A surface test scans a hard drive for bad sectors, which can corrupt or lose data. It’s important to identify and mark bad sectors to avoid using them. Regular maintenance tools can prevent serious problems, and it’s important to use reputable software designed for your operating system.
A surface test is a scan of a hard drive that is performed to look for bad sectors. Data stored in a bad sector can be corrupted or lost, and identifying bad sectors allows you to mark them so your computer knows it won’t use them in the future. Many of the computer maintenance software programs that come bundled with operating systems include a surface test feature, and you can also use a specially designed surface test program to scan a drive.
When a hard drive is manufactured, it usually contains a few bad sectors. Over time, they can develop more. These areas of the hard drive are damaged in such a way as to affect its function, partially or totally. A number of events can lead to a bad sector, from physical damage caused by faulty components to damage that is the result of a crash or unexpected shutdown. A surface test does what it implies: it scans the surface for bad sectors. It is important to note that having bad sectors are not necessarily dangerous or harmful, as long as they are identified and isolated.
The test identifies bad sectors by examining the hard drive and looking for disk read errors that indicate there is a problem with a particular sector. Some programs may attempt to repair bad sectors on your hard drive by running a hard drive test. Others will mark those sectors so the system knows not to use them. It may allow it to be read, in case the data stored in the bad sector is still accessible, but cannot be written to.
It is recommended that you run regular computer maintenance tools, such as a surface test and a hard drive defragmenter. Checks for viruses, bad sectors, and other problems can allow people to identify them early, before they escalate into a more serious problem. This can be scheduled to happen automatically, for computer users who are worried they might forget otherwise. Software included with an operating system is usually up to the job, but users can also download special programs. It’s important to use a program designed for your operating system and file system, and to obtain programs from reputable companies.
The term “surface testing” is also used in other senses, such as materials testing, where the goal is to physically test a surface. Surface tests of this type are performed for product quality control and to confirm that a surface is usable.
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