Com 226 comp trouble shooting II theory book
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- Drive Testing and Troubleshooting
| Smart Command Set Some of the newest hard drives use the Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) command set. SMART-compliant drives improve the data integrity and data availability of hard-disk drives by regularly checking for potential drive problems. In some cases, a SMART-compliant device will predict an impending failure with sufficient time to allow users to backup their data and replace the drive before data loss occurs. Drive Testing and Troubleshooting Hard-disk drives present some perplexing challenges for computer technicians and everyday users alike. The problem with hard drives is that they are inaccessible devices. Unless you have the cleanroom environment to open the sealed drive platters, it is pointless to even consider replacing failed drive mechanics. Even if you could open a drive safely, the advances in hard-drive technology have been so fast and furious that no spare parts market has ever developed. Drive manufacturers themselves rarely bother to repair faulty drives or invest in specialized drive-testing equipment. Clearly, the course for hard-drive repair is to identify defective drives and replace faulty units with new (usually better) ones. Fortunately, not all hard-drive problems are necessarily fatal. True, you might lose some programs and data (backup your hard drive frequently, but many drive problems are recoverable without resorting to drive replacement. Instead of focusing on repairing a hard drive’s electronics or mechanics, today’s repair tactics focus on repairing a drive’s data. By reconstructing or relocating faulty drive information, it is often possible tore The important thing to remember when using this workaround is that you must keep a record of the translation values used so that they can be reentered if the contents of CMOS RAM are lost, or if the drive is moved to another system. Write the values on masking tape and stick the tape on the drive itself. cover from a wide variety of drive problems. Before you begin any sort of drive troubleshooting, you should take the following steps - Gather a DOS boot disk or Windows 95 startup disk (refer to the end of Chapter 3). If you don’t have a boot disk on hand, you should make one before continuing. - Gather your DOS installation disks) or Windows 95 CD-ROM—if you need to reinstall the operating system, these will be invaluable. - Gather any hard drive/controller diagnostics that you’ll need. - Backup as much as you can from your hard drives) before attempting any sort of drive service. Download 1.89 Mb. Share with your friends:
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