An experimental program to work with HDD - Version 4.

3
(C support of both the ports and through the API Windows)
Attention! Test drive through the ports, which are currently running Windows - not!
Please carefully read the documentation.
This document refers to the disc through the ports. Working through the API is different
in that accesses HDD not directly but through the driver Windows. This makes it possible
to estimate the speed of Windows with the hard disk in the current regime, and also
allows you to safely test ANY drives supported by the system.
To ensure that the program could work with the drive through the API, the device must be
initialized in the system.
Disadvantages of working through the API compared to working through the ports:
- The impact of the system of appeals to the hard drive on the test results;
- Smaller features (in particular, can not be changed HPA);
- API is much worse is to damaged hard drive. For example, the Windows driver can
disable the faulty device without warning;
- It is impossible to monitor registers HDD;
- Only works for Win XP/2000/HR
Dignity of work through the API compared to access via ports:
- You can test the system disk;
- You can quickly erase data from the HDD (for example, on my HDD SAMSUNG
SP2514N speed is 71 Mb / s);
- You can test the USB, Flash, etc. not-ATA hard drives;
Brief description of product:
Victoria 4.x for Windows - is a program designed to assess performance, testing and
minor repair HDD IDE drive and SATA. Its ideology and the possibility of closer to those
of the previous utility Victoria 3.x for DOS. Win32 version is designed primarily for
repairmen HDD in stationary conditions, as requires a Windows computer, and is not
intended to test the system hard drive. However, compared with the DOS-programs, the
utility for Windows provides the following benefits:
- There is no CPU load at idle;
- More user-friendly interface;
- Multi-tasking;
The program is multithreaded Win32 application, and is designed for the OS family of
Windows NT (2000, XP). In Windows 9x and Me, some functions may work slower.
The program is written for hardware-software Victoria, developed by the author for the
professional HDD repair and data recovery. Free version differs in its lack of

technological tools, some useful functions are disabled. Work with the store is at the level
of input-output ports.
System Requirements - CPU not less than P3, from 1300 MHz (the higher - the better),
screen resolution of 800 * 600 1280 * 1024, Microsoft Windows XP. In the card surface
with disabled system requirements are sharply reduced.
When you first start under Win NTprogramma automatically install the system driver
porttalk.sys, with the help of which will be made available to the ports under study HDD.
Rebooting the system is not required. When you run under Win 9x no driver installed,
and access to ports is achieved by disabling the "control panel Windows appropriate
IDE controller.
The program can also access additional ATA controller. Pressing the PCI scan list will
appear in the system controller. When you click on each of them - the port addresses are
automatically raskladvayutsya in the input window port addresses. You can also manually
register the required addresses in the input box by selecting Mode Custom. It should be
borne in mind that the default port for Primary blocked (to avoid access to the system
disk). To unlock it is necessary to register in the ini-file in section [ATA Port] value
Enable PM = 1 and restart the program.
Feature of the program is the use of proprietary algorithms scan the surface without
loading the CPU (on a system with a P4 2000MHz at the surface off the map, it is 1-5%).
This was made possible through the use of multimedia timer. But due to the fact that this
method is new to the programs of this class, provides an alternative to the classic timer
scheme (on RDTSC). Switching is carried out on the tab Setup. It is more accurate, but
will ship the system to 100%.

The main differences from the DOS version of the program are as follows:
Passport:
- Support for some features of the standard ATA-8;
- The sector resulting from the HDD, is stored in the file;
- You can download a passport other drives for viewing;
Host Protected Area (HPA):
- You can install both temporary and permanent value of the volume;
- Size is adjustable slider;
Seek (test mechanics):
- You can set the threshold time at which the test will be interrupted and the drive is off;
- You can specify the type of test (pure positioning, verification, reading, creating softbad). In the latter case, the surface is a "long record" of information that was read from
the sector.
Acoustic Management (AAM):
- Allows you to adjust the noise level of the mouse or keyboard;

Password Manager:
- Sets the password of any level of the input window or from a file;
- Allows you to erase the disc by pressing a button (Erase). At the same time on the hard
drive is automatically put the master and user passwords fuck and the command is
given security erase, provided standard.
S.M.A.R.T. Monitor:
- Allows you to view attributes treshholdy, raw value in the decimal system;
- View the current status of the life of the drive;
- Run the built-in hard drive SMART test;
- View the current status of the SMART-drive tests and their implementation;
- Set a timer that will update the SMART readings at preset times;
Scanning the surface:
- Allows you to choose the block size and timeout, after which the screw is fed soft reset;
- There are 4 scan mode, including reverse;
- Is it possible to produce not only common, but "long" record of sectors, while in the
drive is written the information which is contained in the sector;
- Flaw in finding defects by time-out and entering in the log real addresses of sectors (not
blocks);
- Data recovery from "a long reading of" (the free version off);
- Hiding defects by remapa;
- Draw a graph of the surface (optional);
- Stopping the random read of the timer (in the upper left corner of the panel over the
button Pause).

Note:
1) In windows enter the boundaries LBA is permissible to use records of the form "22%,
345Mb, etc. Also works to the clipboard (copy and paste from other windows).
2) The processor-cropping (Celeron, Duron) system load can be very high, especially
when reading records. If it is incredibly annoying - write, remade.
Misc (tab Advanced - its content is open to question):
- View the partition table in the target hard drive;
- Measure the speed of the shaft (Normal mode is recommended. Random - this is a very
rough algorithm for the ugly screws which is not disconnected cache:)
- Teams to manage the cache (only ATA-7);
Also:
- Maintain a detailed log of work;
- Most settings are stored in nonvolatile memory (ini-file);

Due to the fact that the free version of the author writes in their spare time, and no
prosecution for any commercial purposes - it may contain errors not yet seen, and not
closed by a trap for fools. " Try to take it with understanding: carefully read the
documentation. It is useful to review the documentation to the Victoria 3.x for DOS - in
both programs have much in common. About noticed flaws please send an e-mail
sergei@hdd-911.com.