Admin Tip #63: Diskmap.exe Hard Disk Map Utility

Hits: Failed to execute CGI : Win32 Error Code = 3

Microsoft releases sample utilities from the Windows 2000 Resource kits. Diskmap.exe is available for free download. This command-line tool produces a detailed report on the configuration of the hard disk that you specify. It provides information from the registry about disk characteristics and geometry, and reads and displays data about all of the partitions and logical drives defined on the disk.

A good way to use this tool is to run it for each disk in your computer, print out the configuration report for each disk, and save the hard copy with the other configuration information that you maintain for your computer. In case of some kinds of disk problems, this information can then be used to reconstruct the hard disk structure.

The result from the command diskmap /d2 on my 2nd drive:


Cylinders  HeadsPerCylinder SectorsPerHead BytesPerSector MediaType
     1247               255             63            512      12
TrackSize = 32256, CylinderSize = 8225280, DiskSize = 10256924160 (9781MB)

Signature = 0xd515b8c2
     StartingOffset    PartitionLength StartingSector PartitionNumber
            8257536         4194860544             63               1

MBR:
         Starting               Ending       System    Relative    Total
  Cylinder Head Sector  Cylinder Head Sector   ID      Sector      Sectors
         1    0    1         510  254   63     0x05       16065    8193150
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0

EBR: (sector 16065)
         Starting               Ending       System    Relative    Total
  Cylinder Head Sector  Cylinder Head Sector   ID      Sector      Sectors
         1    1    1         510  254   63     0x07          63    8193087
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0
         0    0    0           0    0    0     0x00           0          0
The utility is Windows NT and Windows 2000 compatible. It does not recognized W2K dynamic disks. There are a fair number of Resource kit samples available for download. Check Microsoft's Sample Tools for the list of current tools available for download.





A must for support and installations personnel as well as technical savvy users. 1800 pages with a wealth of information on the CD.