SR 6.1 Quickly fails on scanning external drive.

[m3110w]

I'm running SR6.1 on a Lenovo Z50 laptop that runs Windows 10. I've got an external Seagate 2TB HDD that checks out OK; it is recognized on my Linux laptop and I formatted it to FAT32. When I start up SR6.1 on the Lenovo it successfully recognizes the external drive. Then I start an L3 scan on external drive and after a few seconds SR6.1 does a hard crash and stops. It becomes completely unresponsive. I have to hold down the Lenovo power button to restart. This has happened 3 times.

This external drive is recognized in the normal fashion on both my Linux laptop and the Lenovo Windows laptop.

I ran fsck on the external drive and it passed.

Any ideas why SR6.1 is quickly hard crashing when running a L3 scan on this drive?

Yesterday I ran L2 on the Lenovo 1TB internal HDD with no problem, took about 2.5 hrs (all sectors good).

Update: I tried to run L2 on the same external drive and SR6.1 hard crashed after 55 seconds. Had to hold down the power button to recover.

Update: I tried to run L3 on a USB connected external Toshiba drive. SR6.1 hard crashed after 32 seconds. Had to hold down the power button to recover. This drive is recognized in the normal fashion by my Linux laptop and Windows laptop.

Update: I switched to using my AMD Bravo Ryzen laptop (Linux) and ran SR6.1 L3 on the Seagate USB connected external drive. Worked good; no hard crashes. So it seems for some reason SR6.1 does not like the Lenovo Windows laptop but is OK with the AMD Linux laptop. The Lenovo laptop is about 8 or 9 yrs old so it could have some subtle problems.

 

[ColbyBouma]

When SpinRite crashes, does it show any error messages? If not, is there a countdown in the upper-left corner? Does the spinner in the upper-right corner stop moving?

 

[DanR]

So it seems for some reason SR6.1 does not like the Lenovo Windows laptop but is OK with the AMD Linux laptop.

It is the system BIOS, @m3110w

SpinRite is dependent on the BIOS to see and access external USB drives. What the BIOS can see/do with EXTERNAL USB drives will typically be limited, confusing, and often problematic. And it WILL vary from one machine to another. It will forever be a PITA for SpinRite 6.,1.

 

[m3110w]

When SpinRite crashes, does it show any error messages?

No.

If not, is there a countdown in the upper-left corner?

The countdown is in the lower left corner. Upper left shows Drive and Item.

Does the spinner in the upper-right corner stop moving?

Yes. All screen activity stops dead. Hard crash.

 

[m3110w]

It is the system BIOS, @m3110w

SpinRite is dependent on the BIOS to see and access external USB drives. What the BIOS can see/do with EXTERNAL USB drives will typically be limited, confusing, and often problematic. And it WILL vary from one machine to another. It will forever be a PITA for SpinRite 6.,1.

OK, that could be it. Maybe SR6.1 has issues with older BIOS. I've used SR6 on many laptops and never had a problem. This is the first time SR has crashed on me. But there's a first time for everything.

 

[ColbyBouma]

The countdown is in the lower left corner. Upper left shows Drive and Item.

That sounds unfamiliar. Can you upload a picture, please? This forum is finicky, so you'll probably have to shrink it to around 500 kB.

 

[m3110w]

That sounds unfamiliar. Can you upload a picture, please? This forum is finicky, so you'll probably have to shrink it to around 500 kB.

Sure. When I use Spinrite I usually only view this display. It's the most relevant and informative.
-----------

 

[ColbyBouma]

Ah, that's why I was confused. You're running 6.0! 6.1 looks a little different.

 

[ColbyBouma]

6.1 is available from here: https://www.grc.com/prerelease.htm

 

[PHolder]

You're running 6.0!

Can we please qualify definitively if this is true, because the thread subject would need a quick edit.

@Steve:

Perhaps you should include a 6.1 in the "graphic status display" to help prevent this issue in the future?

 

[ColbyBouma]

Can we please qualify definitively if this is true

• 6.1 shows the current level in the upper-left instead of "Drive: #, Item: #".
• In 6.1, the numbers after the period under "remaining" and "completed" are darker than the rest of the numbers.
• The "B" next to "defective" in the "sector status key" is blue in 6.0, and black in 6.1.

I agree that showing the version number at the top would be great.

 

[m3110w]

Ah, that's why I was confused. You're running 6.0! 6.1 looks a little different.

No. Incorrect. I'm definitely using 6.1. I took a pic of my 6.1 in operation but I accidentally deleted it. So I just grabbed a pic I found on the net. But I'm definitely using 6.1. I see the big blue "6.1" logo when I start my SR. In any case, the countdown is on the lower left, not upper left.

But back to the main topic. SR6.1 is crashing on my old Lenovo laptop. That's not a big deal cuz I have other laptops I can use. But I did want to report the issue. I agree that the source of the problem likely resides in my old BIOS. So I consider this issue resolved unless someone thinks the problem is in SR6.1 and not in my old BIOS.

If I get time, I'll run 6.1 again and take a pic and post it here. Here's a pic of another screen in my SR6.1:

 

[ColbyBouma]

The countdown in the upper-left I was referring to only shows up when a drive is having trouble and SpinRite has to wait for it to respond. I agree that the issue is likely an uncooperative BIOS. I'm just trying to gather information in case Steve wants to investigate

 

[m3110w]

The countdown in the upper-left I was referring to only shows up when a drive is having trouble and SpinRite has to wait for it to respond.

Oh. I think I've seen that screen 3 times in my 20 years of using SR. Can't remember the last time I saw it.

 

[m3110w]

I agree that the issue is likely an uncooperative BIOS. I'm just trying to gather information in case Steve wants to investigate

If Steve does want to investigate I'll do my best to gather all the info he needs.