This is not a regular article, it is a blatant (and deserving) plug for one of the coolest pieces of software I have ever used.

Gibson Research Corporation (GRC) has just released SpinRite 6.0.  It is the world's best hard drive data recovery and defect detection program.  In a nutshell, it ensures your hard drive data is safe.  We use it regularly to keep our hard drives in check.

SpinRite features:

A few SpinRite features, all link to grc.com:

• Data-loss preventative maintenance: It prevents loss of data and prevents your hard drive from crashing by detecting defects before they destroy your data. (This is our main use of SpinRite.)
• Data recovery: It recovers lost data from damaged hard drives.  It has been known to recover completely crashed and inoperable hard drives. (We have not had an opportunity to test this feature.)
• Fully compatible with NTFS, Linux, Novell, and any other file systems.
• Magnetodynamics.  It explains how SpinRite works.   (This is the page I was most interested in.)
• Exclusive Feature Summary lists features only found in SpinRite.
• Absolute Satisfaction Guarantee:  GRC will refund your purchase without question for any reason.
• Programmed by hardware and assembly language software guru, Steve Gibson.

Download SpinRite 6 here:  SpinRite 6.0

SpinRite 6.0 Movie

SpinRite's creator, Steve Gibson, appeared on The ScreenSavers on G4/TechTV with Patrick Norton.  Check out this 6 minute video to see SpinRite 6.0 in action.

SpinRite 6.0 "The Movie" 

Screen Shots:

Detailed Technical Log:

Dynastat in Operation:

Graphic Status Display:

Option Settings:

Real Time Activities:

Smart System Monitor:

Download SpinRite 6:

Download SpinRite 6:  http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

SpinRite's Quality:

Well, NASA uses SpinRite. Sometimes this is the easiest way to have newcomers respect SpinRite.  People always use NASA to showcase quality, too much really, and here I am doing the same thing!  At any rate, it is a testament to SpinRite's quality.  Just recently, a 60 Gig drive on International Space Station is using SpinRite 6.

For those of you more technically oriented and wish to understand the way things work, like myself, please check out the magnetodynamics page.  After which, you will not need to hear the opinions of others to judge SpinRite.

About the Author:  I am Matthew Doucette of Xona Games, an award-winning, team-of-two indie studio concentrating on "intense retro" games (Xbox LIVE, PSN, WiiWare, and Windows PC). We've released Decimation X (XBLIG), a 1-4 player shmup, #1 best selling and #1 top rated XBLIG in Japan. We're working on Duality ZF (XBLA), a groundbreaking 1-4 player shmup, which placed #1 in Canada and #5 in the world in Microsoft's Dream Build Play 2010 contest. It features dual play, the ability to control two fighters at once, and a massively upgradable 32-stage spread/laser weapon system. 4 player dual play allows up to eight fighters at once.  Many of these features are never before seen shoot'em up firsts. Both games feature beautiful electronic Imphenzia soundtracks.  Help spread the word with our official dualityzf.com and decimationx.com websites.

P.S. Watch out for Score Rush (official website scorerush.com), another 1-4 player shmup. Coming soon to XBLIG.

*Shmup also known as: shoot'em up, 2D shooter, scrolling shooter, space shooter, spaceship shooter, retro shooter, etc.