Abstract: A disk drive including a disk storing a defect log including one or more defect records, wherein each of the defect records spans multiple words and comprises chunks which are word aligned, each chunk comprising one or more record fields, and a controller configured to read the defect records on a word basis. A method for performing a defect process on the disk drive including selecting a defect record from the defect log, selecting record fields in the selected defect record, reading the selected defect record on a word basis, and searching the selected record fields which are located in a same chunk of the selected record at a same time to determine when the selected defect record matches a target defect record.

Abstract: Defects are identified in a disk drive by first writing a pattern of tracks to a disk surface in the disk drive, the pattern of tracks including written tracks alternating with unwritten tracks. The written tracks of the pattern of tracks are read, and a defect in a portion of a first written track is detected. An unread portion of a first unwritten track is then identified as comprising a defect based at least in part on the defect in the first written track, the first unwritten track located proximate the first written track.