Patent ID: 7852717

Claim:
A method of tracking and segregating defects on magnetic media disks for hard disk drive production, comprising: (a) forming a master having master defects that are unique to the master; (b) forming a plurality of sub-masters from the master, each of the sub-masters having sub-master defects that are unique to respective ones of the sub-masters, and each sub-master also having the master defects; (c) fabricating a plurality of magnetic media disks from each of the sub-masters and building hard disk drives with the magnetic media disks, each of the magnetic media disks having the master defects and respective sub-master defects; (d) analyzing the magnetic media disks in a sample of the hard disk drives, and identifying the master defects, respective sub-master defects, and unique, non-repeatable defects on respective ones of the magnetic media disks to compile defect data; and (e) loading portions of the defect data into all of the hard disk drives regarding the master and respective sub-masters from which respective ones of the magnetic media disks are formed without testing every one of the hard disk drives, to prevent read/write operations in sectors of the magnetic media disks affected by said portions of the defect data.