress.<\/p>\n<p>To write the results to a file:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo badblocks -v \/dev\/sdX &gt; badblocks.txt<\/pre>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 2.Non-destructive Test<\/strong> (read-only): You can perform a read-only test to check for bad blocks without modifying the disk:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo badblocks -n -v \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<p>This test won&#8217;t attempt to repair any bad blocks but will help in detecting them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Using_fsck_File_System_Check\"><\/span>3. <strong>Using <code>fsck<\/code> (File System Check)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;re experiencing file system issues that might indicate bad sectors, running a file system check with <code>fsck<\/code> can help identify and sometimes fix them.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps-3\"><\/span>Steps:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Unmount the disk<\/strong> (if it&#8217;s mounted):<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<pre>sudo umount \/dev\/sdX1 # Replace with your specific partition (e.g., \/dev\/sda1)<\/pre>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 2.Run fsck on the partition<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo fsck \/dev\/sdX1<\/pre>\n<p>This will check the file system for errors, including bad sectors. You can pass the <code>-c<\/code> option to <code>fsck<\/code> to run <code>badblocks<\/code> during the file system check, which helps to detect bad sectors:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo fsck -c \/dev\/sdX1<\/pre>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4Using_hdparm_Disk_Health\"><\/span><strong>4.Using <code>hdparm<\/code> (Disk Health)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><code>hdparm<\/code> can give you an overview of the disk&#8217;s health, although it is less detailed than <code>smartctl<\/code>.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps-4\"><\/span>Steps:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 1.Install hdparm<\/strong> (if not already installed):<\/p>\n<pre>sudo apt-get install hdparm # For Debian-based systems\r\nsudo yum install hdparm # For RHEL-based systems\r\nsudo pacman -S hdparm # For Arch Linux<\/pre>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a02.Check for health status<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>sudo hdparm -I \/dev\/sdX<\/pre>\n<p>This will show information about the drive, including whether it reports any errors or bad sectors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5Using_dmesg_System_Logs\"><\/span><strong>5.Using <code>dmesg<\/code> (System Logs)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes bad sectors or disk issues will be reported in the system logs. You can check the <code>dmesg<\/code> log for related messages.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps-5\"><\/span>Steps:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 1.View disk-related messages<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>dmesg | grep -i error<\/pre>\n<p>Look for messages related to your disk (<code>\/dev\/sdX<\/code>) that indicate problems, like I\/O errors, read\/write errors, or sector reallocation.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To check bad sectors in hard disk Linux, tools like <code>smartctl<\/code>, <code>badblocks<\/code>, <code>fsck<\/code>, and <code>hdparm<\/code> are your best options. Using <code>smartctl<\/code> and <code>badblocks<\/code> for a deep scan, along with <code>fsck<\/code> for file system-level checks, can help ensure that your disk is in good health.<\/p>\n<p>From the above you can know how to bad sectors in hard disk in simple ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article will explain how to check bad sectors in hard disk using in Linux dedicated server. Let us start by defining a bad sector\/block, it\u2019s a section on a disk drive or flash memory that can not be read from or written to anymore, as a result of a fixed\u00a0physical damage on the disk\u00a0surface [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":722,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,66],"tags":[108,109],"class_list":["post-713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux","category-ssh","tag-disk","tag-fsck"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=713"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":727,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions\/727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hyderabadwebhosting.co.in\/tutorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}