The drive still appears functional with only good sectors remaining after the format.
The drive still appears functional with only good sectors remaining after the format.
Last night I began a task since a game installer began producing disk I/O problems when attempting an update. This occurred on my frequently used SSD for gaming. I opened the Windows Event Viewer, which displayed several disk-related errors like "This device, <ssd id>, has a bad block." I then executed `chkdsk` on the drive; it didn’t detect any faults, but when I restarted it with `/f` and `/r`, it identified multiple faulty blocks and seemed to be shifting data from paths I hadn’t accessed in years. While this was happening, I also ran CrystalDiskInfo, which showed a healthy SMART status at 98%. After the scan completed, I restarted the game that triggered the issue, but the errors persisted. While using a Samsung-specific tool (Samsung Magician), it indicated the drive was functioning well. The quick diagnostic options didn’t reveal any problems. Then I attempted a full overnight scan, which uncovered some bad sectors or blocks and warned me to recover the drive. Because I had to power off the machine, I also responded to a Windows alert: "Problems detected on disk—reboot to resolve." This prompted a longer restart that printed repair messages. After rebooting, Magician performed another full scan; it reported a new error message advising replacement due to detected defects. Since no critical data resides here, I went ahead and ordered a replacement SSD, moved away some files, and formatted the old drive completely. After formatting, I re-ran the tests, hoping to isolate any remaining bad sectors or to keep the drive operational at reduced capacity. Surprisingly, the full scan found no bad sectors and the SMART self-test completed without issues. I’m left questioning whether this drive is still safe to use. All metrics seem normal, but after such difficulties just hours ago, I’m uncertain about its reliability. As mentioned, only games are stored here, so I don’t mind re-downloading them, yet I’m hesitant to discard a potentially salvageable device. I’ve attached several screenshots from the process in case they clarify the situation.
Bad areas consist of degraded NAND memory cells. Clearing the drive eliminates non-functional cells from the storage layout. A few may respond, depending on your interest.
I think I saw the same article yesterday while working through some issues. I reached a similar idea, but I’m not sure my gut feeling is completely reliable. Here’s what I found:
It has been running for over two and a half years without excessive write activity. Three bad blocks have been logged, totaling 636 if the conversion is direct. The drive doesn’t indicate spare capacity. If I owned this drive, I’d label it as "use with caution." Only record data that can be replaced, like game installs. Make sure to scan regularly. Remove it immediately if additional bad areas emerge.
Uncertain about whether 1 block equals 1 LBA; Samsung Magician indicates the upper limit for LBAs. Should I place this drive in a "use with caution" setting? Would it be wise to enable RAPID or Over Provisioning?
I believe it simply lists the drives' maximum usable space without considering their state. Quick tests with RAM caching can inflate benchmark results, but I'm uncertain about its practical impact beyond that. Let Windows manage it. Over Provisioning isn't something I'd prioritize unless you're consistently filling the SSD and TRIM is functioning. As long as unused blocks exist, the drive can optimize future writes. There are no precise figures, but I suggest keeping usage under 75%.