How to use HDDScan? Data Recovery Software

Apparently, most users of computer systems, if not encountered, then at least heard about such a wonderful utility, like HDDScan. This application is for scanning and partial recovery of damaged areas of the hard drive.

What is the program for data recovery HDDScan?

First, let's define what is this utility. The fact is that the program itself is designed to conduct a series of tests of the computer's hard disk, no more. In the usual sense of the restoration of files can not speak.

In other words, compared to the same program Recuva, which after scanning displays a list of files that can be returned to its original state, this application does not do anything like that.

If you consider how to use HDDScan, somewhat wider, the first thing that catches your eye is the lack of an installation module. At its "weight" of the order of 5 MB in unpacked form, the application, oddly enough, has a rather impressive list of testing capabilities for a hard drive of a computer or laptop, including removable HDD-drives connected via universal USB 2.0 / 3.0 ports. In this case, the HDDScan data recovery program works as an optimizer or rebuilder for the cluster sectors of the hard disk, nothing more.

Interface

When calling the application, the user immediately sees two main windows. The hard disk selected by the program is indicated in the upper one, and in the lower one (Test Manager) - the results of the future scan and determination, so to speak, of the disk's viability. Note that in any version, HDDScan (Windows 7, 8, 10, XP or Vista) is never used as a means of recovering certain files.

It is solely related to disk testing. If there are several of them in the system, in the left upper field, when you press the corresponding button, you can select exactly the disk that you want to check. After a quick check, the user receives a full report on the status of the selected disk.

Basic Controls

So, how to use HDDScan the first time you start it? In the main application window, to the right of the line indicating the hard drive, there is a special task selection button.

When you click on it, a menu opens with the main set of tests, as well as a descriptive part of the program (About section). Unfortunately, in the HDDScan application the instruction for using the utility is not provided, that is, there are no Help files here. In the About section, there are only links to Russian- or English-language instructions on the Internet.

How to use HDDScan: Hard disk testing

Now consider the use of the program in more detail. We have several positions corresponding to testing the hard drive.

In this case, we are interested in scanning SMART. If you pay attention to the menu, there are two similar commands (the second - Offline Tests). However, the first of them scans using built-in algorithms, and the second one calls an additional menu with three commands. However, it is practically nothing of interest in itself.

Now as for the testing itself. When using the main SMART command, a quick scan is performed to determine all the current parameters corresponding to the selected hard disk. The process takes no more than a couple of seconds. After that, a report is displayed on the screen in which the normal characteristics that do not require intervention are indicated in green, and the problem sectors are yellow and red. At the same time, the report includes even the currently set temperature regime, not to mention information about the hard drive itself (SATA, IDE, USB, etc.).

Of course, when considering how to use HDDScan, you can not ignore the use of the test string for testing the temperature of the medium. In the initial report, of course, there is a result. However, it corresponds only to the time point when the test itself was launched. Using the task of monitoring the temperature, you can see all the indicators in real time (graph).

Now, pay attention to the Surface Test. Unlike the built-in diagnostics, which is provided in Windows operating systems, this test works somewhat differently, although, to be frank, before applications like HDD Regenerator does not hold, because it can not restore bad sectors of the hard disk by reversing the magnetization. Nevertheless, the procedure for identifying bad sectors and their subsequent recovery is quite effective.

Restoring bad sectors

In most cases, users who are not familiar with the specifics of the program should be tested in Verify or Read mode, when only troubleshooting is performed. If you use the Erase option, the bad sectors of the disk will be updated, and there can be no information about the security of the information, because in this case, the checksums and files are recalculated and overwritten.

As for further actions, the program can be used only save the report, in extreme cases - corrections Spinup or Spindown, allowing to increase or decrease the spindle rotation speed. But such settings do not significantly affect disk performance.

It is possible that there may be errors and HDDScan. This is most often observed only when the hard drive cable to the motherboard is incorrectly or loosely attached. Then just lose electrical contact. Therefore, the easiest way out of this situation is to test the connections.

Conclusion

As you can understand from all of the above, HDDScan is not a file recovery system in the usual sense. Rather, it is an application-analyzer of the hard drive, working on the algorithm for determining the characteristics, which use utilities like CPU-Z or GPU-Z. But, unlike the contents of an exclusively information part, this program for recovering data present in the bad areas of the hard drive can optimize the damaged sectors of the hard drive, but not the files themselves, as many think.

Nevertheless, the recovery of bad areas also has its advantages. After using this program, you can easily launch any file recovery utility that can read information from the recovered sectors. On them, and stored lost information, which is subject to recovery. However, the use of such utilities is a completely different matter.