Slave Drive Corrupted: Is It For Real?

[Chuck Hildebrandt]

I have a Maxtor 40GB ATA Hard Drive (internal) that I use as a slave for
file storage only.

I rebooted my computer and got this message:

Z:\ is not accessible.
The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Are there any best practice troubleshooting tips that I can do to determine
whether it is really dead and gone, for sure?

 

[Arno Wagner]

I have a Maxtor 40GB ATA Hard Drive (internal) that I use as a slave for
file storage only.

I rebooted my computer and got this message:

Z:\ is not accessible.
The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Are there any best practice troubleshooting tips that I can do to determine
whether it is really dead and gone, for sure?

Get the complete SMART status. That will tell wether the disk is ok.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

I have a Maxtor 40GB ATA Hard Drive (internal) that I use as a slave for file storage only.

I rebooted my computer and got this message:

Z:\ is not accessible.
The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Are there any best practice troubleshooting tips that I can do to determine whether it is really
dead and gone, for sure?

Post the Everest SMART report for the drive
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

and run Maxtor's PowerMax and see what it says about the drive.

That can be due to just data corruption and you can often
see the files fine from a Knoppix live CD if you are running XP.

 

[Chuck Hildebrandt]

Post the Everest SMART report for the drive
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

and run Maxtor's PowerMax and see what it says about the drive.

That can be due to just data corruption and you can often
see the files fine from a Knoppix live CD if you are running XP.

Here is the physical description:

******************************

[ Maxtor 6E040L0]

ATA Device Properties:
Model ID Maxtor 6E040L0
Serial Number
Revision NAR61590
Parameters 79656 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors per track, 512
bytes per sector
LBA Sectors 80293248
Buffer 2 MB (Dual Ported, Read Ahead)
Multiple Sectors 16
ECC Bytes 57
Max. PIO Transfer Mode PIO 4
Max. UDMA Transfer Mode UDMA 6 (ATA-133)
Active UDMA Transfer Mode UDMA 6 (ATA-133)
Unformatted Capacity 39206 MB

ATA Device Features:
SMART Supported
Security Mode Supported
Power Management Supported
Advanced Power Management Supported
Write Cache Supported
Host Protected Area Supported
Power-Up In Standby Not Supported
Automatic Acoustic Management Supported
48-bit LBA Not Supported
Device Configuration Overlay Supported

ATA Device Physical Info:
Manufacturer Maxtor
Hard Disk Family DiamondMax Plus 8
Form Factor 3.5"
Formatted Capacity 40 GB
Disks 1
Recording Surfaces 1
Physical Dimensions 146.1 x 101.6 x 17.5 mm
Max. Weight 510 g
Average Rotational Latency 4.17 ms
Rotational Speed 7200 RPM
Interface Ultra-ATA/133
Buffer-to-Host Data Rate 133 MB/s
Buffer Size 2 MB

******************************


Here is the SMART Report:

******************************
[ Maxtor 6E040L0 ]

ID Attribute Description Threshold Value Worst Data
Status
03 Spin Up Time 63 220 220 10675 OK: Value is normal
04 Start/Stop Count 0 253 253 79 OK: Always passing
05 Reallocated Sector Count 63 252 252 6 OK: Value
is normal
06 Read Channel Margin 100 253 253 0 OK: Value is
normal
07 Seek Error Rate 0 253 176 0 OK: Always passing
08 Seek Time Performance 187 253 250 45657 OK: Value
is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 236 236 27218 OK: Always
passing
0A Spin Retry Count 157 253 252 0 OK: Value is
normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 223 253 252 0 OK: Value
is normal
0C Power Cycle Count 0 252 252 604 OK: Always
passing
C0 Power-Off Retract Count 0 253 253 79 OK: Always
passing
C1 Load/Unload Cycle Count 0 253 253 455 OK: Always
passing
C2 Temperature 0 253 253 41 OK: Always passing
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 253 252 30309 OK: Always
passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 243 243 10 OK: Always
passing
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 253 253 2 OK:
Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 252 249 1
OK: Always passing
C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 199 199 0 OK: Always
passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
C9 <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
CA <vendor-specific> 0 253 50 0 OK: Always passing
CB <vendor-specific> 180 253 240 611 OK: Value is
normal
CC <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
CD <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
CF <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
D0 <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing
D1 <vendor-specific> 0 188 185 0 OK: Always passing
63 <vendor-specific> 0 253 253 0 OK: Always passing
64 <vendor-specific> 0 253 253 0 OK: Always passing
65 <vendor-specific> 0 253 253 0 OK: Always passing

******************************

When I run the Powermax Utility, here is what it says:

******
Errors have been detected on your drive. PowerMax can attempt to reapir
these errors. The data on these sectors may be lost by running the repair.
In most casesa the data is already unreadable and unrecoverable. Please
backup all data before running the repair. Continue?
******

Obviously I chose no. Then it said:

******
Diagnostic code: [snip]

This drive is failing and must be replaced. If you do not havea recent
backup of the data, please do so now if possible.
******


I am not in a position to back up data since I cannot access the disk from
Windows.

What do you think? Can the disk, or at least the data, be saved?

Thanks for all your help!

Chuck

 

[Rod Speed]

Here is the physical description:

******************************

[ Maxtor 6E040L0]

ATA Device Properties:
Model ID Maxtor 6E040L0
Serial Number
Revision NAR61590
Parameters 79656 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors per track,
512 bytes per sector
LBA Sectors 80293248
Buffer 2 MB (Dual Ported, Read Ahead)
Multiple Sectors 16
ECC Bytes 57
Max. PIO Transfer Mode PIO 4
Max. UDMA Transfer Mode UDMA 6 (ATA-133)
Active UDMA Transfer Mode UDMA 6 (ATA-133)
Unformatted Capacity 39206 MB

ATA Device Features:
SMART Supported
Security Mode Supported
Power Management Supported
Advanced Power Management Supported
Write Cache Supported
Host Protected Area Supported
Power-Up In Standby Not Supported
Automatic Acoustic Management Supported
48-bit LBA Not Supported
Device Configuration Overlay Supported

ATA Device Physical Info:
Manufacturer Maxtor
Hard Disk Family DiamondMax Plus 8
Form Factor 3.5"
Formatted Capacity 40 GB
Disks 1
Recording Surfaces 1
Physical Dimensions 146.1 x 101.6 x 17.5 mm
Max. Weight 510 g
Average Rotational Latency 4.17 ms
Rotational Speed 7200 RPM
Interface Ultra-ATA/133
Buffer-to-Host Data Rate 133 MB/s
Buffer Size 2 MB

******************************


Here is the SMART Report:

******************************
[ Maxtor 6E040L0 ]

ID Attribute Description Threshold Value Worst Data Status
03 Spin Up Time 63 220 220 10675 OK: Value is normal 04 Start/Stop Count
0 253 253 79 OK: Always passing 05 Reallocated Sector Count 63 252 252 6
OK: Value is normal

That isnt great, tho not that unusual with Maxtor drives.

06 Read Channel Margin 100 253 253 0 OK: Value is normal
07 Seek Error Rate 0 253 176 0 OK: Always passing 08 Seek Time
Performance 187 253 250 45657 OK: Value is normal
09 Power-On Time Count 0 236 236 27218 OK: Always passing
0A Spin Retry Count 157 253 252 0 OK: Value is normal
0B Calibration Retry Count 223 253 252 0 OK: Value is normal
0C Power Cycle Count 0 252 252 604 OK: Always passing
C0 Power-Off Retract Count 0 253 253 79 OK: Always passing
C1 Load/Unload Cycle Count 0 253 253 455 OK: Always passing
C2 Temperature 0 253 253 41 OK: Always passing

Urk, that's high, particular as you are likely in winter there.

C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 0 253 252 30309 OK: Always passing
C4 Reallocation Event Count 0 243 243 10 OK: Always passing

That again is a bit on the high side, but common with Maxtors.

C5 Current Pending Sector Count 0 253 253 2 OK: Always passing
C6 Off-Line Uncorrectable Sector Count 0 252 249 1 OK: Always passing

Another couple are similar.

C7 Ultra ATA CRC Error Rate 0 199 199 0 OK: Always passing
C8 Write Error Rate 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing C9 <vendor-specific>
0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing CA <vendor-specific> 0 253 50 0 OK:
Always passing CB <vendor-specific> 180 253 240 611 OK: Value is normal
CC <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing CD <vendor-specific>
0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing CF <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK:
Always passing D0 <vendor-specific> 0 253 252 0 OK: Always passing D1
<vendor-specific> 0 188 185 0 OK: Always passing 63 <vendor-specific> 0 253
253 0 OK: Always passing 64 <vendor-specific> 0 253 253 0 OK: Always
passing 65 <vendor-specific> 0 253 253 0 OK: Always passing

When I run the Powermax Utility, here is what it says:

******
Errors have been detected on your drive. PowerMax can attempt to
reapir these errors. The data on these sectors may be lost by
running the repair. In most casesa the data is already unreadable and
unrecoverable. Please backup all data before running the repair. Continue? ******

Obviously I chose no. Then it said:

******
Diagnostic code: [snip]

This drive is failing and must be replaced. If you do not havea
recent backup of the data, please do so now if possible.
******

I am not in a position to back up data since I cannot access the disk from Windows.

What do you think? Can the disk, or at least the data, be saved?

You may be able to save the data by using a knoppix live CD and
copying the data off the drive to another if its NTFS formatted.
The NT/2K/XP series can give up on those too easily.

I would replace the drive under warranty if you can,
and do something about that drive temperature if you
are in winter. It will get a lot worse on the hottest days
of summer unless you are running it in an airconditioned room.

Thanks for all your help!

No problem.

 

[Eric Gisin]

Your drive may have a few bad sectors, but that does not explain the error message.
What OS and file system? Try running some diagnostics that check the disk structure.

 

[Rod Speed]

Your drive may have a few bad sectors, but that does not explain the error message.

Yes it does if a bad is in the directory structures.

 

[Chuck Hildebrandt]

Post the Everest SMART report for the drive
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4181

and run Maxtor's PowerMax and see what it says about the drive.

That can be due to just data corruption and you can often
see the files fine from a Knoppix live CD if you are running XP.

Rod -- I just started looking into Knoppix Live CD (I was out of town all
last week). Isn't it supposed to be a bootable CD for when your hard (C)
drive crashes? I'm not having problems with that drive, I'm having problems
with an internal data drive. Do I still need to boot from a Knoppix Live
CD?

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod -- I just started looking into Knoppix Live CD (I was out of town all last week). Isn't it
supposed to be a bootable CD

Yes, now generally called a Live CD.

for when your hard (C) drive crashes?

Nope, its meant to be a linux you run from CD,
even tho its not hard to install it on the hard drive.

The use of knoppix when your hard drive has crashed
is just an unintended use of it, not its purpose.

I'm not having problems with that drive, I'm
having problems with an internal data drive. Do I still need to boot from a Knoppix Live CD?

The main advantage with Knoppix is when one of the NT/2K/XP family refuses
to recognise an NTFS partition as a valid partition and claims its unformatted etc.

Knoppix can usually read the partition fine in that situation, essentially
because its less fussy than 2K or XP is, so you can copy off what data
you want and so dont lose that data when its not properly backed up.