Hard drive failure??

[Dreaming]

I just bought two of these hard drives (LN15743) and about a day after using my PC without problems (just been doing some downloading), I've received the following error message:



They were both wrapped in proper stuff, should I rma it or is it just falsely reporting SMART failure? Is there anyway I can check? Using Intel ICH7R Raid controller, in Raid0. I'm at a loss as to how it could fail so quickly, cos ebuyer have sent me DOA hard drives before that other people have returned as faulty (woopee), but new ones pretty much always work. Don't want to end up killing loads of hard drives, but I've got a 'safe' set up, theres a big deep 120mm fan sucking air through them, and I haven't been absolutely churning the hard drives.

How should I be sure it's dying?

Sytem Report from Intel Matrix Storage Manager
System Information

Kit Installed: 6.2.1.1002
Kit Install History: 6.2.1.1002
Shell Version: 6.2.1.1002

OS Name: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium
OS Version: 6.0.6000 Build 6000
System Name: RICHARD-PC
System Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
System Model: P5W DH Deluxe
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6300 @ 1.86GHz
BIOS Version/Date: American Megatrends Inc. 1901 , 01/24/2007

Language: ENU



Intel(R) RAID Technology

Intel RAID Controller: Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller
Number of Serial ATA ports: 4

RAID Option ROM Version: 5.1.2.1002
Driver Version: 6.2.1.1002
RAID Plug-In Version: 6.2.1.1002
Language Resource Version of the RAID Plug-In: 6.2.1.1002
Create Volume Wizard Version: 6.2.1.1002
Language Resource Version of the Create Volume Wizard: 6.2.1.1002
Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard Version: 6.2.1.1002
Language Resource Version of the Create Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard: 6.2.1.1002
Modify Volume Wizard Version: 6.2.1.1002
Language Resource Version of the Modify Volume Wizard: 6.2.1.1002
Delete Volume Wizard Version: 6.2.1.1002
Language Resource Version of the Delete Volume Wizard: 6.2.1.1002
ISDI Library Version: 6.2.1.1002
Event Monitor User Notification Tool Version: 6.2.1.1005
Language Resource Version of the Event Monitor User Notification Tool: 6.2.1.1005
Event Monitor Version: 6.2.1.1005

Array_0000
Status: No active migration(s)
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 306.7 GB
Free Space: 0 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Hard Drive Member 2: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Operating

Array_0001
Status: No active migration(s)
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 465.7 GB
Free Space: 0 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Hard Drive Member 2: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Data

Operating
Status: Normal
System Volume: Yes
Volume Write-Back Cache Enabled: No
RAID Level: RAID 0 (striping)
Strip Size: 128 KB
Size: 306.7 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Hard Drive Member 2: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Parent Array: Array_0000

Data
Status: Normal
System Volume: No
Volume Write-Back Cache Enabled: No
RAID Level: RAID 0 (striping)
Strip Size: 128 KB
Size: 465.7 GB
Number of Hard Drives: 2
Hard Drive Member 1: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Hard Drive Member 2: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Parent Array: Array_0001

Hard Drive 0
Usage: Array member
Status: SMART event
Device Port: 0
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Serial Number: WD-WCAP01396971
Firmware: 20.06C03
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 153.3 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Operating
Parent Array: Array_0000

Hard Drive 1
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 1
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Serial Number: VFA100R10066ZB
Firmware: V5DOA52A
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 232.8 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Data
Parent Array: Array_0001

Hard Drive 2
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 2
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: Hitachi HDT725025VLA380
Serial Number: VFA100R1CHNWXB
Firmware: V5DOA52A
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 232.8 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Data
Parent Array: Array_0001

Hard Drive 3
Usage: Array member
Status: Normal
Device Port: 3
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0
Serial Number: WD-WCAP01608721
Firmware: 20.06C03
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Hard Drive Write Cache Enabled: Yes
Size: 153.3 GB
Number of Volumes: 1
Volume Member 1: Operating
Parent Array: Array_0000

[Lee H]

Pop to the Western Digital website and download their hard-drive analysis and testing tool.

This would then show if the drives faulty or has errors which we can then advise the best course of action to take.

Best Regards,

[Dreaming]

Hmm, I couldn't run the diagnostics tool, because WD diagnosis tool saw the array as just one single drive (and then said the cable wasnt plugged in). Not much use there. I'll see what else they've got on their website.

eta: there's a firmware update on WD website for my HDD. It's for RAID arrays, too.

This firmware resolves an issue where a WD1600YS, WD2500YS, WD4000YS, or WD5000YS hard drive is dropped from a RAID set without reporting errors after a period of normal usage. This utility is designed to upgrade the firmware of the following hard drives:

My current version: 20.06C03
Updated version: 20.06C06

*ponders* I'm scared of powering down my PC incase it doesn't start up again. I've got no important things I can't afford to lose on this array, just the OS, and I don't have any live CDs. Guess if it failed, I could dissassemble the array and use the working hdd. So much faff though.

[Richh]

Hmm, I couldn't run the diagnostics tool, because WD diagnosis tool saw the array as just one single drive (and then said the cable wasnt plugged in). Not much use there. I'll see what else they've got on their website.

No problem, most of these hard disk diagnostic tools have difficulty seeing through a RAID array.

All you have to do is temporarily disable RAID in the BIOS of your motherboard. Scan the drive with the diagnostic tool, and then re-enable RAID before restarting your OS. You won't lose the array as a result of temporarily disabling it like this.

However, as far as the risk of data loss is concerned, if the drive concerned is on a RAID 0 array, you're gonna lose the data if the drive does need replacement anyway. As such, well worth thinking ahead to your method of backup now.

[Dreaming]

Ok, so put it on a floppy ms-dos bootable disk?

Just tried active SMART which is supposed to the be the dogs, but that two just read the drives as japanese symbols .

[Richh]

Just tried active SMART which is supposed to the be the dogs, but that two just read the drives as japanese symbols .

Don't bother with any third party tools, there's more chance for them to confuse the issue than there is for them to help. The WD diagnostic is quite comprehensive and, alongside the Matrix Storage Manager inside the OS, will tell you everything you need to know.

It could well be that the SMART event is not a critical one, in which case there's no desperate need to worry. However, it is equally possible that the drive is defective. You need the WD tool to tell you that, and the way to get it working is to temporarily disable RAID.

[Dreaming]

I'm just checking, I've got my UBCD which has 'a' version of the wd tools, might be worth downloading the latest version tho. It normally comes with this kind of stuff.

[Richh]

Yep definitely worth adding the latest version of the diagnostic.

As far as reading SMART data is concerned, about the best reader I've seen is the one included in SpeedFan - although again this won't see through RAID arrays so it doesn't help your current situation that much. WD tool is the thing to use.

[Dreaming]

Ok, on doing a 'quick' test, it interrupts about a second in and says that the hard is not good call cs etc one or more things is below threshold or worst case, I look down the list and it appears to be:

5 Re-allocated sector count

value: 107
threshold: 140
worst case: 107

Whereas from what I can see, most of them are way above threshold

(raw read error rate is 196, worst is 196, threshold is 51)

Not sure how to interpret the results, just wrote them down on a notepad lol.

Going to get a chinese now and turn my computer off and unplug it for the night. Last I saw of it, it was trying to boot into Windows and was taking well over a minute on the black / green microsoft loading screen.

Doesn't look good though

[Cornholio]

get a new hdd, stop faffing about

[Dreaming]

Yea, think I will, it stopped working altogether pretty much. Did a little google, and it appears the error I'm having, is when there are lots of bad sectors. For every bad sector, it reallocates a reserve sector. When the amount of reserve sectors gets low (below 140 in this case) it indicates the drive is close to failing. Seeing as there is a maximum value of 253, to have a two day old drive down to 107 probably means the actual drive is faulty in some way.

Just keeping you all informed, will raise an RMA now.

[Dreaming]

Ok guys. Just put the replacement one in (two weeks after receiving it - been busy here!) and it worked, started installing windows, went to have a bath, got out and the new hard drive has a smart event too. Check it out, exactly the same - raw read error rate value was 128 this time.

So another RMA or is something else to blame here? Just can't believe two hard drives from the same people both fail on the same thing in the same circumstances in the same computer in the same set up after the same amount of time on the same sata channel... whereas two others I have work fine.

[Dreaming]

I'll just raise another RMA then..

[Lucio]

Are you sure you're RAID controller is working properly? To corrupt that many sectors that quickly there's gotta be something wrong.

[this_is_gav]

It certainly won't help that you've got a PSU of Q-tec standards... that's got to be switching the HDDs for fun....

[Dreaming]

Yea, thats the thing. I made a thread a while ago asking people whether I should upgrade my psu but nobody responded.

Bear in mind I have 3 hard drives in my system and they're all completely fine. My raid controller is an integrated ich7r, both failed hard drives were on port 0. *shrug*

Nother thing about the power - the broken hard drive and working hard drive were both running off the same molex wire. *shrug*

I bought the PSU off scan a few months ago, I wouldn't expect it to kill hard drives as soon as I put one in.

eta: also bear in mind the two other drives are also in a raid0 array without so much as a hint of a problem.