The Answer Guy 28: Bad cluster in HDD

#### "Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"

# The Answer Guy

#### By James T. Dennis, answerguy@ssc.com
Starshine Technical Services, http://www.starshine.org/

### Bad cluster in HDD

From Thomas Vavra on Wed, 15 Apr 1998

Hi there!
I got a neat, fast 1,6GB HDD (WD IDE) with one "bad cluster" as DOS calls it. Is there any way in using it for linux(marking the cluster as bad or something like that?)

> No problem. Linux distributions come with a program named '`badblocks`' it handles this for you. The best way to do it is to let '`mkfs`' call badblocks using its internally supported switches.
> For ext2 filesystems you'd use `mke2fs` or `mkfs.ext2` (usually links to the same file). Just add the `-c` switch to the command when you invoke it (and read the man page for details).
> If you already have an ext2fs on a drive and you suspect that new bad blocks have developed (for example you've dropped the drive or the machine's been through an earthquake) you can run `e2fsck` (or `fsck.ext2` as it may be linked) with the `-c` switch.
> Like I said, easy!
> (Naturally I suggest you do these from single user mode, and do proper backups).

##### Copyright © 1998, James T. Dennis
Published in Linux Gazette Issue 28 May 1998