MHDD is a small and free application for low-level hard drive diagnostics. Is it worth downloading?
MHDD / Photo: Own materials
MHDD is probably the most popular program for low-level HDD (hard disk drive) diagnostics. It supports IDE, Serial ATA and SCSI interfaces. Additionally, it provides the possibility to access USB memory – the developer offers drivers for emulation (USB->SCSI).
Seemingly simple software performs a thorough diagnostics of the mechanical part of the disk. It displays SMART parameters, performs low-level formatting, or repairs bad sectors. It performs various diagnostic tests and has many more functions.
The application works independently of the installed operating system. This means that it establishes a direct connection through the controller, bypassing the BIOS.
It is worth noting, however, that the drive must be set in “master” mode and must be the only device connected to an IDE or Serial ATA channel. To run MHDD we also have to burn the downloaded IOS image to media and boot from it.
Importantly, many commands supported by MHDD can damage the disk. This is definitely an application for experienced users who know exactly what they want to perform and how.
We also recommend other tools that are very useful when it comes to diagnosing or monitoring disk performance. These are CrystalDiskInfo and HD Tune.