I can't get back here before giving the world a new SpinRite.

[Steve Gibson]

Gang...

Until yesterday I had been holding onto my return here as "the next thing" I would do... mostly because I REALLY wanted to.  But yesterday I had to break that commitment to myself.  We are seeing more and more instances where SpinRite refuses to run due to trouble with one or more of the three foundations SpinRite relies upon: The Motherboard, the BIOS, or FreeDOS.  When I finished with SpinRite v6 back in 2004 (yes... nine years ago) I wrote it to the very highest compatibility foreseeable... which was 48-bit Linear Block Addressing (LBA).  But Motherboards, their BIOSes, and especially FreeDOS have not kept up and are causing SpinRite to be unable to function.

Also, SATA existed back then, and SpinRite works with it, but only by asking the BIOS to move the SATA drives hardware addresses back to the traditional hard drive addresses.  This has required BIOS changes to run SpinRite, making it less easy for the wider audience we've been seeing.  And, what's more annoying, since BIOS usage is very rare, it's often not easy even to FIND the BIOS access.

Anyway... as I've mentioned before, SpinRite is the single engine that powers everything at GRC, so when it needs attention it must get it.

I HATE leaving things unfinished -- especially things that I really care about... but I can't make SpinRite wait any longer.  I very much want to get back here, but it's going to have to wait.  :(

Thanks for your understanding, support, and interest guys.  We got a LOT of great and unique engineering done here... and I hope this is not the end of it!

/Steve.

[Irvin Velazquez]

Steve it is an honor to be there with you and Spin Rite is for all of us, so please take your time on the development of the new version of Spin Rite.

Have a grear programming week.

Irvin from México City.

/Steve.

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Irvin Velázquez
Computer Engineer Systems
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http://cesystems.drupalgardens.com/

[bitby...@gmail.com]

Hey Steve -  I've been using this project to introduce my 9 year old son to electronics and to get him to realize that things he can build actually do have a practical application - in our case, we're looking at this project as an automated raccoon deterrent to stop the ^*&^%s from getting into our garbage all the time.  While I'm eager to see your return here, I am actually more enthused to hear that SpinRite is going to be updated!!! I'm one of the guys that has emailed Greg multiple times about weird hangs while running SR6.  You take all the time you need sir!  Thanks for all you do!
Cheers, Scott

[Mark Weiss]

I'm excited to see you update Spinrite, even though the dogs are after me.  Please don't feel bad, you do so much for so many people.  You have changed my life for the better in so many ways, and I'm sure so many many others too.  I went low carb at your suggestion, I don't think about food contently anymore.  If we had to calculate that you were one in a X (variable), we would have to use your big number calculator.

I could go on and on.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Mark Weiss, Tustin,CA

P.S. I'm a cheap bastard, and it pains me to say this but you should call the next Spinrite, 7.0 and change for it.

[Mark Weiss]

Oops, Charge for Spinrite 7.

[Phil Avery]

I love this project, Steve, but I love SpinrRite more. I'm delighted you are going to work on that. Keep up the great work you do.

/Phil

[Kindanyume]

No worries Steve..   we'll all just demand free copies of the new SR ~_^

(j/k)

seriously.. go to work.. get things done.. and relax.. we are not going away :)

/Steve.

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[jlmor...@att.net]

Steve I agree that you should call the new SpinRite version 7.0 and charge something to upgrade to it.  The old version 6.0 could still be sold as the version for IDE only systems.  Speaking of fixing serial hard drives have you thought about how the new Seagate and Western Digital hybrid SATA drives would work with the new SpinRite?  

One more comment, SpinRite is the first thing I run on a system that is not working correctly it tells me if I have working hardware before I start chasing other windmills.  It is a great piece of test software and has told me more than once where to start looking for the problem.

An old computer repair tech.

/John

[david...@gmail.com]

Hi Steve,

We're dying to see Spinrite7, v.6 no longer copes with our top line hardware...

We need it now... And yes, we'll gladly pay full rack for it.

Many thanks in advance from a licensed organization.

David

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013 2:13:27 PM UTC-4, Steve Gibson wrote:

[kea...@comcast.net]

For SpinRite to become relevant again, today, it needs to have some major updating.

1- it needs to be able to handle USB and SATA disks out of the box. No downloading and adding files by the end user.
2- the ability to read smart data over USB & SATA should be enabled with no fiddling with drivers or custom boot discs.
3- it needs to be aware of how modern firmware in today's disks operates.
4- a gui would be nice, but the text interface works very well.

Best regards.. Looking forward to version 7

[mrsy...@gmail.com]

Steve,

As a very long time user of SpinRite it is clearly time for an update. But not only because of the computer system hardware changes. More importantly because of the declining quality of hard drives. Both my son and I have experienced sudden drive failures with new hardware while our 6 and 7 year old drives seem to work flawlessly. In each case the drive failed without any advanced warning. For me the loss was not critical but for my son it was very costly. He has now learned the value of frequent and multiple backups.

Kf...@mail.com

[johnso...@gmail.com]

I'm also one of the long time SPINRITE user (from version 5), SATA did bring lots of trouble and the latest BIOS always prevent SPINRITE working properly, looking forward for version 6.1, thanks Steve.

Not sure if it helps or not, my friend did update the DOS Ultra DMA driver (Steve did mention it long time ago) for the new hardware, and not sure if it can help SPINRITE or not, I doubt how fast when the Ultra DMA is turned on properly with the latest drive.

Driver here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15785527/dos/driver.html

[Sam Cannon]

Eager to try the new software.  Six has saved butt more than once.
In re T-shooter, also eager to apply some real power and control via Web with Arduino and motion sensor!  That and driving a tank to NSA with Twitter, etc.
Love SN.  Cheers.

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013 2:13:27 PM UTC-4, Steve Gibson wrote:

[phlegmer]

It sounds to me that there have been enough changes made to SpinRite that it should almost be bumped to v7 instead of just v6.1  :)

[xevan...@gmail.com]

I resolved my 'freedos' crashes by using dos4GW or dos/32A as a replacement.

[tiovie...@gmail.com]

perhaps someone can give me guidance - as an early user of spinrite ( i'm so old i created data graphs using dos text screen graphics software) - i relied upon steve gibson's program to save my bacon more than once during the years i was in the computer world & upon involving myself recently in reviving some old pc gear for some needy folks, i happily charged the cost of an update thinking it would be a good tool - but a problem interrupted my download and i can NOT now get the d/l spinrite update

REPEATED emails to sale...@grc.com  have received no reply, not one - i don't want a refund, i want my software

can anyone please help me ?

danny

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013 11:13:27 AM UTC-7, Steve Gibson wrote:

[James Banner]

Try suppo...@grc.com

Sent from my iPad

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[cyberk...@gmail.com]

Hey Steve. i want to say thanks for all the hard work the past 10 years. i've never actually been able to own the software but i did get to demo it once a long time ago and it did what it was supposed to do and quite well might i add. i did notice that the little beeps and audible alerts got kind of garbled depending on exactly what system it was used on. 

[hill...@gmail.com]

Being a total novice of all things electronic, I'm saddened by the program being postponed. By no means is that intended to reflect negatively on the original poster, Steve, whom I understand is busy with his backbone software. I've enjoyed reading about the HP electronic dog whistle project and didn't skip ahead any in the pages to ensure I had an idea of what was going on.

But with my neighbor's dogs still barking into the AM, even after I very politely approached them about the issue, I'm still hoping for a solution. I think I'm going to proceed in spending appr. $300 for this stuff to soundproof my window in the meantime, perhaps it'll help some fellow posters: SOUNDPROOFING A WINDOW WITH A PLUG. If I do plug the window, I will make sure to come to the thread and post my experience and results. I agree with Steve's reasoning earlier about how we shouldn't be looking for "a solution" but "the solution". I just wish that I had enough technical expertise to be of any use here on this message board. I have noticed there are many other great minds and electrically savvy followers reading the page.

I think I wouldn't even need the bark sensor and relay, I would be happy with just the manual blast (via remote control) that would hopefully dissuade the dogs from barking. I know nothing about electronics, sans the eng physics 2 course that I just took last semester (and finished with flying by the seat of my pants!). I find the geometry and physics involved to be very interesting, e.g. the resonant frequencies, the shape of the horns, or perhaps something like a parabola. The electronics part is definitely where I have no foresight (well okay, I have no foresight in anything, just an interest and a need!).

Has anyone managed to create a prototype and find success? I do remember reading about someone having their cheaper piezo tweeters fry out on them; I don't know if they ever got to the animal test-phase.

Hope we can keep the thread going! Come back Steve (when you find the time of course) to this wonderful project, the world needs you and your physics prowess!

[dnegr...@gmail.com]

please god (Thats you Steve)...new spinrite 7