I think this drive is testing alright - can someone confirm please?

[sorcerer]

OK, so I'm getting a bit further in my quest to become proficient in reading the output of GSmartControl - I think.

If I've got it right, I understand that if a SMART Attribute (Normalized) Value is less than, or equal to, the Threshold value, then it signifies either impending disk failure (Pre-Fail) or a parameter that's showing old-age.

Below is the log from a Hitachi laptop drive after running GSmartControl on it. It passed the extended test after 67 minutes without error, but one attribute (197 - Current Pending Sector) was highlighted in red. Is this cause for concern?

Thanks very much.

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 Travelstar 5K320
Device Model: Hitachi HTS543216L9A300
Serial Number: 081015FB0200LCHD3KUB
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000cca 561d39960
Firmware Version: FB2OC40C
User Capacity: 160,041,885,696 bytes [160 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 3f
Local Time is: Wed Oct 31 17:58:08 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: (0x00) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
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: ( 645) 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: ( 67) 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 0x000b 100 100 062 Pre-fail Always - 0
2 Throughput_Performance 0x0005 100 100 040 Pre-fail Offline - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0007 253 253 033 Pre-fail Always - 0
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0012 098 098 000 Old_age Always - 3500
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 091 091 005 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000b 100 100 067 Pre-fail Always - 0
8 Seek_Time_Performance 0x0005 100 100 040 Pre-fail Offline - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0012 084 084 000 Old_age Always - 7090
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 060 Pre-fail Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 098 098 000 Old_age Always - 3500
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x000a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 127
193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0012 097 097 000 Old_age Always - 32162
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 141 141 000 Old_age Always - 39 (Min/Max 13/50)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 476
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0022 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0008 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x000a 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 354
223 Load_Retry_Count 0x000a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 10 (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 10 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 7066 hours (294 days + 10 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
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 51 02 ed 4b fa e0 Error: IDNF 2 sectors at LBA = 0x00fa4bed = 16403437

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 00 02 ed 4b fa e0 00 01:55:06.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 17 f5 64 e0 00 01:55:06.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 0f f5 64 e0 00 01:55:06.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 07 f5 64 e0 00 01:55:06.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 ff f4 64 e0 00 01:55:06.100 READ DMA EXT

Error 9 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 7066 hours (294 days + 10 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
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 51 02 ed 4b fa e0 Error: IDNF 2 sectors at LBA = 0x00fa4bed = 16403437

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 00 02 ed 4b fa e0 00 01:52:38.200 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 ef 3c c0 e0 00 01:52:38.200 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 e7 3c c0 e0 00 01:52:38.200 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 df 3c c0 e0 00 01:52:38.200 READ DMA EXT
25 00 02 b1 f4 c2 e0 00 01:52:38.200 READ DMA EXT

Error 8 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 7066 hours (294 days + 10 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
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 51 02 ed 4b fa e0 Error: IDNF 2 sectors at LBA = 0x00fa4bed = 16403437

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 00 02 ed 4b fa e0 00 01:52:35.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 6f 42 38 e0 00 01:52:35.100 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 67 42 38 e0 00 01:52:35.000 READ DMA EXT
25 00 02 ed f3 c2 e0 00 01:52:35.000 READ DMA EXT
25 00 02 ed f3 c2 e0 00 01:52:35.000 READ DMA EXT

Error 7 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 7066 hours (294 days + 10 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
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 51 02 ff 1f 19 e0 Error: IDNF 2 sectors at LBA = 0x00191fff = 1646591

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 00 02 ff 1f 19 e0 00 01:52:34.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 6f 42 38 e0 00 01:52:34.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 67 42 38 e0 00 01:52:34.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 02 ed f3 c2 e0 00 01:52:34.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 02 ed f3 c2 e0 00 01:52:34.400 READ DMA EXT

Error 6 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 7066 hours (294 days + 10 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
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 51 02 ed 4b fa e0 Error: IDNF 2 sectors at LBA = 0x00fa4bed = 16403437

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 00 02 ed 4b fa e0 00 01:52:26.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 37 0e 6a e0 00 01:52:26.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 2f 0e 6a e0 00 01:52:26.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 27 0e 6a e0 00 01:52:26.400 READ DMA EXT
25 00 08 1f 0e 6a e0 00 01:52:26.400 READ DMA EXT

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% 7090 -
# 2 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 7074 -
# 3 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7073 -
# 4 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7073 -
# 5 Short offline Completed without error 00% 7064 -

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.

 

[ShinyTech]

Going way to far into it. SMART test is just a way to sometimes catch a failing hard drive. Maybe spend more time finding good programs to test a hard drive to see if it is good.

 

[jbartlett323]

OK, so I'm getting a bit further in my quest to become proficient in reading the output of GSmartControl - I think.

If I've got it right, I understand that if a SMART Attribute (Normalized) Value is less than, or equal to, the Threshold value, then it signifies either impending disk failure (Pre-Fail) or a parameter that's showing old-age.

Below is the log from a Hitachi laptop drive after running GSmartControl on it. It passed the extended test after 67 minutes without error, but one attribute (197 - Current Pending Sector) was highlighted in red. Is this cause for concern?

Thanks very much.

Current Pending just means there is a sector the drive *thinks* might be going bad and needs to be watched. Many times these resolve themselves in a couple of boots, or after an Extended test.

But like said above, your way over thinking it. Its common knowledge that SMART data is not fool-proof, we have all seen good drives fail and failed drives pass. So unless it says "Reallocated Sectors: someungodlynumber" or the error log is full of "Read Failure in LBA xxxxx" dont worry about it. It passed the long test, so it *should* be fine, and thats all we can go on...

 

[sorcerer]

Ok, thanks guys

<filler>

 

[PCX]

Should be good man. If you are doing this in Linux, the quickest way to determine if a drive is bad is to use Disk Utility to check for bad sectors (it will tell you immediately) and then use gsmartcontrol for the SMART test. If both the short and extended tests come back as good and there are no bad sectors, then you should be fine.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks very much PCX