Hard Disk Health

Lesson from 256GB Hynix SSD failure:

• CrystalDiskInfo "Good" is insufficient, at least for SSDs
• chkdsk or equivalent is wanted for data integrity

Drive Data Health from File Explorer

• In left column, click right mouse button a drive to check:
  
   

Hard Disk wiping

Drive from unreliable Buffalo NAS

• disk management - Create and format hard disk partitions
• a dismount volumes
• for that disk, remove partitions:
  
• for that disk, remove volumes:
  
• format as simple volume, uncheck fast format (takes awhile to wipe all data)
  - for this defective Seagate drive, format hung at 1%

Seagate SeaTools

• manual
• download (scroll down)
• works for non-Seagate drives;  worked badly with Buffalo NAS' defective drive;
  I guess that SeaTools must use Windows 11's "secure" disk access API,
    which is probably not robust against non-trivial drive errors...