Is there software that tests actual drives? Not quality of burned media but actual drives? I have a ton of old cd-rom drives and I'm trying to decide which ones are at the end of their lifespan.
My ears 😀
Seriously, when they start to sound "funny".
wrote:My ears 😀
Seriously, when they start to sound "funny".
Haha, normally I use the same method. The problem is I don't want to waste time sitting there "listening." I just want to run something for 10-30 min/drive that runs through various tests and gives me some results.
Some might argue using a testing software might just accelerate and compound the wear of the drive.
I can see some diagnostics software but they are not free. You can check here for Windows based programs : http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001090.htm
For DOS, I'm not sure. The Sierra's Windows 3.1x(and Win9x) installation program used to "test" CD drives, but this and other DOS based games installers usually only check for the drive speed.
wrote:Some might argue using a testing software might just accelerate and compound the wear of the drive.
I can see some diagnostics software but they are not free. You can check here for Windows based programs : http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001090.htm
For DOS, I'm not sure. The Sierra's Windows 3.1x(and Win9x) installation program used to "test" CD drives, but this and other DOS based games installers usually only check for the drive speed.
That's what I was afraid of...
I'll check out those 3 programs from your link. Maybe if I test all these drives with a flawless cd and get any errors, it will at least give me an idea of which ones are definitely dead/dying.
