Most people might have faced problems like CRC (Cyclic Redundany Check) or cannot open the files or programs properly. This is because the hard disk might have filled with bad sectors which makes your data unreadable or corrupt. Any data stored in bad sector is likely to be lost. Usually data spreads across the sectors of the hard disk. You get error message if you try opening a file when the data related to that particular file is stored in bad sectors. Bad sectors occur due to physical damage or magnetic head problem in the hard disk. This is an indication that the hard disk would crash soon.
The bad sectors can be recovered by Low Level formatting using DOS command utility "FDISK". You have to use Windows 98 bootable CD or DOS bootable floppy to boot the computer from DOS and type FDISK and press "ENTER" key. FDISK is a utility to create hard disk partitions and format the created partitions. It is always better to remove the bad sector filled partition and create partition again then format the partition using FDISK utility to remove bad sectors. You can use another DOS command SCANDISK to scan for bad sectors, but this command will mark the bad sector to be skipped so that no data is stored in bad sectors but the hard disk will continue having bad sectors.
Windows has built in tool to recover bad sectors. To access this tool, open "MY COMPUTER" and right-click on the drive and click on "PROPERTIES"or go to start and click on "RUN"or hold "WINDOWS" key and press "E" to open WINDOWS EXPLORER and right-click on the drive and click "PROPERTIES". Go to "TOOLS" tab and click on "CHECK NOW" under ERROR-CHECKING title to open CHECK DISK window select "SCAN FOR AND ATTEMPT RECOVERY OF BAD SECTORS".
The bad sectors can be recovered by Low Level formatting using DOS command utility "FDISK". You have to use Windows 98 bootable CD or DOS bootable floppy to boot the computer from DOS and type FDISK and press "ENTER" key. FDISK is a utility to create hard disk partitions and format the created partitions. It is always better to remove the bad sector filled partition and create partition again then format the partition using FDISK utility to remove bad sectors. You can use another DOS command SCANDISK to scan for bad sectors, but this command will mark the bad sector to be skipped so that no data is stored in bad sectors but the hard disk will continue having bad sectors.
Windows has built in tool to recover bad sectors. To access this tool, open "MY COMPUTER" and right-click on the drive and click on "PROPERTIES"or go to start and click on "RUN"or hold "WINDOWS" key and press "E" to open WINDOWS EXPLORER and right-click on the drive and click "PROPERTIES". Go to "TOOLS" tab and click on "CHECK NOW" under ERROR-CHECKING title to open CHECK DISK window select "SCAN FOR AND ATTEMPT RECOVERY OF BAD SECTORS".
There are many other tools available to fix or recover bad sectors. But I strongly recommend "HDD REGENERATOR" for recovering bad sectors. This tool will not skip or mark the bad sector, instead it will restore the bad sectors without changing or affecting the existing data thus making your data readable.
