Sata Hdd Problem?

Hello!
I don't know exactly if this is the right place to post this, but by doing some google search, I found little info and that info only partially resembles my problem.

I have some weird smartd messages in /var/log/messages, related to my SATA hard disk in my notebook.
Here are the messages for smartd, taken only for yesterday(they are basically the same each time I start the system):

# cat /var/log/messages |grep -i smartd
...
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: smartd version 5.37 [x86_64-suse-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-6 Bruce Allen
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Opened configuration file /etc/smartd.conf
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Drive: DEVICESCAN, implied '-a' Directive on line 27 of file /etc/smartd.conf
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Configuration file /etc/smartd.conf was parsed, found DEVICESCAN, scanning devices
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Problem creating device name scan list
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, opened
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device /dev/sda: ATA disk detected behind SAT layer
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]:** Try adding '-d sat' to the device line in the smartd.conf file.
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]:** For example: '/dev/sda -a -d sat'
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, opened
May 20 09:26:12 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, not found in smartd database.
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, is SMART capable. Adding to "monitor" list.
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Monitoring 1 ATA and 0 SCSI devices
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, 97811426967554 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Sending warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost ...
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost produced unexpected output (53 bytes) to STDOUT/STDERR:**method return sender=:1.11 -> dest=:1.12****uint16 0
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost: successful
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Device: /dev/sda, 186822514573314 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Sending warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost ...
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost produced unexpected output (53 bytes) to STDOUT/STDERR:**method return sender=:1.11 -> dest=:1.13****uint16 0
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3361]: Warning via /usr/lib/smartmontools/smart-notify to root@localhost: successful
May 20 09:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: smartd has fork()ed into background mode. New PID=3429.
May 20 09:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97906204475394 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 09:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188094322311170 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 10:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97918796824578 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 10:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188105925984258 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 10:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97935541534722 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 10:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188169581625346 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 11:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97948304801794 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 11:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188174983233538 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 11:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97963747180546 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 11:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188202872602626 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 12:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97973531443202 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 12:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188204970016770 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 12:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97983777079298 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 12:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188207560916994 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 13:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 97991867891714 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 13:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188208502145026 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 13:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98000065658882 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 13:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188208937304066 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 14:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98007853432834 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 14:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188208937304066 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 14:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98017628258306 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 14:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188213517352962 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 15:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98045632315394 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 15:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188214287925250 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 15:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98067579011074 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 15:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188215523803138 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 16:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98185663348738 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 16:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188478435753986 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 16:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98199261282306 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 16:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188488741027842 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 17:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98215292960770 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 17:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 188789757313026 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 17:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98348683362306 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 17:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190845280714754 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 18:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98376404172802 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 18:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190925350502402 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 18:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98390704652290 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 18:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190928747495426 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 19:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98399077531650 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 19:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190929952964610 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 19:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98407233355778 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 19:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190930218909698 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 20:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98415518154754 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 20:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190930836520962 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 20:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98423740039170 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 20:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190932106870786 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 21:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98432337313794 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 21:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190932270317570 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 21:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98440537178114 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 21:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190932354859010 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 22:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98484101447682 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 22:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190985475194882 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 22:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98533121327106 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 22:56:14 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190986490740738 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 23:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98573371965442 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 23:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 190992481386498 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 20 23:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98588304736258 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 20 23:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 191008587513858 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 21 00:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98598734921730 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 21 00:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 191010619785218 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 21 00:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98618214318082 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 21 00:56:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 191016761688066 Offline uncorrectable sectors
May 21 01:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 98637748109314 Currently unreadable (pending) sectors
May 21 01:26:13 blackcheese smartd[3429]: Device: /dev/sda, 202122834608130 Offline uncorrectable sectors

I'll provide the "dmesg" output as an attachement, for more infos about my hardware controllers & stuff.


My hard disk layout is:

# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc7a7c7a7

** Device Boot******Start******** End******Blocks** Id**System
/dev/sda1************** 1********2625****21085281****7**HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2** *********2626********5058****19543072+**83**Linux
/dev/sda3************5059********5189**** 1052257+**82**Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4************5190****** 30401** 202515390** 83**Linux

In an attempt to diagnose the problem, from a rescue CD I ran "e2fsck -c" and "e2fsck -cc" to check for bad sectors, but the scanning reported NO bad sectors at all on sda2(system partition) and sda4(media partition).

In this case, why the smartd warnings?
Has something to do with bug 8650 ? (http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=8650)
Is my hard-disk having a real problem ?

Any advice/hints are welcome!
Thanks!

PS: In the day2day usage, I never noticed slowness, or file operation errors on the system, or something that could indicate a HDD failure.
PSS: In fact I didn't noticed anything suspect(hardware related), besides the smartd messages above.

The hardware/software specs of my system:
Notebook Dell Vostro 1700
CPU Core 2 Duo @ 1800 MHz
2GB DDR2 667MHz
Hard Drive 250 GB FUJITSU MHY2250BH
OS OpenSUSE 10.3 kernel 2.6.22..or(better):

# uname -a
Linux blackcheese 2.6.22.17-0.1-default #1 SMP 2008/02/10 20:01:04 UTC x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[attachmentid=2415]

could it be a dieing disk?

could it be a dieing disk?
[/b]

Indeed it could be a dying HDD!
Time will tell us !

But for the moment, everything's fine with the system...