Re: Anyone know how to add SpinRite to UBCD?

For the record, SpinRite worked just fine on my flash drive following these instructions. SpinRite is an ancient program that only runs correctly on old (think Pentium 4) systems with 2TB or smaller drives. Steve Gibson is supposed to be updating it, but keeps getting distracted with side projects (Vitamin D, Healthy Sleep, Ketosis [which I don't think he understood the long term damage this causes nor that humans are anatomically frugivores which even most vegetarians seems to be oblivious of], SQRL Logins, DNS Benchmark, Never10, etc..). If and when he does a compatibility and performance update it will be free for current owners. Compatibility will even include support booting it off of Macs and other UEFI only systems. The most common problem I have with SpinRite is bad USB keyboard support. I can press the same key 7 times and maybe it works once, maybe it works thrice, roll the dice and find out. I have far better luck on systems with a genuine PS/2 keyboard in to a PS/2 port (not a USB to PS/2 adapter). I can't wait for an update, in the mean time I've got a dedicated Dell P4 for SpinRite usage. What is supposed to make SpinRite better than other tools is that it listens to the SMART data, and if a particular area of the drive is using Error correcting code a whole bunch then it's presumed bad. SpinRite will then read and re-read that spot about 20 times, It takes the average of those 20 reads and reallocates that averaged data to a known good spare sector. According to Steve Gibson, the use of SMART feedback to focus in on problems and all but ignore good areas (only has to read those once) of the drive is what separates it from the rest. You can also save/resume running the tool on a given drive/partition between power cycles which is handy as well (this can be done by saving to a floppy if you booted off of one, otherwise you just make note of the drive/partition it was currently on and record the X.XXXX% complete position and enter that in next time). It is slow as molasses and that does suck, but over all I think it's an extremely worthwhile tool written by a genius. All that being said I can unequivocally recommend his free Security Now! podcast which I've listened to for the last decade.

Thanks,
Christian Blackburn
Fast and Friendly Computer Repair
Cell: 916-978-1Fix (1349), Fax:266-0821