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XK0-006 Practice Question: A system administrator suspects a disk failure
A system administrator suspects a disk failure. Which TWO commands can be used to check disk health and identify bad sectors?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse filesystem repair tools like `fsck` with hardware diagnostic tools, or assume `iostat` or `dd` provide equivalent health checks, when only `badblocks` and `smartctl` directly assess physical disk integrity.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
badblocks -v /dev/sda
The `badblocks` command (option C) directly scans a disk for defective sectors by performing read/write tests, making it a primary tool for identifying bad blocks. The `smartctl -a` command (option D) queries the disk's S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data, which includes attributes like reallocated sector count and pending sector errors, providing a proactive health assessment. Together, they cover both active scanning and passive monitoring of disk health.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
iostat -x
Why it's wrong here
Shows I/O statistics, not bad blocks.
- ✗
fsck /dev/sda
Why it's wrong here
Filesystem check, not hardware health.
- ✓
badblocks -v /dev/sda
Why this is correct
Correct: Scans for bad sectors.
- ✓
smartctl -a /dev/sda
Why this is correct
Correct: Shows S.M.A.R.T health information.
- ✗
dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/null
Why it's wrong here
Reads all data but does not identify bad sectors.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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