There are several methods for testing your Seagate hard drive. Some of these diagnostics test the drive hardware, as others test the logical hard drive features (partitions, sectors, file system, etc.)
Dashboard DiagnosticsSeatools DiagnosticsWindows OS diagnostics toolsMac OS Diagnostics toolsDashboard DiagnosticsBe sure the drive is connected directly to the computer using a USB port, not using a docking station or hub.
1.) Open Seagate Dashboard by double-clicking the Seagate Dashboard icon on the desktop.
In MacOS, this icon will be in the Applications folder.
2.) On the left side of the Seagate Dashboard, click the drive on which you want to test.
3.) Click the Manage tab.
4.) Click the Test button
Note: For a more thorough test of your external hard drive, we suggest using SeaTools for Windows. A pass or fail message from Seagate Dashboard could simply indicate other issues which do not warrant a hard drive replacement. If the Dashboard diagnostic test produces a ‘fail’ result, we recommend you test the hard drive with the SeaTools diagnostic program before pursuing a replacement of the hard drive.
Top of pageSeaTools Diagnostics1.) It is suggested to close all other applications before running hard disk diagnostic, in order to keep the drive focused on SeaTools as much as possible.
2.) Please keep the computer fully powered on. Power management controls may need to be suspended while doing very long tests. Make sure you have the computer plugged in by power supply to a main wall socket.
- Click on the Start or Windows icon button in the bottom left corner of your Windows desktop.
- Select Control Panel.
- Select Power Options.
- Select “Change plan settings”
- Select “Change advanced power settings”
- Expand the Hard Disks in this window
- The setting “Turn off hard disk after” should be set to “Never” while running any SeaTools for Windows test.
3.) Select the Drives to Test. Seagate, Samsung, LaCie, and Maxtor drive models are all supported drives. Please safely remove all other hard drives except the drive(s) that you want to test.
4.) Select the Tests to Run. A menu of the possible diagnostic tests is shown. Select the test that you would like to perform. You should backup all of your data before running tests that have options to “Fix”. The test will begin immediately. These tests include:
- Fix all
- S.M.A.R.T. check
- Short Drive Self Test
- Short Generic
- Long Generic (progress in 1% increments and may take several hours to complete)
5.) Upon completion of running the diagnostics, a log for each drive is saved to the program installation folder. You can read the log by clicking on Help>View Log File. You can also view a log about the test results by clicking on either “Pass Info”or “Fail Info”, depending on the results of the test, when the test is done next to the “Help” option. Then you will see three tabs: “Pass Info”, “Warranty Checker”, and “View Log File."
Top of pageWindows OS DiagnosticsThe Windows Operating System has a some great tools for testing hard drives. This program is called Check Disk (ChkDsk).
Always backup your data before running any check disk (chkdsk) scans of your hard drive. If there is a bad sector, any data that may have been accessible before chkdsk, will likely become inaccessible once the bad sector is re-allocated.
1.) Access command prompt
Hold the Windows key and press R
2.) Type CMD in the box
3.) Type chkdsk X: /f
Note: X is the letter of the drive
This command will attempt to fix any file system error. The length of time for this to complete will vary depending on the capacity of the drive.
Mac OS DiagnosticsThe MacOS has great tools for testing hard drives. This program is called First Aid.
Always backup your data before running First Aid scans of your hard drive. If there is a bad sector, any data that may have been accessible before running “Repair Disk” will likely become inaccessible once the bad sector is re-allocated.
1.) Confirm the drive is seen in Disk Utility.
- Click Go on the top menu bar from the Desktop.
- Choose Utilities.
- Choose Disk Utility.
2.) Once Disk Utility is launched a drive list will be displayed in the left hand column.
3.) The external Seagate drive should appear in this list as a selectable drive. Click on the drive icon to highlight the drive and the window will display the information about the current drive and the file system.
4.) If the drive partition(s) is still visible in the left column as the second indented row under the hard drive itself, but is not mounted on the Desktop, you can try to run a repair on the partition using Disk Utility’s First Aid function.
To get to First Aid:
- Click on the partition to select it. When done correctly, the partition will be highlighted in blue (may vary at some point).
- Click on the First Aid tab.
- Click on “Verify Disk” and if Disk Utility says it’s needed, then run “Repair Disk”.
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