This sounds like a case of the run-arounds to me. As in, WD is giving you the run-around because they don't want to provide you proper service.

I've used WD drives with Linux before with no problems. I think they're just being silly.

After reading that thread on the WD Green Power initiative, that's very interesting.. I wasn't aware that green, meant to make the drive wakeup so slowly, or go to sleep before it wrote out the cache.. that it would affect your Operating system adversely.

I will continue to avoid WD products. Thanks !

Indeed it is interesting. Well, then I guess it is possible for it not to work with Linux due to what I would call a design flaw. The dos utility is probably the best option, if not that then maybe a kernel patch ?

Hello again.

New drive same problem.

over christmas I went to the local computer shop to get a seagate drive to replace the faulty WD drive.

He didn't have a seagate drive in stock but said that the maxter drive he had would work with linux.

did a fresh ubuntu installation on the new maxtor drive and it was all working fine for 1 day then crashed.

So I disabled raid in the bios and set it back to sata.

And the drive has been running fine for 2 weeks. then today it crashed again.

this is the error when trying to restart the machine.

code:
437.395913 ata3.00 status :{ drdy err}
437.395974 ata3.00 error: {unc}
440.385871 ata3.00 exception emask 0x0 sact 0x0 serr 0x0 action 0x0
440.385957 ata3.00 bmdma stat 0x24
440.386028 ata3.00 cmd c8/00:08:7f:32:27/00:00:00:00/00 emask 0x9 (media error)
443.508830 end_request: i/o error, dev sda, sector 2568838
code:

here are some details on the drive and the errors from smartctl

code:
smartctl

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 098 098 006 Pre-fail Always - 178604760
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 098 092 000 Pre-fail Always - 0
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 239
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 036 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 052 049 030 Pre-fail Always - 115967929152
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 522
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 097 Pre-fail Always - 2
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 689
184 Unknown_Attribute 0x0032 100 100 099 Old_age Always - 0
187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0032 001 001 000 Old_age Always - 108
188 Unknown_Attribute 0x0032 100 098 000 Old_age Always - 30
189 High_Fly_Writes 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 078 070 045 Old_age Always - 22 (Lifetime Min/Max 22/22)
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 022 040 000 Old_age Always - 22 (0 13 0 0)
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x001a 040 035 000 Old_age Always - 178604760
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 5
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 5
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0

smartctl --all

smartctl version 5.38 [i686-pc-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: MAXTOR STM31000340AS
Serial Number: 9QJ2DZFL
Firmware Version: MX15
User Capacity: 1,000,204,886,016 bytes
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: ATA-8-ACS revision 4
Local Time is: Tue Jan 20 19:34:00 2009 GMT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x82) Offline data collection activity
was completed without error.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed
without error or no self-test has ever
been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: ( 642) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 238) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x103b) SCT Status supported.
SCT Feature Control supported.
SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 098 098 006 Pre-fail Always - 178610314
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 098 092 000 Pre-fail Always - 0
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 239
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 036 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 052 049 030 Pre-fail Always - 115967929579
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 522
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 097 Pre-fail Always - 2
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 689
184 Unknown_Attribute 0x0032 100 100 099 Old_age Always - 0
187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0032 001 001 000 Old_age Always - 108
188 Unknown_Attribute 0x0032 100 098 000 Old_age Always - 30
189 High_Fly_Writes 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 078 070 045 Old_age Always - 22 (Lifetime Min/Max 22/22)
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 022 040 000 Old_age Always - 22 (0 13 0 0)
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x001a 040 035 000 Old_age Always - 178610314
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 5
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 5
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 180 (device log contains only the most recent five errors)
CR = Command Register [HEX]
FR = Features Register [HEX]
SC = Sector Count Register [HEX]
SN = Sector Number Register [HEX]
CL = Cylinder Low Register [HEX]
CH = Cylinder High Register [HEX]
DH = Device/Head Register [HEX]
DC = Device Command Register [HEX]
ER = Error register [HEX]
ST = Status register [HEX]
Powered_Up_Time is measured from power on, and printed as
DDd+hh:mm:SS.sss where DD=days, hh=hours, mm=minutes,
SS=sec, and sss=millisec. It "wraps" after 49.710 days.

Error 180 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 521 hours (21 days + 17 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 86 32 27 00 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00273286 = 2568838

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c8 00 08 7f 32 27 e0 00 00:02:48.597 READ DMA
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:48.596 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:48.588 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 46 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:48.584 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:48.568 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT

Error 179 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 521 hours (21 days + 17 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 86 32 27 00 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00273286 = 2568838

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c8 00 08 7f 32 27 e0 00 00:02:45.617 READ DMA
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:45.616 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:45.608 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 46 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:45.602 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:45.584 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT

Error 178 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 521 hours (21 days + 17 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 86 32 27 00 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00273286 = 2568838

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c8 00 08 7f 32 27 e0 00 00:02:42.577 READ DMA
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:42.577 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:42.568 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 46 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:42.562 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:42.545 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT

Error 177 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 521 hours (21 days + 17 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 86 32 27 00 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00273286 = 2568838

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c8 00 08 7f 32 27 e0 00 00:02:39.585 READ DMA
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:39.585 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:39.577 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 46 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:39.571 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:39.557 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT

Error 176 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 521 hours (21 days + 17 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 86 32 27 00 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00273286 = 2568838

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c8 00 08 7f 32 27 e0 00 00:02:36.570 READ DMA
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:36.569 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:36.561 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 46 00 00 00 a0 02 00:02:36.556 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
27 00 00 00 00 00 e0 00 00:02:36.541 READ NATIVE MAX ADDRESS EXT

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged. [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]


SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Not_testing
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

code:

now everything has been changed and I still have the problem.

Uh oh ...
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...oblems-698139/
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207931
http://seagate.custkb.com/seagate/cr...p?DocId=207969

Sorry for your bad luck. It seems that maxtor is one with the fatal firmware bug.

Hi H_TexMex_H


Thanks again

I don't have a lot of luck with computers.

I had a look at the links you sent me.

As far as I could see seagate are saying that the drives. don't start up properly. and the data is inexcessable.

But my drive has been running for 3 weeks and then crashed.

do you think this is a related fault.

Have you hear of any other linux users that are using this drive with out having any problems.

Yikes.. The aftermath of the Firmware update.
http://stx.lithium.com/stx/board/mes...cending&page=1

You should e-mail seagate with the model number and serial number and they will tell if you if it is. You can tell them about what happened. The problem is, even the firmware updates can be risky as farslayer mentions.

I think seagate is going to disappear as a company after this incident. For sure, I will never buy one again.

Hi

Just to keep you updated.

The maxtor drive is one of the problem drives.
So I will have to get that sorted out.

But over the weekend I installed an old segate 160gb sata drive.

And it has run for 2 days and now crashed with the same problem.

So my next plan of action is to install an old 20gb ide drive and see if that works.
If it does then I will know for sure it's a sata problem.

However if that fails then I am starting to think it's a PSU problem.

The PSU is a pico 80w psu.

It worked fine in another old pc of mine which drew more power than this mother board.
the old PC drew 40 watts this machine draws 30 watts.

So I will be suprised if it is the PSU.

If you have any more ideas Please let me know.

I will let you know the results.

Hi

Just letting you know.

I updated the firmware on the maxtor drive at the begining of march.

And the machine has been running fine for the last 6 weeks so It looks like this might have solved the problem.

Thanks for all your help

Simon

Thanks for the follow up. Good to know it's worked out as a long term solution

Yeah, it seems it was indeed the firmware that was the problem.