Need help with GSmartControl again - sorry

[sorcerer]

I know I'm a pain but I still can't get my head around GSmartControl so I'm afraid I'm asking for help in interpreting the results again.

This is a Hitachi 250GB drive and Hitachi's own drive diagnostic program will not even complete a short test, let alone an extended test. It errors out quite quickly with the message "System error - Temperature limit exceeded. Disposition Code 0x42". Looking at the documentation "Disposition Code 0x42" does indeed say "The drive has exceeded the drive temperature limit" - but because the tests then abort, I don't know what that actually means with respect to the working of the drive.

So, I turned to GSmartControl and would be very grateful for any help from someone who knows what it all means. Thanks very much

Oh, I should perhaps say that the problem with the machine is random shutdowns and/or reboots. It's a desktop machine running Vista with an AMD Phenom processor. The inside was rather dusty and the heatsink was clogged with dust but the fan was running ok. The thermal paste had gone solid and crumbly so new paste applied.

smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [i686-linux-3.0.0-pmagic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Hitachi Deskstar P7K500
Device Model: Hitachi HDP725025GLA380
Serial Number: GEK230RBRP3LRA
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000cca 329c99952
Firmware Version: GM2OA5FA
User Capacity: 250,059,350,016 bytes [250 GB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: ATA-8-ACS revision 4
Local Time is: Thu Aug 16 20:09:34 2012 UTC
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: (0x80) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
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: ( 3981) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
No 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: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 66) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x003d) SCT Status supported.
SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
SCT Feature Control supported.
SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
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 100 098 016 Pre-fail Always - 0
2 Throughput_Performance 0x0007 131 100 054 Pre-fail Always - 145
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 113 099 024 Pre-fail Always - 177 (Average 184)
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0022 097 097 000 Old_age Always - 13633
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 005 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 100 100 067 Pre-fail Always - 0
8 Seek_Time_Performance 0x0005 134 100 020 Pre-fail Offline - 28
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 7587
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 060 Pre-fail Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 7685
184 End-to-End_Error 0x0033 100 100 099 Pre-fail Always - 0
187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
188 Command_Timeout 0x0032 100 099 000 Old_age Always - 688
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 065 061 000 Old_age Always - 35 (Min/Max 34/35)
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 089 089 000 Old_age Always - 13659
193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 089 089 000 Old_age Always - 13659
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 171 153 000 Old_age Always - 35 (Min/Max 10/39)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0002 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x0036 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 7587 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7586 -
# 3 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7586 -
# 4 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7585 -
# 5 Extended offline Interrupted (host reset) 80% 1 -

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.

Thanks again.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

I can't help you interpret the test results but seeing as the drive has close to 8000 hours on it and is having temperature issues I would say that now is time to focus on saving the data on it and selling a new HDD/install to the customer.

 

[Ccomp5950]

There is nothing wrong with that drive what so ever. If the person plans on using that computer for a couple more years it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace it now instead of later when it does have a problem but that's a tough sale "Sir, let me replace this part that is working fine"

The drive hasn't exceeded 102 degrees fahreinheit (39 celsius)

194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 171 153 000 Old_age Always - [B]35 (Min/Max 10/39)[/B]

The testing tools that complained about overheating are probably detecting the processor's thermometer instead

No reallocated sectors

5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 005 Pre-fail Always - [B]0[/B]
...
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0002 100 100 000 Old_age Always - [B]0[/B]
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - [B]0[/B]
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - [B]0[/B]

And the read test passed just fine...

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 7587 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7586 -
# 3 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7586 -
# 4 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7585 -
# 5 Extended offline Interrupted (host reset) 80% 1 -

The hard drive is a Hitachi Deskstar. These drives had a reputation for being DOA. The ones that weren't DOA were "throw it against the wall, run over it with your truck and it will keep going" reliable.

Clean up the inside so that thermal events with the processor are no longer a problem and you should be fine.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

Oh, I should perhaps say that the problem with the machine is random shutdowns and/or reboots.

Try booting into a live Linux environment and see if the random shutdowns persist. If so, we know the problem is the drive itself. If not, you can rule that out and start troubleshooting elsewhere.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks ever so much for the replies, I really do appreciate it folks.

John

 

[Ccomp5950]

Try booting into a live Linux environment and see if the random shutdowns persist. If so, we know the problem is the drive itself. If not, you can rule that out and start troubleshooting elsewhere.

Please explain your logic, that doesn't seem diagnostically sound at all.

Essentially you are saying that at this point you have eliminated every other possibility so the only other explanation is a problem with the drive?