HDD problems :(

[DanW]

I'm wondering whether anyone can help me with this.

I recently bought a WD5000AAKS and I can't seem to reliably get it working with my system (see my sig for details). I ended up sending the first drive back, which was found faulty, and got a replacement.

I'm really hoping the replacement isn't also damaged, windows doesn't detect it on boot, in fact it seems to time out when looking for the drive on boot up, but the BIOS can see it fine and detects it's SMART values fine.

I've been able to format it via, Windows, Linux (Kubuntu) and Partition Magic.
I've also formatted it using a SATA to USB converter and it worked ok, but dropped out once or twice when copying data across.

Strange thing is windows will detect it if the drive is not plugged in at boot-up and is then plugged in.
Linux came across a really strange problem, something about a corrupt cache. I'm hoping it just got it nickers in a twist and was lieing about that, because surely that can't be a good thing...

If anyone could suggest I'm doing something wrong, that I should be partitioning the drives into 20gb strips or just throwing it back at e-buyer.


Cheers,
Dan

[sjoukew]

If you look at the Western Digital website they do have tools "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic" tools, which can test your drive. I would advise you to give it a go.
Besides that sometimes it helps to connect the drive to another port, other jumper settings if it is P-ATA, (there is a difference between master and stand-alone), See if you maybe have 2 controllers on your motherboard. Example: asus p5w / p5b has a JMicron controller onboard. Try the other controller.

[nick705]

If the drive is from the same batch as the original faulty one (quite likely if it's the same make and model, obtained from the same retailer at roughly the same time), I'd say there's a higher-than-normal probability it's also on the blink. Passing a SMART test is no guarantee that a drive is OK, although the reverse is generally true (if it fails a SMART test it's almost certainly toast).

I'd send it back and order a drive from elsewhere, so you have more chance of avoiding a batch suffering from the initial sharp curve of the bathtub effect.

/rant mode on: ebuyer are one of the worst retailers in the UK IMO... I'll deal with Overclockers if there's no other choice, but I won't now deal with ebuyer under any circumstances. Every order I've ever placed with them has been fucked up one way or another - their CS is truly abominable and life's just too short...

[DanW]

If you look at the Western Digital website they do have tools "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic" tools, which can test your drive. I would advise you to give it a go.
Besides that sometimes it helps to connect the drive to another port, other jumper settings if it is P-ATA, (there is a difference between master and stand-alone), See if you maybe have 2 controllers on your motherboard. Example: asus p5w / p5b has a JMicron controller onboard. Try the other controller.

Strange, I'm just doing exactly what you've suggested before readn your post. The data life guard tools enabled something in the registry for large HDDs (150gb+).

I've got just the one controller board, and I've tried the HDD in all ports except the Primary Master SATA port because my main HDD is plugged in there.

Strangely enough after that registry setting was changed by the WD tools it doesn't seem to hang at boot up anymore.


as a side note I had the seatools installed before and It didn't pick up anything to do with large drives not being enabled.

Yeah Nick, I only went with e-buyer in the first place because of the google checkout and £10 off.

I tend to deal with scan or Tekheads mainly these days and they seem to package things up a hell of a lot better. I just can't understand why ebuyer can't send the HDD in the original OEM packaging or at least like scan occasionally used to, in about 3miles of bubble wrap.

edit: on a reboot Windows timed out again, and the drives not there...

[DanW]

anyone got any other ideas? I've had it appear one out of the 4/5 reboots I've just done.

[Matija]

Have you tried changing the SATA cable and plugging another power connector into the drive?

[jolynsbass]

I'm not sure if this is applicable, but can't hurt to check:
If your SATA controller is first gen, 150Mbps, and the HDD is 2nd gen, 300Mbps, there might be some incompatibility there. Most SATA II drives come with a jumper on the back that will limit the drive to SATA I mode.
Try it and see, if you have a SATA I controller, that is.

[qviri]

I recently bought a WD5000AAKS and I can't seem to reliably get it working with my system (see my sig for details).

Which of the systems is that? If it's the server, does it have SATA onboard or on a PCI controller card? What's the model of the controller card?

[Arvo]

1. Set on-drive SATA jumper to "Limit to 1.5GB"
2. Post full SMART data here (SpeedFan can reveal these).

[DanW]

It's my main system, not the server this time

Have you tried changing the SATA cable and plugging another power connector into the drive?

Yep to both of those.

I'm not sure if this is applicable...

The controller is SATA II compatible according to the manual

1. Set on-drive SATA jumper to "Limit to 1.5GB"
2. Post full SMART data here (SpeedFan can reveal these).

Next time I get the drive functioning under windows I'll post up the SMART values. Is there anything we/I should be looking for in there?


edit: SMART values

10 Raw Read Error Rate 200 0 Very good
9 Spin Up Time 169 6533 Very good
10 Start/Stop Count 100 20 Very good
10 Reallocated Sector Count 200 0 Very good
1 Seek Error Rate 100 0 Normal
10 Power On Hours Count 100 6 Very good
10 Spin Retry Count 100 0 Very good
10 Calibration Retry Count 100 0 Very good
10 Power Cycle Count 100 18 Very good
10 Power Off Retract Count 200 6 Very good
10 Load Cycle Count 200 20 Very good
10 Reallocated Event Count 200 0 Very good
10 Current Pending Sector 200 0 Very good
1 Offline Uncorrectable Sector Count 100 0 Normal
10 Ultra DMA CRC Error Rate 200 3 Very good
1 Write Error Rate 100 0 Normal




Thanks for the suggestions all


edit:
just ran the Western Digital Data LifeGuard extended test, as I thought, it didn't pick up any thing, though that's just looking at the clusters, I think there maybe a problem with the power, or power management, or possibly the way the drive is reporting to Windows at start up. I can't understand how it's ok sometimes but not other....

[sjoukew]

I am also puzzled with this strange behavior. I don't have any clues yet. There is one thing I can think of, when the pc is running, try to feel all the cables very gently and see if you can move them around without any strange behaviors. I found a faulty power connector this way what did make my dvd-rom drive fail at some points. It appeared that sometimes the drive did't get power for a couple of seconds, it reacted really strange to that The vibrations of the drive itself made it move so it sometimes had no contact and therefore no power.
If you ever find the cause of this problem, please let us know.

[Arvo]

edit: SMART values
:::
10 Ultra DMA CRC Error Rate 200 3 Very good

Almost excellent drive condition, except this value (used for SATA erors too). Well, it does say "Very good", but usually this value is 0, not 3.

Quote from S.M.A.R.T. basics, about "Ultra DMA CRC error rate":

Low value of this attribute typically indicates that something is wrong with the connectors and/or cables. Disk-to-host transfers are protected by CRC error detection code when Ultra-DMA 66 or 100 is used. So if the data gets garbled between the disk and the host machine, the receiving controller senses this and the retransmission is initiated. Such a situation is called "UDMA CRC error". Once the problem is rectified (typically by replacing a cable), the attribute value returns to the normal levels pretty quick.

This may point to cabling problem, other [drive electronics] defects are possible too. Disk mechanical and magnetic parts are OK.