How to fix Damaged Sectors without Reformatting or using Disk Utility?

[Angrzej]

Well I am having a 12" iBook G4. So what I want is that some solution for my problem a 60gb HD of it has got damaged and hence I need some method by which I would be able to repair the damages without formatting I tried using the disk repair but that also failed for me so what should I do next, can you all please suggest me something else? I also thought of replacing the hard disk but that is nearly impossible to do so. Even the disk utility fails to give a backup? So please suggest me something for the methods I am waiting to hear it from you all.

[Enriquee]

Try using the ddrescue it is a freeware that is available in the internet you can definitely have a check about the same so go ahead and have a look at it and I am quite sure that you will love it so do have a a look at it. actually what it does is that It copies data from one file or block device (hard disc, cdrom, etc) to another, so whenever you get read errors then it will take some time but apparently it will save the data of the system. so do go ahead and use itn your system it will be beneficial for you.

[Angrzej]

Well that seems to me as a good option for the backup of the data definitely thumbs up for the suggestions that you have given here so thanks a ton for that however I need to ask that is there some other software that is available that will scan the drives and mark each sector as a bad drive or a good drive in it I think that will be of good use in it so that’s what I want to say here, hope you all have got the question which I want to ask here.

[mesterio]

See if you do not like using your laptop then you can better fully reformat the disk, and then put the image back on, however it is failing for a reason and you need to identify the reason the upshot is that if it has been getting poorer from the last year then even following a re-format it will keep on getting worse, all hdds will not succeed, this one will also fail soon and once it has gone, then forget it, you will not be able to get the data back, so just see the attributes in pink/red they are troublesome, see if you can locate some software to get or read the smart attributes.

[Angrzej]

I think you are talking about the SMART attributes yes I have checked it and everything comes back green / pass. So I think the drive is not worsening, it has some bad sectors that’s it. so now in this stage can you all recommend me some software that can check the drive for bad sectors and mark them without reformatting as you all know that disk utility is not working in my system here, so please do help I am waiting for the solutions.

[mv]

Ok in this situation try using the mcgenius might be the perfect solution for you so do aheva check about the same I think that’s the perfect solution that you might be looking for so go ahead and have a look at the same and I am sure it will be worth considering. Any program equivalent to PC Scandisk program will also do the needful for you so I hope you are understanding what I am trying to say here lets see.

[Angrzej]

Thanks for the necessary recommendation that you have given I will try and find the necessary software from the mac stores lets see if I can get it from there appreciate your efforts that you have given some good solutions for me. so thanks a ton for that. I will look for the advice that you have given here and make sure that i implement the same in my system as well. so lets see if that works for me or not, appreciate your efforts for giving me some sound solutions.

[Daizy]

Angrzej,

How did you know that your drive has bad sectors after checking SMART attribute and everthing is green / pass in result status. You can try trial version of surface scan (Module of Stellar Drive ToolBox software) which helps to find out bad sectors in hard drive. Let me know about status after using this software.