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preclear results in 1 more reallocated sector every time ...do I RMA?

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So I've been running the preclear script on a WD green drive.  Every time I run the drive I have 1 more reallocated sector.  I've ran the preclear script 3 times now, ... and being a 2TB drive, each preclear takes a good while...

 

I guess the question becomes, at what point should I consider not using the drive (and submitting a RMA)?

Post a SMART report for the drive. How long does the preclear take? For me it was about 28 hours if I recall correctly.

 

You could also put the drive in a Windows PC and test it with western digital's test tools to see if that finds anything.

 

Regards

Stephen

  • Author

Post a SMART report for the drive. How long does the preclear take? For me it was about 28 hours if I recall correctly.

 

You could also put the drive in a Windows PC and test it with western digital's test tools to see if that finds anything.

 

Regards

Stephen

 

Disk: /dev/sds
smartctl 5.40 2010-10-16 r3189 [i486-slackware-linux-gnu] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-10 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Western Digital Caviar Green (Adv. Format) family
Device Model:     WDC WD20EARS-98MVWB0
Serial Number:    WD-WCAZAF856890
Firmware Version: 51.0AB51
User Capacity:    2,000,398,934,016 bytes
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   8
ATA Standard is:  Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is:    Sun Feb 17 15:29:09 2013 PST
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: 		 (38580) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: 			 (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
				Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
				Suspend Offline collection upon new
				command.
				Offline surface scan supported.
				Self-test supported.
				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: 	 ( 255) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: 	 (   5) minutes.
SCT capabilities: 	       (0x3035)	SCT Status 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     0x002f   200   200   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027   100   253   021    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       3
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   200   200   140    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x002e   100   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       26
10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0032   100   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032   100   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       3
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       2
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   107   104   000    Old_age   Always       -       43
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   100   253   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x0008   100   253   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]


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.

 

The preclear takes 26-28 hours to run... I just started the preclear script again, I suppose there is no reason I can't stop it and plug it into my windows PC and run the western digital diagnostic tool.

Are you sure that SMART report was for the correct drive, the one you are preclearing?  That SMART report shows no reallocated sectors, no current pending sectors, and no evidence there have ever been any.  The drive looks great.  This drive has only 26 hours on it, so could only have one preclear.

  • Author

========================================================================1.13
== invoked as: ./preclear_disk.sh /dev/sde
==  WDC WD20EARX-008FB0    WD-WCAZAE710057
== Disk /dev/sde has been successfully precleared
== with a starting sector of 64 
== Ran 1 cycle
==
== Using :Read block size = 8225280 Bytes
== Last Cycle's Pre Read Time  : 6:32:11 (85 MB/s)
== Last Cycle's Zeroing time   : 6:04:17 (91 MB/s)
== Last Cycle's Post Read Time : 13:15:17 (41 MB/s)
== Last Cycle's Total Time     : 25:52:44
==
== Total Elapsed Time 25:52:44
==
== Disk Start Temperature: 36C
==
== Current Disk Temperature: 35C, 
==
============================================================================
** Changed attributes in files: /tmp/smart_start_sde  /tmp/smart_finish_sde
                ATTRIBUTE   NEW_VAL OLD_VAL FAILURE_THRESHOLD STATUS      RAW_VALUE
          Seek_Error_Rate =   100     200            0        ok          0
           Power_On_Hours =    96      97            0        ok          2937
      Temperature_Celsius =   115     114            0        ok          35
  Reallocated_Event_Count =   192     193            0        ok          8
No SMART attributes are FAILING_NOW

0 sectors were pending re-allocation before the start of the preclear.
0 sectors were pending re-allocation after pre-read in cycle 1 of 1.
0 sectors were pending re-allocation after zero of disk in cycle 1 of 1.
0 sectors are pending re-allocation at the end of the preclear,
    the number of sectors pending re-allocation did not change.
7 sectors had been re-allocated before the start of the preclear.
8 sectors are re-allocated at the end of the preclear,
    a change of 1 in the number of sectors re-allocated. 
============================================================================

 

Disk: /dev/sde
smartctl 5.40 2010-10-16 r3189 [i486-slackware-linux-gnu] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-10 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model:     WDC WD20EARX-008FB0
Serial Number:    WD-WCAZAE710057
Firmware Version: 51.0AB51
User Capacity:    2,000,398,934,016 bytes
Device is:        Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is:   8
ATA Standard is:  Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is:    Sun Feb 17 13:54:12 2013 PST
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:  (0x82)	Offline data collection activity
				was completed without error.
				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: 		 (33360) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: 			 (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
				Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
				Suspend Offline collection upon new
				command.
				Offline surface scan supported.
				Self-test supported.
				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: 	 ( 255) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: 	 (   5) minutes.
SCT capabilities: 	       (0x30b5)	SCT Status 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     0x002f   200   200   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       53
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027   179   179   021    Pre-fail  Always       -       6016
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       406
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   200   200   140    Pre-fail  Always       -       8
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x002e   100   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   096   096   000    Old_age   Always       -       2937
10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032   100   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       77
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       68
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   181   181   000    Old_age   Always       -       58056
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   115   104   000    Old_age   Always       -       35
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   192   192   000    Old_age   Always       -       8
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   200   200   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x0008   200   200   000    Old_age   Offline      -       4

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  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      1804         -
# 2  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      1662         -

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.

 

 

Now this drive does have an issue.  It also has a rather high Load_Cycle_Count of 58056.  None of the other numbers look bad.  If this has been 3 times in a row of finding a new bad sector to remove, I'd be suspicious.  In my opinion, I would not trust a drive until I had a completely successful Preclear with nothing found to fix.  With the history of this drive, I would want at least 2 successful Preclears.  It's your choice, but I'm rather sure most would RMA it.

  • Author

Now this drive does have an issue.  It also has a rather high Load_Cycle_Count of 58056.  None of the other numbers look bad.  If this has been 3 times in a row of finding a new bad sector to remove, I'd be suspicious.  In my opinion, I would not trust a drive until I had a completely successful Preclear with nothing found to fix.  With the history of this drive, I would want at least 2 successful Preclears.  It's your choice, but I'm rather sure most would RMA it.

 

Do you happen to know what the RMA policies are with western digital in this regard?  I did a quick google search on their site and I couldn't find anything definitive regarding "re-allocated sectors".

Now this drive does have an issue.  It also has a rather high Load_Cycle_Count of 58056.  None of the other numbers look bad.  If this has been 3 times in a row of finding a new bad sector to remove, I'd be suspicious.  In my opinion, I would not trust a drive until I had a completely successful Preclear with nothing found to fix.  With the history of this drive, I would want at least 2 successful Preclears.  It's your choice, but I'm rather sure most would RMA it.

Do you happen to know what the RMA policies are with western digital in this regard?  I did a quick google search on their site and I couldn't find anything definitive regarding "re-allocated sectors".

You shouldn't have a problem.  I've RMA'd WD drives with fewer problems before.  You might get refurbished back.

 

  • Author

Now this drive does have an issue.  It also has a rather high Load_Cycle_Count of 58056.  None of the other numbers look bad.  If this has been 3 times in a row of finding a new bad sector to remove, I'd be suspicious.  In my opinion, I would not trust a drive until I had a completely successful Preclear with nothing found to fix.  With the history of this drive, I would want at least 2 successful Preclears.  It's your choice, but I'm rather sure most would RMA it.

Do you happen to know what the RMA policies are with western digital in this regard?  I did a quick google search on their site and I couldn't find anything definitive regarding "re-allocated sectors".

You shouldn't have a problem.  I've RMA'd WD drives with fewer problems before.  You might get refurbished back.

 

Better a refurbished drive than one with growing numbers of re-allocated sectors.

Better a refurbished drive than one with growing numbers of re-allocated sectors.

Hopefully. You may be inheriting someone else's problem. Refurbished is a crapshoot as to the quality.
  • Author

Better a refurbished drive than one with growing numbers of re-allocated sectors.

Hopefully. You may be inheriting someone else's problem. Refurbished is a crapshoot as to the quality.

 

That's what the preclear script is for ;)

Better a refurbished drive than one with growing numbers of re-allocated sectors.

Hopefully. You may be inheriting someone else's problem. Refurbished is a crapshoot as to the quality.

 

That's what the preclear script is for ;)

Exactly.  I am in the process of RMA'ing a drive that WD sent me as an RMA for another drive.  It was a new one but way too many pending sectors to trust, 65535 after 1st cycle, 0 after second and third - thought it was OK but set it aside as a spare.  Got it mixed up with another one so decided to run 3 more cycles on them.  Got 65535 after 1st,  zero after 2nd cycle and ended with 65535 after third.  Left it that way so that when WD tests it they will see the pending count.  Other RMA's I've done in the past have been anywhere from 2 pending to 16 actually reallocated.  This is the first new drive I've had with more than that.
I am in the process of RMA'ing a drive that WD sent me as an RMA for another drive.  It was a new one but way too many pending sectors to trust, 65535 after 1st cycle, 0 after second and third - thought it was OK but set it aside as a spare.

I could be wrong, but I think 65535 is a result returned from an overflow condition or calculation error, considering it is = 1111111111111111 in binary. Doesn't seem encouraging as to the condition of the drive electronics. The media is probably fine, but that doesn't mean anything if the circuit board decides to issue erroneous data.

I am in the process of RMA'ing a drive that WD sent me as an RMA for another drive.  It was a new one but way too many pending sectors to trust, 65535 after 1st cycle, 0 after second and third - thought it was OK but set it aside as a spare.

I could be wrong, but I think 65535 is a result returned from an overflow condition or calculation error, considering it is = 1111111111111111 in binary. Doesn't seem encouraging as to the condition of the drive electronics. The media is probably fine, but that doesn't mean anything if the circuit board decides to issue erroneous data.

That is kind of what I was thinking too.  When it initially went to zeros and stayed for 2 following cycles I thought it was OK - at least for an off line backup or as spare.  But when it threw it out again I decided to RMA it.  Just haven't had the time to check to see if I still CAN RMA it yet.  3 months ago when I checked and thought it was acceptable it was but it may not be now. 

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