Re: [smartmontools-support]cygwin: "smartctl -s on" killed 160 GByte maxtor

[Bruce A. <ba...@gr...>]

Hi Brian,

Christian Franke (who manages the windows version of smartmontools) might
have something to add.  But let me give you my thoughts about this.

> I've been using the smartmon tools package quite sucessfully on our
> linux systems for several months. When I saw there was a Cygwin
> version I thought I'd give it a try on my Windows2k machine.  It
> worked just fine on my 80 Gbyte Western Digital disk:
> 
>    /usr/sbin/smartctl -a /dev/hda
> 
> but trying my 160 Gbyte Maxtor DiamondMax 16:
> 
>    /usr/sbin/smartctl -a /dev/hdd
> 
> returned with an error message and the suggestion
> to try:
> 
>    /usr/sbin/smartctl -s on /dev/hdd
> 
> which in turn failed, and suggested adding something like "-T
> permissive".  This hung Windows.  On rebooting, the BIOS failed to
> detect the Maxtor disk, and it was making clicking noises.

This (and the clicking noise) probably means that the Maxtor 160 had a
hardware problem, and that asking it to monitor it's status pushed it over
the edge.  This is not a likely thing to happen, but as the number of
smartmontools users climbs, it will happen from time to time.

Please note that the ONLY thing that smartctl does is send SMART commands
to the disk.  These have been designed (in this case, by the Maxtor
engineers) to monitor the disk, not to kill it.  If the disk dies, it
means that something is wrong with the disk, not that smartctl killed it.

> I removed the disk and placed it in an external USB enclosure.  The
> clicking noises continued, and neither Windows nor Linux can see the
> disk.

The clicking noises mean 'mechanical/electrical failure'.  While the
'smartctl -s on -T permissive' might have been 'the straw that broke the
camel's back', it unfortunately would have happened anyway.  The reason
that '-s on' with no 'permissive' failed is because the disk was on its
way out.

> Ideally I'd like to be told there's a magic command that will restore
> the drive.

Here's one thing to try.  See if the BIOS of the box has an 'enable SMART'
or 'monitor SMART' option.  If so, disable it.  The BIOS might be checking
the SMART status of the drive, and seeing that the drive is failing, it
refuses to recognize it.

> Failing that, perhaps a warning should be added to the sourceforge web
> page.

I'll think about this.  The warning could say something like 'Warning:
running self-tests (or even enabling SMART) on a marginal drive may push
it past the failure point.'

Cheers,
	Bruce