On Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 19:06:39 -0000, Vic wrote:
> > SpinRite selectively disables and enables a drive's
> > read caching, write caching, read-ahead buffering, on-the-fly sector
> > relocation, on-the-fly error correction, dynamic servo thermal
> > re-equalization, early and late ECC error correction, and other
> > advanced features in modern drives.
>
> All that sounds pretty nifty - and TBH, I'm too long out of that game to
> know whether it bears any resemblance to the truth or not.
I do not believe it can be possibly true.
Not only do the drives, in general, not export that level of control
such that it may be externally manipulated to do so would require a
level of access hard to achieve even going direct. (Given the number
of mostly-standard but not-quite drives in existence even if you
limit yourself to just IDE/SATA/AHCI/etc.)
(Not sure if the tool in question runs in windows, from a bootdisk,
or via DOS. Obviously if it runs on top of Windows then there is
lots of issues with any low-level utility having to undo the VxDs
Windows sets up. [Clearly I'm using VxDs as a hand-wave for the
PM setup - but if you understand the reference you'll see what I mean])
> This bit is just fluff - the fact that you can sell snake oil to someone
> who is desperate enough to try anything means nothing at all.
Indeed. Gibson excels at snake oil. IMHO.
Steve
--
Debian GNU/Linux System Administration
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