25 replies to this topic

[Mr_Smartepants]

Source info: http://www.ngohq.com...green-hdds.html

Western Digital posted a knowledge base article, where it claims that "The number of systems using such applications and utilities is limited", a statement which we believe is false and inaccurate. Sending an HDD to idle mode only after 8 seconds of activity is abnormal behavior, which much software doesn't like as they are constantly writing and reading data to/from the HDD.

According to Western Digital, the following models are affected: WD20EADS, WD20EARS, WD15EADS, WD15EARS, WD10EADS, WD10EARS, WD8000AARS, WD7500AADS, WD7500AARS, WD6400AADS, WD6400AARS, WD5000AADS, WD5000AARS, WD1000FYPS, WD7500AYPS and WD7501AYPS.

Western Digital has released a DOS-based utility to modify the behavior of the HDD to wait longer before invoking idle mode. However, since most of their latest HDDs still ship with the default setting of 8 seconds, we strongly recommend users with affected HDDs to use the utility immediately.

How to Adjust Intellipark's Timer
1. Download the WDIDLE3 ISO image and burn it to a CD/DVD.
2. Ensure that your SATA controller is set to IDE mode from the BIOS.
3. Boot from the CD/DVD, it should take you into DOS.
4. In DOS prompt, type: "wdidle3 /S300" to change the default timer from 8 seconds to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
5. In DOS prompt, type: "wdidle3 /R" to verify the results.

Read more: http://www.ngohq.com...l#ixzz1K8IbfjiD

I've noticed elevated numbers in the SMART data for all 4 of my WD 1TB EARS drives. Poor latency and performance times also. I'll try this utility on one of the drives and report back.
I'm looking at the SMART "Load Cycle Count" data and I'm seeing numbers as high as 417053. I'm not sure if that's an actual count or a "virtual" number.
Does anyone else have a different fix?

[pcdoc]

Source info: http://www.ngohq.com...green-hdds.html

Western Digital posted a knowledge base article, where it claims that "The number of systems using such applications and utilities is limited", a statement which we believe is false and inaccurate. Sending an HDD to idle mode only after 8 seconds of activity is abnormal behavior, which much software doesn't like as they are constantly writing and reading data to/from the HDD.

According to Western Digital, the following models are affected: WD20EADS, WD20EARS, WD15EADS, WD15EARS, WD10EADS, WD10EARS, WD8000AARS, WD7500AADS, WD7500AARS, WD6400AADS, WD6400AARS, WD5000AADS, WD5000AARS, WD1000FYPS, WD7500AYPS and WD7501AYPS.

Western Digital has released a DOS-based utility to modify the behavior of the HDD to wait longer before invoking idle mode. However, since most of their latest HDDs still ship with the default setting of 8 seconds, we strongly recommend users with affected HDDs to use the utility immediately.

How to Adjust Intellipark's Timer
1. Download the WDIDLE3 ISO image and burn it to a CD/DVD.
2. Ensure that your SATA controller is set to IDE mode from the BIOS.
3. Boot from the CD/DVD, it should take you into DOS.
4. In DOS prompt, type: "wdidle3 /S300" to change the default timer from 8 seconds to 300 seconds (5 minutes).
5. In DOS prompt, type: "wdidle3 /R" to verify the results.

Read more: http://www.ngohq.com...l#ixzz1K8IbfjiD

I've noticed elevated numbers in the SMART data for all 4 of my WD 1TB EARS drives. Poor latency and performance times also. I'll try this utility on one of the drives and report back.
I'm looking at the SMART "Load Cycle Count" data and I'm seeing numbers as high as 417053. I'm not sure if that's an actual count or a "virtual" number.
Does anyone else have a different fix?

Please do let us know. I have bee reading about this for awhile now and I am not convinced there is a problem, especially with all the models that are listed here. I am very curious to see what results you get. Also, Raid controllers as well as windows handle things differently than other OS's. Let us know what you find.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Will do!

[Mr_Smartepants]

OK, here's what I did.
1) Select drive that is only 2% full (minimize loss in case of failure).
2) Shut down EX490 and external bay
3) Remove selected drive from external bay.
4) Shut down Primary PC
5) Disconnect all HDD from PC except WD10EARS server drive
6) Boot into BIOS, Deselect AHCI mode and switch all SATA ports to IDE mode per instructions
7) Save settings, reboot
8) Boot to CD made from above .ISO
9) Run WDIDLE3.EXE utility using /S300 switch
10) Utility completes, reports 300 second cycle (5 min)
11) Shut down, disconnect HDD, replace in server external bay.
12) Boot server and external bay. All drives power up, light show, all seem happy.
13) Reconnect PC drives, boot to BIOS, reconfigure BIOS for previous AHCI settings, reboot to Win7
14) Login to PC
15) Console immediately reports SMART warnings.
16) Launch console, go to StableBit Scanner. Pictures say it all.


Now I'm going to wait a few days to see if these warnings go away after a full scan or I'll try moving the drive from the external case to a spare slot in the EX490 to see if that makes any difference.
I'm fairly positive this SMART warning is due to the change to the settings, and not indicative of an actual pending failure. The drives are only a few months old.

[diehard]

Tim Daleo did a quick YouTube video on running the WDidle prgram. Maybe he can comment

[timekills]

The current pending sector count is interesting. I wonder if the frequent head parking bumps that number up. If they come back as readable over time (i.e. after additional checks the hard drive does) that number will drop. If that happens I'd be interested in hearing about it. That would be some damning evidence.

FWIW, current pending sector count reflects the sectors that had a read error, but have not been rechecked and confirmed as bad. Frequently you'll get these and upon re-read the dat is okay so the sector is left as okay. Usually that's due to movement of the head from physical movement of the drive...or perhaps trying to be parked while a RAID or OS was trying to read something...

[Daleo1]

Tim Daleo did a quick YouTube video on running the WDidle prgram. Maybe he can comment

I would recommend running wdidle3 on all applicable WD drives before installation.

[Mr_Smartepants]

I would recommend running wdidle3 on all applicable WD drives before installation.

I do plan on migrating my EX490 over to WHS2011 eventually. Once I get enough drives cleared off and copy my data over I can do a clean wipe of all the other drives and setup 2011 clean. I'll run wdidle3 on the EARS drives at that time once my testing is complete and no further errors crop up. I've got some brand new Hitachi 2TB drives standing by that I picked up for $69 from the recent Amazon sale, so I'm not that worried if this drive gets hosed.

I have the drive completely removed from the storage pool and StableBit Scanner is running a full surface scan now. It's been running all night and is only about 60% done.
I'll report back when I get back from work on the status and if that error goes away.

Edited by Mr_Smartepants, 21 April 2011 - 11:34 PM.

[pcdoc]

Are the EARs jumpered? Changing the intellipark is not going to make this disk healthy. You have another issue here as this looks like an advanced format issue.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Yes, all my EARS drives are jumpered. The full surface scan didn't fix it. I RDP'd into the server and through the system disk management MMC snap-in I deleted the partition, and it's doing a complete format (not quick). Once that's done, I'll rescan it.
Otherwise, I'll pull it from the server and connect it to my PC and run the WD diagnostic tools on it to see if it's an actual hard fault.

[Mr_Smartepants]

I've got it currently connected to my PC running WD-DLG extended tests on it. It's reporting the SMART data is OK, So I'm wondering if the StableBit Scanner is being overly cautious?

[timekills]

I've got it currently connected to my PC running WD-DLG extended tests on it. It's reporting the SMART data is OK, So I'm wondering if the StableBit Scanner is being overly cautious?

I'd have to see what the SMART report is, but as I stated above the error was on the current pending sector count. That count does *not* mean the sectors are bad. It just means there was an error upon a single read and it will be decided "upon further review'" What that means to you is the why you are getting high initial read errors, and if they went away upon another read, what is different. For one, it's a different system so it could be any number of variables; new SATA port, new SATA cable, better SATA cable connection (i.e. not loose), less hard drive vibration...or maybe the head not parking as often. That was why I was interested to see what happened after you ran WDIDLE in the same system.

TO clarify, a high current pending sector count does not mean you have a bad hard drive. It depends on how many of those actually come up as bad sectors, and need the data reallocated. That is why it comes up as an "!" in SMART - because it means there is some reason for the abnormally high initial errors, but not necessarily because the hard drive itself is bad. Or at least, not the platters/sectors.

[CablDeViL]

I turned parking off on my raid drives. I talked all the byob guys and others and decided it wasn't worth the risk. I will pre post My video on Y'all Tube this weekend. But if you want a watch a pro do it, see Timothy D's Video.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Thanks for the explanation timekills!
It finished the "extended test" overnight without errors. I'm doing a surface write of all zeros at the moment to thoroughly scrub it.
Then I'll pop it back in the EX490 to see if a different drive controller has a different effect.

Edited by Mr_Smartepants, 23 April 2011 - 12:07 AM.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Just a quick update. There's been no change to the SMART error reported by the StableBit Scanner.
I've done a complete surface wipe of all zeros, extended tests using the WD utility (which reported no errors), and connected the drive to both the Intel and Silicon Image controllers in the EX490.
Adding the drive to the storage pool or as a backup drive doesn't matter, the error won't go away in the StableBit Scanner.
The odd thing is no other utility is reporting a problem.

I'm ignoring it for now.
I'll try another different drive with the WDIDLE3 utility and see if the problem repeats over the weekend.

[ImTheTypeOfGuy]

Just a quick update. There's been no change to the SMART error reported by the StableBit Scanner.
I've done a complete surface wipe of all zeros, extended tests using the WD utility (which reported no errors), and connected the drive to both the Intel and Silicon Image controllers in the EX490.
Adding the drive to the storage pool or as a backup drive doesn't matter, the error won't go away in the StableBit Scanner.
The odd thing is no other utility is reporting a problem.

I'm ignoring it for now.
I'll try another different drive with the WDIDLE3 utility and see if the problem repeats over the weekend.

You probably have, but please make sure you report this to StableBit Scanner so they can improve their product.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Well actually, I just installed the HomeServerSMART beta and it's reporting the same problem. Hmmm
I think it's just a fluke with the drive itself. I'll be sure once I use the WDIDLE3 utility on another drive. If that comes up with the same error, that'll be more evidence against it.

Edited by Mr_Smartepants, 26 April 2011 - 12:58 PM.

[Captain Reynolds]

I'm hoping someone can help me out - I have three of the 2TB WDEARS drives. One is being used for storage in my WHS2011, one is in an external esata case (with jumpers) and the other is brand new. I want to set the three of them together in a RAID 5 for the WHS2011. When I follow the steps above to use wdidle3 from a boot disk, I encounter an issue when trying to run the /d command. /r works fine and tells me it is set to 8 seconds, but when I run /d the cursor just blinks. I have left it for over an hour now - I assume something is not right - any ideas? Will it be so bad if I leave them as is and put them in RAID5?

[Daleo1]

Check out Andrews video. It will walk you through it.

http://usingwindowsh...home-server-v1/

[pcdoc]

I'm hoping someone can help me out - I have three of the 2TB WDEARS drives. One is being used for storage in my WHS2011, one is in an external esata case (with jumpers) and the other is brand new. I want to set the three of them together in a RAID 5 for the WHS2011. When I follow the steps above to use wdidle3 from a boot disk, I encounter an issue when trying to run the /d command. /r works fine and tells me it is set to 8 seconds, but when I run /d the cursor just blinks. I have left it for over an hour now - I assume something is not right - any ideas? Will it be so bad if I leave them as is and put them in RAID5?

I have not altered any drives in my 4 arrrays. I have a total of 16 drives spread across 4 arrays with zero problems and have not altered them in anyway. In 2011 do not use the jumper or alignment program as there is native support.