Flashnul - USB / Flash Drive Diagnostic Tool.

Flashnul is a utility for diagnostics and testing of variuous USB flash drives and memory cards (USB-Flash, IDE-Flash, SecureDigital, MMC, MemoryStik, SmartMedia, XD, CompactFlash etc)

Here is a list of its features:

1. Read test - test of every sector of the selected drive for availability;

2. Write test - write test of every sector of the selected drive;

3. Test of safety of the written data - check of correspondence of the written and read

information (it is similar to functionality memtest, but concerning flash-disk drives)

4. Not Destructive check of reading/record - allows to check up availability on record of each

sector of the drive, without losing the written data (after block check the data containing in

this block, is written back)

5. Making of an image of the drive, on sector level (like dd from UNIX systems)

6. Loading of the image of the drive back to the drive (on sector level).

Here is a screenshot when an error is detected:

Here is a translation of the documentation for Flashnul (original is written in Russian, so there could be grammatical errors, if you don't understand something, leave a comment I'll be glad to help):

Principle of work

The utility is caused in one of three modes:

* display of the information (at start with a key-h or without parameters)

* display of accessible devices (a key-p)

* performance of operations above the specified device

Display of accessible devices

The remark: for old not Plug-n-play devices results can be incompleteor inexact.

Command of a conclusion of the list of accessible devices:

flashnul -p or flashnul -p=number (like flashnul -p=3)

The command deduces the list of logic and physical disks in system (if the program

is started not on behalf of the manager the list of physical disks it will be empty).

The list looks approximately so:

Avaible physical drives:

0 size = 10005037056 (9 Gb)

1 size = 1040187392 (992 Mb)

2 size =-1 (-not avaible-)

3 size =-1 (-not avaible-)

4 size = 513802240 (490 Mb)

5 size =-1 (-not avaible-)

Avaible logical disks:

C:\ type=3 (Fixed)

D:\ type=5 (CD/DVD)

E:\ type=3 (Fixed)

F:\ type=2 (Removable)

G:\ type=2 (Removable)

H:\ type=2 (Removable)

I:\ type=2 (Removable)

Z:\ type=2 (Removable)

The line-not available-means, that the device is in system, but to get to it access it is impossible. For example a cardreader without the inserted card of memory. If the similar line is deduced for the connected flash-device, it is an attribute of malfunction of the device.

In case of need the part of a conclusion can be disconnected. For this purpose the numerical parameter at an option-p is used. Values:

*-p=1 - display only physical disks

*-p=2 - display only logic disks

For more thin adjustment of a conclusion it is possible to use the additional flags which are disconnecting a conclusion of a part of the information (flags are united by means of binary "or"):

* 256 - deenergizing of display of type of disks (-p=258 simplywill show the list of disks without display of their type)

Performance of operations.

For performance of operations in a command line it is necessary to specify a disk for which operation and the name of the operation should be carried out. If operation will not be specified (the disk will be specified only) there will be after deducing the information on a disk a program will finish the work.

The instruction of a disk.

There are two basic methods of the instruction of a disk:

1. Under number of a physical disk (corresponds to number in the list of physical devices) For example, flashnul 2, flashnul 3, flashnul 0.

2. Under the letter of a logic disk (the list of accessible letters is deduced in the list of logic disks, the register of the letter of a role does not play.) For example, flashnul a:, flashnul d:, flashnul E:

Besides the basic methods there is an opportunity to specify a way to the device in UNC to the form or in the form of hadware enumerator. (These methods are not necessary at usual use of the program).

Examples:

1 \ \. \PhysicalDrive0

2. \\? \ide#diskst310211a____________
___________________6.55____#4436314248563752202020202020202020202020#{53f56307-b6bf--11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}

The information on a disk.

Start c a name (number of a disk) without parameters shows theinformation on the device in style:

Disk PhysicalDrive2 (UNC name: \ \. \PhysicalDrive2)

------------------------------------------------------------[Drive geometry]--Cylinders/heads/sectors = 63/255/63Bytes per sector = 512CHS size = 518192640 (494 Mb)

---------------------------------------------------------------[Device size]--

Device size = 524288000 (500 Mb)delta to near power of 2 = 12582912 (12 Mb), 2 %Surplus size = 6095360 (5952 kb)

-----------------------------------------------[Adapter and Device properties]--

Bus type = (7) USB

Removable device = Yes

Command Queue = Unsupported

Device vendor = Pretec

Device name = i-Disk

Revision = 2.00

--------------------------------------------------------------[Hotplug info]--

Device hotplug = Yes

Media hotplug = No

[Drive geometry] - the information on the size of a disk in factorization by quantity of cylinders, tracks, sectors, quantity of byte in sector (CHS-addressing). For modern devices it more likely

reserve, than the present size. The deduced information:

* Cylinders - quantity of cylinders

* Heads - quantity of heads (tracks on the cylinder)

* Sectors - quantity of sectors on a track

* Bytes per sector - quantity байтов in sector

* CHS size - result of multiplication of first four sizes, theso-called size of a disk in CHS-addressing (it is usual hardly less the than present size of the device).

[Free Space] - free/borrowed space on a disk (section). The information is meaningful only for the formatted section. By virtue of features of the program this information is accessible only at opening a disk with the general access on record (to default it is disconnected, joins an option - write-share). The deduced information:

* Total space - the general accessible volume of section (this size is less the than size of the device as the volume of a disk borrowed by the service information on file system in this size does not join).

* Free space - volume of an empty seat on section of all).

* Avaible space - volume of an accessible place on section (in most cases coincides with Free space and it is not deduced, can differ if disk quotas are included).

[Device size] - the size of the device. In case of work with physical disks data concerning the size of the device show these sizes, in case of with (several) logic disks on the device data concerning a disk on which has undressed show these sizes is. The deduced information:

* Device size - the size of the device

* delta to near power or 2 - "distance" up to the nearest degree of the two. Value of the order of 1-2 % from volume of a disk normally, is more than size of 10 % (i.e. 12MB for 128, 100MB for 1GB) testify to reduction of capacity of the store (usually occurs at switching-off by the controller of the damaged areas). For hard disks this line is not meaningful.

* Surplus size - a difference between the actual size of the device and the size in CHS-addressing.

[Adapter and Device properties] - data about the device and the trunk of connection. (that information which is inaccessible simply is not deduced, for example, for many devices there are no data about audit). The deduced information:

* Bus type - the interface of connection (SCSI, ATAPI, ATA,IEEE1394, SSA, FIBRE, USB, RAID, ISCSI, SAS, SATA) and its numericalcode.

* Removable device - the replaceable or not replaceable device (physically)

* Command Queue - support of turn of commands (NCQ, TCQ, etc.)

* Device Vendor - the manufacturer of the device (the line which is given by the device, can be any or be absent in general)

* Device Name - the name of the device (it is similar - an any line)

* Revision - audit of the device

* Device serial - decoded serial number of the device, can be absent in many devices

[Hotplug info] - the information on "hot" connection. It is accessible only at work in Windows XP or is more senior (it is not supported in Windows 2000/NT). The deduced information:

* Device hotplug - whether the device replaced "on the move" is. For the majority of USB-devices it so, however if in adjustments of the device is included кеширование records, the device is considered not supporting switching-off on the move.

* Media hotplug - whether supports the carrier in the device (basically concerns картридеров) hot switching-off (for USB-Flash here it is usually written No because the data carrier is disconnected not, and all device; for CD/DVD of disks it too is usual «No» on not clear to me to the reasons).

Specifying operations.

During one call, you can do no more than one operation. The name of the operation indicated or in full or abbreviated form. Full name starts with -, abbreviated to -.

Modifiers.

The behavior of many options can be changed using options modifiers.They may be placed separately or next to the option of choice operation -T -P is equivalent -TP

Results of testing.

After end of work the result is deduced:

----------------------------------------------------------[Operation result]--

passes: 1

errors: 0

read bytes: 1048576000 (1000 Mb)

avg. read speed: 5361130 (5235 kb/s)

max/min read speed: 7744769 (7563 kb/s) / 626065 (611 kb/s)

write bytes: 524288000 (500 Mb)

avg. write speed: 4652118 (4543 kb/s)

max/min write speed: 7845525 (7661 kb/s) / 679353 (663 kb/s)

* passes - quantity of passes (if 0 - testing is not completed)

* errors - quantity of mistakes if the number is distinct from zero - defect of the device (or the device have disconnected during the test).

* read bytes - quantity read through bytes if it is more than cycles 1 or the mode-V=3 this number will be more sizes of the device is included.

* avg. read speed - average speed of reading (the read throughbytes/times of reading)

* max/min read speed - the maximal/minimal speed of reading (note:I am not assured of reliability of these two numbers, an option experimental)

* write bytes - quantity written down bytes if it is more than cycles 1 this number will be more sizes of the device.

* avg. write speed - average speed of record (the written down bytes/times of record)

* max/min write speed - the maximal/minimal speed of record (note: I am not assured of reliability of these two numbers, an option experimental)

Download Flashnul (Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista)

Read the translated documentation

Reference:-http://hdddatarecovery.blogspot.com/2008/12/flashnul-usbflash-drive-diagnostic-tool.html