HUTIL
HUTIL is a free utility from Samsung and it is for both FDD (floppy disk drive) and CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) drives. This tool is for internal HDD and it allows you to test the hard drive without removing it. Back up your data before running it. HUTIL is compatible only with Samsung HDDs, including SpinPoint drives. It runs in DOS (disk operating system) mode and allows you to create a bootable disk. You can also use the tool to erase all the information on your hard drive. Download HUTIL from the Samsung website.
Recover Lost Digital Pictures
The Recover Lost Digital Pictures 3.0.1.5 tool allows you to recover lost, deleted or corrupted images from your HDD and partitions. Disk partitioning involves breaking up a hard drive into virtual drives. It can retrieve JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and TIF (Tagged Image File Format) files. This tool is compatible with Samsung, Kingston, SanDisk and Toshiba HDD, as well as the following operating systems: Windows 98, 2000, Server 2008, Me (Millennium), NT, XP and Vista. This is a shareware program, which means that you can use it for free for a limited time. When that period expires, you must purchase the full version to continue using the program. This tool costs $69 in 2010.
Shdiag
Shdiag is a free tool offered by Samsung. It runs in DOS mode and it scans your hard drive to determine whether sections or the entire drive have failed. Back up your data before running this tool. The Shdiag tool is compatible with the following models of Samsung: SpinPoint V20400, V9100, V10200 and V15300. It is also compatible with some older drives, so check the website to determine if you can use this tool. The tool will output the results of the test to your screen, including whether the program completed the diagnostic test. You can download this tool from the Samsung website.