Firmware update to enhance reliability of old IBM Deskstar 60GXP and 75 GXP (7200 rpm more than one

[Gilles Vollant]

Somes IBM hard disk (7200 rpm make between 3 and 1 year ago,known as 60GXP
and 75GXP I believe) have reliability problem.

page http://www.pheuron.de/deathstar.htm talk :
<<
When a DTLA or IC35..AVER drive is operated many hours a day, chances are,
that the heads will catch a bit of the platter's lubricant coating. This
leads to the well known 'noisy' bad sectors and error 0x70. To avoid this
undesirable event, you can get a firmware upgrade for your drive, that will
move the heads around from time to time while idling>>

IBM made an upgrade of disk firmware. IBM say:
<<
As part of IBMs ongoing commitment to quality, IBM has made available the
latest firmware update for the IBM DeskStar hard disk drives. This update is
designed to enhance the stability of these drives by helping to avoid the
excessive dwelling of any hea d in any particular area of the disk. This
update also incorporates a previous firmware update which improved the SMART
offline data collection process.
The webpage:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&uid=psg1MIGR-44195&loc=fr

contain an small utility for checking if you have hard disk that need
upgrade.
I really suggest you download ans start it, if you have IBM hard disk and
believe you can need upgrade.
This page contain also link to download the upgrade itself, if needed.

And if you have crash, the warranty page:
http://www.hgst.com/warranty

 

[puss]

Somes IBM hard disk (7200 rpm make between 3 and 1 year ago,known as 60GXP
and 75GXP I believe) have reliability problem.

page http://www.pheuron.de/deathstar.htm talk :
<<
When a DTLA or IC35..AVER drive is operated many hours a day, chances are,
that the heads will catch a bit of the platter's lubricant coating. This
leads to the well known 'noisy' bad sectors and error 0x70. To avoid this
undesirable event, you can get a firmware upgrade for your drive, that will
move the heads around from time to time while idling>>

IBM made an upgrade of disk firmware. IBM say:
<<
As part of IBMs ongoing commitment to quality, IBM has made available the
latest firmware update for the IBM DeskStar hard disk drives. This update is
designed to enhance the stability of these drives by helping to avoid the
excessive dwelling of any hea d in any particular area of the disk. This
update also incorporates a previous firmware update which improved the SMART
offline data collection process.

The webpage:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&uid=psg1MIGR-44195&loc=fr

contain an small utility for checking if you have hard disk that need
upgrade.
I really suggest you download ans start it, if you have IBM hard disk and
believe you can need upgrade.
This page contain also link to download the upgrade itself, if needed.

And if you have crash, the warranty page:
http://www.hgst.com/warranty

I thought that all these Glass platter drives are now all Dead..

 

[Eric Gisin]

The explaintion you quote it pretty dumb. Having the head on one track will
heat up that area and it may degrade the lubricant. I expect this would damage
the head causing lots of read errors. The clicking noise is simply the head
rezeroing.

| Somes IBM hard disk (7200 rpm make between 3 and 1 year ago,known as 60GXP
| and 75GXP I believe) have reliability problem.
|
| page http://www.pheuron.de/deathstar.htm talk :
| <<
| When a DTLA or IC35..AVER drive is operated many hours a day, chances are,
| that the heads will catch a bit of the platter's lubricant coating. This
| leads to the well known 'noisy' bad sectors and error 0x70. To avoid this
| undesirable event, you can get a firmware upgrade for your drive, that will
| move the heads around from time to time while idling>>
|

 

[Rod Speed]

Somes IBM hard disk (7200 rpm make between 3 and 1 year ago,
known as 60GXP and 75GXP I believe) have reliability problem.

They aint called deathstars for nothing.

page http://www.pheuron.de/deathstar.htm talk :
<<
When a DTLA or IC35..AVER drive is operated
many hours a day, chances are, that the heads
will catch a bit of the platter's lubricant coating.

That doesnt explain how an unusual drive
can be returned to usability again using DFT.

Or how 'many hours a day' has any relevance at all.

This leads to the well known 'noisy' bad sectors and error 0x70.
Bullshit.

To avoid this undesirable event, you can get a
firmware upgrade for your drive, that will move
the heads around from time to time while idling>>

If it was as simple as that, you wouldnt see the
same failures with drives that have been RMAed.

IBM made an upgrade of disk firmware. IBM say:
<<
As part of IBMs ongoing commitment to quality, IBM has made available
the latest firmware update for the IBM DeskStar hard disk drives. This
update is designed to enhance the stability of these drives by helping to
avoid the excessive dwelling of any hea d in any particular area of the
disk. This update also incorporates a previous firmware update which
improved the SMART offline data collection process.

The webpage:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=0&uid=psg1MIGR-44195&loc=fr

contain an small utility for checking if you have hard disk that
need upgrade. I really suggest you download ans start it, if
you have IBM hard disk and believe you can need upgrade.

 

[_kc_]

That doesnt explain how an unusual drive
can be returned to usability again using DFT.

Or how 'many hours a day' has any relevance at all.

on a deathstar that already has clicked, this is not a fix for eternity. BTW ever heard of hidden spare sectors?

The 'many hours a day' is based on ibm's official statement, that the mentioned drive families should not be used more than 8 hours a day (loool). It very likely sounds like a local heating problem in conjunction with badly chosen coating ingredients.

> This leads to the well known 'noisy' bad sectors and error 0x70.

Bull****.

Ok. Mr. hard disk expert.. what is your explanation?

> To avoid this undesirable event, you can get a
> firmware upgrade for your drive, that will move
> the heads around from time to time while idling>>

If it was as simple as that, you wouldnt see the
same failures with drives that have been RMAed.

IBM managed the trick to send RMA disks containing this very same horrid first firmware version. So: no head movement during idle state.. local heating... and.. more 0x70's.

The deathstar info page http://www.pheuron.de/deathstar.htm has been heavily updated in the meantime, based on the feedback of many kind visitors, allowing me to get a more detailed picture of the case.

What sets you into the position to utter such useless nonsense?

kc from www.pheuron.de