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BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

I've got an interesting disk drive that spins, claims to be SMART Capable - but "Command Failed" Sad Cry
I've got a photo of my BIOS giving up. Sad
Is the disk scrap?

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

7 REPLIES 7
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

Try running the Western Digital "Data Lifeguard Diagnostics", and that will tell you what the problem is when you look at the SMART details.
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?modelno=wd10eals&x=13&y=12
If you Google "wd10eals smart error",  there are quite a few other people with this issue.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

Thanks - but it doesn't even get as far as running the boot loader sucessfully - which is a Linux one.
I have tried a Ubuntu live CD - but this doesn't work as the CD detects the disk, but gives up because it's not readable.
I usually prefer Seagate drives...

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

I find the most reliable way to run the Western Digital "Data Lifeguard Diagnostics" is to put it on a bootable floppy
therefore you don't need to run up a boot loader if your BIOS is set to boot from the floppy BEFORE the first HDD.
Quote
I usually prefer Seagate drives...

I am the opposite, I have had so many Seagates die on me, I now stick to Western Digital and Hitachi drives. - and do my best to keep backups - just in case !  Roll_eyes
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

Well, WD have virtually no Linux support, so I used the DOS version - which apparently does work on a 64 bit dual core system!
I tried the "quick test" - claimed to be 5 minutes - but failed after 30 minutes:-
Quote
108      Seek Not Complete      A Seek command did not complete in the time allotted. This may be an anomaly or a defect with the drive. Retest. Replace the drive if the error repeats.

So I think the drive is comprehensively knackered - or possibly DOS can't address large drives :- user sectors per drive = 1,953,525,169.
However, I think it may access 512 byte sectors as 4Kbyte clusters....

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

I don't remember having problems with the DOS version accessing large drives as long as the BIOS can access more than 137GB.  Roll_eyes
It does sound faulty from what you have said.  Cry
It would be worth putting your drive details into the WD Warranty Checker, as they will probably replace such a new drive under RMA http://support.wdc.com/warranty/index_end.asp?lang=en  Cool
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

I've been told to send it back to the people who built the PC for me.
It doesn't appear to make much difference, other than that WD are much stricter about packaging.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: BIOS and S.M.A.R.T.

I learnt a long time ago that when a drive starts playing up its time to bin it. Leave it 6 weeks to rest, plug it in and typically it will let you rescue data from it. Then at that point bin it. I've known people waste weeks and months using special software to recover data, test drives etc... and then they either give up with no conclusion reached or they use the drive and then suffer a failure and wonder why.
I did have a friend once who had a drive with a lifetime warranty.. and when it went belly up they actually dealt with it which these days is a rare thing.
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!