Samsung Spinpoint F1 errors

[KillerBob]

Hi,

I have a Pro Pioneer, with 6 Samsung Spinpoint F1s disks installed. They have been in there for a few years, and I have a disk with a few SMART errors;

Raw Read Error Rate - 3
Read Sector Error Rate - 3
Reported Uncorrect - 3
Current Pending Sector - 1

Volume scans finds no errors.

They have been there for a while, and do not seem to change, but what I'd like to know is; if they are the same for months, should I still change out the disk, or just "wing" it? When is it critical, when the errors are there, or when they increase?

Bo

[StephenB]

You'll probably get different opinions on this topic. Though there are papers that analyze disk failures and SMART data, I haven't seen anyone publish good strategies on when to replace a drive (that are grounded in the failure statistics).

I would keep an eye on this disk, but not replace it until the numbers start to increase. I would also make sure I had a spare on hand, so I could immediately replace it when the numbers start to rise.

BTW, in my experience, writing to a marginal/failing drive is worse than reading. So volume scans may not give you much guidance. File Scrubbing might be more useful (though of course it will stress all the drives...).

[PapaBear]

I would also try to maintain a complete and current backup - just in case.

[StephenB]

I would also try to maintain a complete and current backup - just in case.

Always good advice, though I think KillerBob already has that covered (viewtopic.php?f=31&t=61648&p=345836#p345829)

[KillerBob]

Hi,

If I wanted to check the HD specifically, it being a Samsung F1 (HD103UJ), what Disk testing utility should I use? I can't locate a specific one for Samsung HDs, and I don't of any good generic ones for OSX. And, should I for instance use Tech Tool, is it safe to take out the specific HD from the Pro, test it, and reinsert? I.e. do I stand the chance of f...... something up on the HD?

Bo

[StephenB]

Hi,

If I wanted to check the HD specifically, it being a Samsung F1 (HD103UJ), what Disk testing utility should I use? I can't locate a specific one for Samsung HDs, and I don't of any good generic ones for OSX. And, should I for instance use Tech Tool, is it safe to take out the specific HD from the Pro, test it, and reinsert? I.e. do I stand the chance of f...... something up on the HD?

Bo

No clue about OSX diags. As long as the diag is non-destructive it should be safe. You do need to shut down the pro before you remove the disk, and leave it off until the testing is complete.

[PapaBear]

And only power back up after the disk has been re-inserted. Never insert a disk with data on it into a ReadyNAS while it is on, it will be wiped and then resynced.

[gibxxi]

The best tool for HDD diagnosis is and always has been SpinRite 6 from GRC. However, the program requires a bootdisk, and it's showing it's age. It was never designed to work with modern RAID controllers in PC's (whether using the RAID features or not) and several PC's I've attempted to use it on have caused it to crash after scanning for a short period. Probable BIOS incompatibility. HDDScan is a good tool for identifying potential problems and weak sectors on a HDD, and is free. A good substitute if you can't run a DOS-based tool.

http://hddscan.com/

[KillerBob]

And I would use it, if I had a Windows PC. I'm a Mac head, and most of these will not work in virtual enviroments:(

[KillerBob]

How the h... can the numbers suddenly improve? Today I checked the SMART on the HD, and some of the error number had decreased to 1 (from 3):

Raw Read Error Rate - 3 --> 1
Read Sector Error Rate - 3 --> 1

Bo

[KillerBob]

I may be living life dangerously, but I can't easily get my hands on another Samsung Spinpoint F1, and want to keep the 6 discs the same brand/model.

Today, after a disk scrubbing this morning, the error count have changed again:

Raw Read Error Rate - 3 --> 1 --> 8
Read Sector Error Rate - 3 --> 1 --> 8
Reported Uncorrect 0 --> 3 --> 10

As I can't really check these hard-drives in my Mac, and I do have an absolutely solid backup, I think I will just let happen what happens, i.e. leave it until it crashes. If/when it does so, I assume I will get a warning, and then have the choice to insert a new hard-drive?

/Bo

[gibxxi]

The NAS will warn you once the drive goes "DEAD". Whether you want to wait that long is up to you. You might want to try a ReSync / RAID scrubbing combo. If it passes both those tests, and the NAS doesn't warn you of problems with the drive, ignore it for now.

I've seen that sometimes SMART can be a cause for paranoia rather than being helpful. It's not designed for interpretation by the user, but by the host system, and different manufacturers seem to use it / implement it in different ways.

The other option is to put it in a removable USB caddy, and attach that to your Mac and find some test software that will run a scan on it.

[KillerBob]

Hi,

I will continue to wing it. I have a solid backup, and when the drive finally fails I will replace it with another. The errors keep increasing everytime the NAS scrubbs it, so there is probably something wrong.

/Bo

[StephenB]

Hi,

I will continue to wing it. I have a solid backup, and when the drive finally fails I will replace it with another. The errors keep increasing everytime the NAS scrubbs it, so there is probably something wrong.

/Bo

I like to have one spare of each drive size I use on hand. Then I can replace the drive w/o delay when it fails. Backups are essential of course, but restoring them can take a while - I'd rather keep the array working if possible.

[KillerBob]

I replaced the drive as the count of "Reported Uncorrect" was up to 26. Right now the NAS is doing a Resync. I had a spare in an enclousure which I use for extra BU, and I will just continue to use it for this.

/Bo