WD3200AAKS - disappearing bad sectors?

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C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
Hello! :)

I have a problem with WD3200AAKS hard drive. I wanted to send it for warranty exchange so I did a Full Erase with Data Lifeguard diagnostic.

Before the full erase:
Current Pending Sector Count was at 8
and extended test results looked like this:
Code: 
Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD3200AAKS-00B3A0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WCAT14113874
Firmware Number: 01.03A01
Capacity: 320.07 GB
SMART Status: PASS
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 08-Error was detected while repairing bad sectors.
Test Time: 20:40:48, September 04, 2010


After full erase:

Code: 
1,Raw Read Error Rate,51,200,200,OK,0000000001B5,0,Enabled
3,Spin Up Time,21,155,154,OK,000000000C99,0,Enabled
4,Start/Stop Count,0,99,99,OK (Always passing),0000000004AE,0,Enabled
5,Reallocated Sectors Count,140,200,200,OK,000000000000,0,Enabled
7,Seek Error Rate,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
9,Power On Time Count,0,92,92,OK (Always passing),000000001849,0,Enabled
10,Spin Retry Count,0,100,100,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
11,Drive Calibration Retry Count,0,100,100,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
12,Drive Power Cycle Count,0,99,99,OK (Always passing),000000000498,0,Enabled
192,Power off Retract Cycle Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000051,0,Enabled
193,Load/Unload Cycle Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),0000000004AE,0,Enabled
194,Disk Temperature,0,118,97,OK (Always passing),000000000019,0,Enabled
196,Reallocation Event Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
197,Current Pending Sector Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
198,Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
199,Ultra ATA CRC Error Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000001,0,Enabled
200,Write Error Rate,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled


Code: 
Test Option: EXTENDED TEST
Model Number: WDC WD3200AAKS-00B3A0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WCAT14113874
Firmware Number: 01.03A01
Capacity: 320.07 GB
SMART Status: PASS
Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 08-Too many bad sectors detected.
Test Time: 17:15:29, September 20, 2010


I also tried to test with HDDScan and did not find any bad sectors.

Is the drive dying? Or is it OK and the smart info and DLD test results should not be trusted?
 
S

sub.mesa

Senior member
Feb 16, 2010
611
0
0
I can see no reallocated sectors.

Try with HDTune; post a screenshot of the SMART values (Health tab). And you can also do a surface scan to detect bad sectors.

Perhaps the manufacturer utility yields some unpredictable results. If you have bad sectors, HDTune would find them.

Curious if that is the case, since your SMART information does not list any bad sectors; just a SATA cable error ("Ultra ATA CRC error count") but that's just one I/O command that failed according to your output.

So i would recommend further testing.
 
M

Makaijin

Junior Member
Apr 21, 2010
20
0
0
Does the bad sectors still show up after the full erase? As logical bad sectors can be fixed with a full erase whereas physical ones cannot. You can try using the "format" command in cmd prompt with the /p switch to force it to zero out the drive multple times in an attempt to fix logical errors.
 
Last edited:
C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
Surface scan in HD Tune started detecting bad sectors at ~25% of drive and froze... I wonder why HDDScan reported that every sector is readable?
 
S

sub.mesa

Senior member
Feb 16, 2010
611
0
0
Check the SMART output again with HDTune; without doing the surface scan. Can you show us a screenshot of all the values? Make the window bigger if possible so all data is visible.
 
corkyg

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
27,370
238
106
Apparently, your WD diagnostic utility remapped the drive when it did the full erase. That remapping would then make all the bad sectors invisible to the OS, IOW, they are just not on the new sector map. This explains:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_sector

If you have a lot of bad sectors, RMA is a good solution.
 
R

Russwinters

Senior member
Jul 31, 2009
409
0
0
If you can view SMART you will likely see x number of reallocated sectors.

These sectors are now mapped to the G-LIST, and reserve sectors have taken their place.


This will affect performance on the tracks these sectors lie on, as the heads must seek to the reserve area to read 1 sector, then return to the track they where reading before, this will cause spikes in access times around the area where the bad sector was.


RMA if you can.
 
C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
like this one? :)
196,Reallocation Event Count,0,200,200,OK (Always passing),000000000000,0,Enabled
 
R

Russwinters

Senior member
Jul 31, 2009
409
0
0
Yep.


What program gave that output? It presents things kind of badly.


My guess is that the drive has reallocated 196 sectors, there is almost definitely more, but the drive has not run into them yet.
 
C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
196 is just a SMART code for Reallocation Event Count

program is Data Lifeguard diagnostic AFAIR
 
C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
so this one is more important:
5,Reallocated Sectors Count,140,200,200,OK,000000000000,0,Enabled
 
R

Russwinters

Senior member
Jul 31, 2009
409
0
0
There ya go =)

196 attempts to reallocate, only 5 successful.


the fact that there were 196 attempts is worrisome.
 
R

Russwinters

Senior member
Jul 31, 2009
409
0
0
Incorrect, SMART values on modern drives are stored different depending on the field.


In the case of these fields there is a Value, Worst, and Threshold (your three other numbers listed) and then there is a "RAW" value of that field.

The RAW value is recorded normally in WD drives, hence you have 196 (or 197 now) attempted reallocation events, and 5 success reallocated sectors.


As mentioned, the software doesn't really lay out the values well. WD engineers never really did know how to write code very well apparently =( thats why all the firmware issues.
 
R

Russwinters

Senior member
Jul 31, 2009
409
0
0
Nevermind, I woke up and read the software output.


Sigh I don't like WD software.


Those are the SMART field IDs; this drive has no reallocated event OR reallocated sectors.


run this:


www.hddscan.com


make sure you use the sector access time view.

see how the surface of the disk looks.
 
T

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,349
259
126
czesiu said:
so this one is more important:
5,Reallocated Sectors Count,140,200,200,OK,000000000000,0,Enabled
Click to expand...
No, this one is:

Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 08-Too many bad sectors detected.

SMART is highly implementation dependent and the typical implementation is none too rigorous as to be all that terribly trustworthy.
 
C

czesiu

Member
Feb 25, 2009
43
0
0
tcsenter said:
No, this one is:

Test Result: FAIL
Test Error Code: 08-Too many bad sectors detected.

SMART is highly implementation dependent and the typical implementation is none too rigorous as to be all that terribly trustworthy.
Click to expand...

oh yes I noticed ;)

As I said earlier I will RMA the drive based on that error 08 :)
 
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