Western Digital_WD400BB-53C1B0 40GIG + ActiveSmart "Seek Error Rate" ?

bcool · Nov 11, 2003

I recently installed this brand new drive on secondary IDE port as
single drive. ActiveSmart is pestering me with frequent changes to
the "Seek Error Rate" attribute. Yesterday I noticed a date under the
TEC column of ActiveSmart of November 12, 2003. The value has NEVER
dipped below 100 and the Raw Data is 0. The values usually swap
between 200 and 100. I have a Maxtor 6E040L0 40GIG on Primary IDE port
alone. No such alerts for it. FWIW, I dual boot WIN98SE/WINXP SP1 on
a Giga-byte GA-6BXC 440BX MB 133FSB, PIII 1000, Sparkle 300WATT PSU
and good quality round ATA/133 IDE cables. SCSI DVD-ROM + SCSI
CD-R/RW(EXTERNAL). The Seek Error Rate alerts continue regardless of
IDE cables used (ATAS ATA/100 Flat or SVC(purchased) ATA/133 10"
Round). Is the fact that the Raw Data is "0" for Seek Error Rate
noteworthy here?

SEE CHART BELOW:
S.M.A.R.T. status
Date: 11 November 2003 02:16:16
Drive model: WDC WD400BB-53CLB0
Serial number: WD-WMAANxxxxxxx
Capacity: 40.0 GB
Drive interface: IDE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attribute Name Threshold Value Worst Raw
value
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 (01) Raw Read Error Rate 51 200 200 0
3 (03) Spin Up Time 21 104 94 3858
4 (04) Start/Stop Count 40 100 100 32
5 (05) Reallocated Sector Count 140 200 200 0
7 (07) Seek Error Rate 51 100 253 0
9 (09) Power-on Hours Count 0 100 100 254
10 (0A) Spin Up Retry Count 51 100 253 0
11 (0B) Calibration Retry Count 51 100 253 0
12 (0C) Power Cycle Count 0 100 100 31
196 (C4) Reallocation Event Count 0 200 200 0
197 (C5) Current Pending Sect Count 0 200 200 0
198 (C6) Off-line S.U. Sector Count 0 200 200 0
199 (C7) Ultra ATA CRC Error Count 0 200 200 0
200 (C8) Write Error Count 51 200 200 0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rod Speed · Nov 11, 2003

I'd try another smart ute like HDD Health and see what it says.

Likely it is reporting a problem, tho you may not be able to
satisfy WD that the drive should be RMAed with that data.

At least backup the stuff you'll slash your wrists if you lose
religiously, even if you have to buy a burner to do that.

bcool · Nov 12, 2003

Rod Speed said:
I'd try another smart ute like HDD Health and see what it says.

Likely it is reporting a problem, tho you may not be able to
satisfy WD that the drive should be RMAed with that data.

At least backup the stuff you'll slash your wrists if you lose
religiously, even if you have to buy a burner to do that.

Thanks Rod. I have been able to look at the Seek Error Rate in
another SMART monitor and in fact the value does change from 200 to
100 periodically. This I can confirm. The raw data reamains "0"
though. I'm curious if the raw data at "0" tells us anything useful
here one way or the other. Is it possible that such fluctuations
between 200 and 100 can be normal so long as the value doesn't dip
below 100? And how does the "TEC" date get issued anyhow? Is that
ActiveSmart's estimate or is it a function of SMART and/or the actual
hard drive firmware? This part I don't understand!

Rod Speed · Nov 12, 2003

Thanks Rod. I have been able to look at the Seek Error Rate in
another SMART monitor and in fact the value does change from 200 to
100 periodically. This I can confirm. The raw data reamains "0"
though. I'm curious if the raw data at "0" tells us anything useful
here one way or the other.

Most likely its the current value and that sometimes is 100 or 200.

Is it possible that such fluctuations between 200 and 100
can be normal so long as the value doesn't dip below 100?

Yes, thats possible. Some of that fine detail is up to the drive
manufacturer. The SMART system isnt rigidly specified.

And how does the "TEC" date get issued anyhow? Is that
ActiveSmart's estimate or is it a function of SMART and/or
the actual hard drive firmware? This part I don't understand!

Its mostly the drive firmware, up the drive manufacturer on the fine detail.

bcool · Nov 13, 2003

Rod Speed said:
Most likely its the current value and that sometimes is 100 or 200.

Yes, thats possible. Some of that fine detail is up to the drive
manufacturer. The SMART system isnt rigidly specified.

Its mostly the drive firmware, up the drive manufacturer on the fine detail.

Thanks again Rod for your input. Perhaps to err on the side of
caution, I requested an RMA from WDC and was surprised to be greated
with an approval. A replacemnet drive has already been shipped since
my WD drive is still under warranty. Of course I may end up seeing
the same behavior in the replacement drive - nevertheless, I do feel
better that I took this action.
Are you aware of WDC having an unusual rate of HDD failures of late?
I sure hope not!

Rod Speed · Nov 14, 2003

bcool said:
Thanks again Rod for your input. Perhaps to err on the side of
caution, I requested an RMA from WDC and was surprised to be greated
with an approval. A replacemnet drive has already been shipped since
my WD drive is still under warranty. Of course I may end up seeing
the same behavior in the replacement drive - nevertheless, I do feel
better that I took this action.

Are you aware of WDC having an unusual rate of HDD failures of late?

I've not seen any reliable evidence of that.

I sure hope not!

Yeah, real pain, particularly with the boot drive.