how do i check to see if my HDD works?

[GooseTickler]

i have a lot of HDD of various sizes. i also have a computer with one functional hard drive already in it. how do i check the other drives to see if they work, in the fastest way possible i.e. without having to install an operating system on the drive i'm testing?

if its possible, give as much detail as possible. including master/slave settings.

thanks

[Mr Snatcher]

Slave is a good idea, Can enble S.M.A.R.T in bios, use the utility disk or download from the makers site and you could use scandisk. Generally if it can format, then the disk is usable or ok.

[Lazza]

Or d/l Ultimate Boot CD from www.ultimatebootcd.com (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/) and it has every major HD manu's own HD diagnostic check software on it and all you have to do is point and shoot.

[emailrob]

nice link lazza, definately a good resource to use.
You could also use knoppix linux CD and you should be able to read the partitions on another hard drive (should i hasten to add).
You don't need an operating system installed, it runs from the bootable CD.

[Lazza]

Np rob and a cracking point you make there too which I keep on forgetting, doh. :o

Knoppix is an amazing piece of standby kit for anyone who has not tried it and you can be up and running, on the web or burning CDR's in mere minutes too! :)

[GooseTickler]

thanks for the link

ive downloaded most of the files i think will be useful. however im not sure what to do with them. some are .exe files while others are .iso. do i have to burn the .iso files seperatly or just put EVERYTHING into one CD.
some of these files are used to create a bottable floppy while others are window based. how do i create a cd that runs all these programs without an OS?

can someone direct me to what i should be doing, including, if possible, how to create a bootable CD.

thanks

[Lazza]

If you d/l the UBCD then all you do is unzip and then use DVD Decrypter or whatever to burn the .iso image.

Then reboot with the disc in your drive and run the utils you want from there, you might have to select your CD/DVD reader as first boot device in your BIOS first to boot up from the disc.

[GooseTickler]

thanks alot Lazza....ive just wasted all that time downloading the seperate files :(

i should really be a bit more patient and read.

great help, thanks.