The tests are basic, easy to run, and generally pretty fast in our experience. Seagate’s SeaTools hard drive testing programs are some of the easiest to use of any we’ve ever worked with. SeaTools for DOS doesn’t seem to work well with most RAID controllers.SeaTools for DOS handles a maximum of only 100 errors, at which point testing has to begin again.SeaTools for DOS requires ISO image burner software that novice users might have difficulty using.SeaTools for DOS is OS independent, so it’s automatically compatible with all operating systems.SeaTools for DOS contains a highly useful “acoustic test” for noise troubleshooting.SeaTools for Windows includes lots of information on the drive, like its serial number, capacity, cache size, firmware revision, and rotation rate.SeaTools for Windows tests hard drives no matter the manufacturer.Both versions are easy to use once installed, and are completely free.Two versions are available depending on needs.There’s little not to like about this excellent set of hard drive testing tools: It will download as an ISO file called SeaToolsDOS223ALL.ISO. Visit the SeaTools download page to find the SeaTools for DOS download link. SeaTools for DOS works with any kind of PC, no matter what operating system is installed. Follow the steps in the wizard to put SeaTools on the device, and then boot from the USB device to run the program.Īnother version, SeaTools for DOS, is similar, but don’t let the for DOS part scare you away. Once you’ve done that, open SeaToolsBootable_RC_2.1.2.usbBootMaker.exe, the built-in bootable USB creator. The file is called USBbootSetup-SeaToolsBootable.zip, meaning you’ll need to extract the program files from the archive in order to use it.

The bootable SeaTools program that can be installed on a flash drive or other USB device, can be downloaded here-select SeaTools Bootable. Setup isn’t confusing at all and installs the program quickly. The download is an EXE file called SeaToolsforWindowsSetup.exe. To get started, visit the SeaTools download page and choose the link called SeaTools for Windows under the Downloads section. It can perform several basic tests that can help determine the health of your hard drive, and all types of internal drives can be tested, like SCSI, PATA, and SATA drives.Įxternal drives are also supported like those that work via USB or FireWire. SEATOOLS FOR WINDOWSĪs we mentioned above, SeaTools for Windows installs to your computer like a normal program. We also used Seagate SeaTools in Windows 10, and though it’s not officially supported, it seemed to work as advertised.

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