HDDScan vs MemTest86+

HDDScan is freeware for diagnosing hard drives, RAID arrays, USB flash drives and SSDs on Windows. Its tests include linear verification, reading, erasing and Butterfly-mode reading. For supported drives, it reads and analyzes SMART parameters, runs SMART tests and monitors temperature across ATA, SATA, USB, FireWire and SCSI connections. Compatible drives may expose AAM, APM and PM controls, plus spindle start and stop commands. Reports can be printed or saved in MHT format. Command-line use can save generated commands as `.cmd` or `.bat` files. Listed requirements run from Windows XP SP3 through Windows 10, with Windows Server 2003 subject to restrictions. The plan is free. RAID volumes and USB flash drives support surface tests only, and USB capabilities depend on program support. Only one test should run at a time. Erase mode overwrites tested blocks, making previous data unrecoverable.

MemTest86+ is a free, open-source stand-alone memory tester for x86, x86-64, ARM AArch64, and LoongArch64 computers. It uses algorithms including moving inversions and Modulo-20 to detect memory failures and investigate crashes, freezes, or system instability. The tester can access almost all computer memory without operating-system memory or UEFI library restrictions. It can run from legacy or UEFI BIOS, through Linux boot protocols, or from a FAT32 USB flash drive, CD-ROM, or PXE network boot. For PXE, the project documents different binaries for BIOS and UEFI boot as iPXE or PXELINUX payloads. Testing continues indefinitely, with the pass counter advancing after all selected tests finish. The software is licensed under GNU GPL version 2, with no additional restrictions on private or commercial use. Stable and nightly binaries are available, though nightly builds are generated automatically and are untested and unsupported. Secure Boot must be temporarily disabled because the binary is not signed by Microsoft. USB drivers remain in progress, and not all USB devices are supported.