Hard disk diagnostic

[gas4harley]

In my HP owner manual the monthly maintenance includes hard disk diagnostic. But it fails to tell you how to do it. Does anyone have any info? Thanks for any help.

[Dobbs]

I would like to know the answer to this one too!

[Holly2]

Are you having a problem with hardware? If so go to the following link:http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fastFaqLiteDocument?lc=en&cc=us&product=18703&dlc=en&docname=c00849402  

If you just want to do a test on your hardware, you can schedule a test put there by HP and found in the Task Scheduler. It should have come on by default once a month. I had to redo mine as it started coming on once a week so I changed it to come on once a month  and on the last day of the month. Go to Start, then click on Accessories, then click on System Tools, then click on Task Scheduler.  When on Task Scheduler, click on Task Scheduler Library and find PCDR Scheduler and highlight it.Then click on Properties under Actions and you should be able to schedule when you  want this test to be done by clicking on Triggers and setting the test to come on as often as you want it and when. May need to edit the trigger. Hope you understand and this is what you want. Let me know if you need any more help, if this is what you were interested in doing.

[Holly2]

Sorry about the spacing on the first line of my last reply. I don't know how that happened. It didn't look that way when I typed or sent it. Hope it didn't happen again. 

[c0rnel]

You can always run your own Hardware tests from Start, click where it says "start search" in the white box and type the word "hard" without quotes. On top click hardware diagnostic tools, say no and don't create disk/disc, ignore the 3 alerts, and when the windows opens look on the left side and it gives you categories.

Select Storage, and choose your hard drive(s) and run a SMART short test. The other test takes much longer.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fastFaqLiteDocument?lc=en&cc=uk&dlc=fr&docname=c00849402

You can also test, motherboard, cpu, ram, video, network, etc.

[Holly2]

Yes, I did include that test with the link you also showed and all the steps that need to be done for testing. However, I believe the two people inquiring about the test probably wanted one to come up automatically on a regular basis without having to remember to do the test and the one I put there can be set to come on once a month or week or how ever often they wanted it. I set it to come on when I'm not usually on the computer.and you can always cancel it if need be. It only takes about ten minutes at the most on my computer to do the HP provided test.

[mikenowo]

I searched my system but cannot find the hardware diagnostic tools using the aforementioned methods. I did find a link to it looking through the windows help manus BUT when I click on hardware diagnostic tools it says it can't find teh program. Wha?? where could it possibly have gone to. Any way I can donwload and reinstall it? I have a 32bit version of windows vista.

Thx.

[mikenowo]

Well I finally found the 32 bit update on the HP site and installed it, now the Diagnostic program works fine. How it simply disappeared from menus and the hard drive is beyond me.  I know Ive used it before .. sigh

[Holly2]

I'm glad you found it. I got you message last night, but turned off my computer because of a strong thunderstorm so couldn't repy then. Mine is located  in the PC Help and Tools folder on the Startup Menu, but if I forget where it is I just type Hardware Diagnostics in the Search box on the Startup. When my computer was only 5 months old it failed 4 tests: Random Seek Test, Funnel Seek Test and Surface Scan Test and Surface Scan Test 2. I had no idea it had any problems, but since it was under warranty for 7 more months, HP sent me a new harddrive. I've had  no problems with the new harddrive. My computer was purchased on May 24,2009 so my new harddrive has lasted and no new problems have shown up on this test. I schedule it once a month. 

Holly

[mikenowo]

My problem is that it wasn't even in that menu where it should have been PLUS it was completely gone from my hard drive when I had used it before. Downloading the update from HP reinstalled it so to speak and now it does exist on the drive and in the menu. Ghost in the machine :-o

My HD is over 4 years old so I doubt there is still a warranty although I have read that they have 5 year warranties. In any event if it is the HD Id rather just buy a new one than worry about shipping and handling costs et al.