Having had some experience over the last 12-14 yrs, mostly working as a PC service tech, I have had occasion to run HD factory software which shows mapped-out bad blocks. I have yet to see (as recently as 2 weeks ago) any HD with zero bad blocks. All test with recorded (mapped-out) bad blocks of varying degree. (Small actual numbers, to be sure) The fact that ou don't see reported bad blocks through the operating system is a good sign, that means the HD is doing its job of mapping out bad blocks automatically. Stating that bad blocks are rare is not quite true. What is quite rare is the operating system actually reporting bad blocks.

madness ensues.

drives ship with bad blocks. nature is not particularly interested in reality.

[edit: what deltamac said]

I thought this whole thread started
 

I thought this whole thread started with Bad Blocks that were OS Visable.

If they were not OS Visable we have all been talking/ errr writing way to many Sonnets.

Where does anything that I posted contradict that?

Yes, drives ship with bad blocks mapped out by hard drive formatting at the manufacturer.

The discussion was about new bad blocks arising subsequent to that.

Sorry if that was not clear to you from my post and the topic of discussion throughout this thread.

Nowhere I thought you Post was Elegant
 

Nowhere, I thought you Post (2nd to last) was particularly Elegant and Accurate:
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It was the comment made by someone (maybe Delta Mac) that the OS of the End user in ? had reported no bad Blocks.
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And thus we are all having more fun then should be legally allowable solving A non problem.
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That said we all provided the Sagest Advice we could for someone with bad blocks in General.

Ah, but Madagascar is pure serendipity!

in Madagascar, they fix bad blocks by rubbing peanut butter on the hard drive platters.

Well, all the real secrets are revealed now!

in Mozambique, they take HD's with only a single bad block, and mash them up with corn meal to create their tasty national dish - the ferrous frittata. this yummy meal is high in the nutrients iron, bauxite, and ribbon cables.