Failing Hard Disk?

The WD 500 GB hard disk (2013 vintage) on which I kept OpenSUSE started misbehaving and stopped booting. It is/was GPT partitioned with MBR loaded 42.2, 42.3 and 15. I got a 250 GB SSD and installed Leap 15 afresh. The old disk is readable and I have recovered all the data. So that is not a problem.

When I checked the drive on the partitioner I found that the descriptions of the partitions had changed! What I figure is that the MBR partition table got corrupt. I wonder if I could reformat the disk either as complete GPT or Legacy MBR and use it as non-booting non-critical data storage. I ran smartctl and the output is as under :

linux-jpq8:~ # smartctl -a /dev/sdh
smartctl 6.6 2017-11-05 r4594 [x86_64-linux-4.12.14-lp150.12.16-default] (SUSE RPM)
Copyright (C) 2002-17, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model:     WDC WD5000AZRX-00A8LB0
Serial Number:    WD-WCC1U4596684
LU WWN Device Id: 5 0014ee 208eed889
Firmware Version: 01.01A01
User Capacity:    500,107,862,016 bytes [500 GB]
Sector Sizes:     512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physical
Device is:        Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is:   ATA8-ACS (minor revision not indicated)
SATA Version is:  SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 1.5 Gb/s)
Local Time is:    Tue Aug 21 18:04:39 2018 IST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x82) Offline data collection activity
                                        was completed without error.
                                        Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0) The previous self-test routine completed
                                        without error or no self-test has ever 
                                        been run.
Total time to complete Offline 
data collection:                ( 8160) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:                    (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                                        Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                                        Suspend Offline collection upon new
                                        command.
                                        Offline surface scan supported.
                                        Self-test supported.
                                        Conveyance Self-test supported.
                                        Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering                
                                        power-saving mode.                              
                                        Supports SMART auto save timer.                 
Error logging capability:        (0x01) Error logging supported.                        
                                        General Purpose Logging supported.              
Short self-test routine                                                                 
recommended polling time:        (   2) minutes.                                        
Extended self-test routine                                                              
recommended polling time:        (  95) minutes.                                        
Conveyance self-test routine                                                            
recommended polling time:        (   5) minutes.                                        
SCT capabilities:              (0x30b5) SCT Status supported.                           
                                        SCT Feature Control supported.                  
                                        SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x002f   200   200   051    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027   144   122   021    Pre-fail  Always       -       3775
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   093   093   000    Old_age   Always       -       7068
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   200   200   140    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x002e   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       6
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   087   087   000    Old_age   Always       -       9984
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   093   093   000    Old_age   Always       -       7059
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   190   190   000    Old_age   Always       -       7527
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   133   133   000    Old_age   Always       -       202188
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   103   094   000    Old_age   Always       -       40
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   200   200   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate   0x0008   200   200   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
Warning: ATA error count 35885 inconsistent with error log pointer 1

ATA Error Count: 35885 (device log contains only the most recent five errors)
        CR = Command Register [HEX]
        FR = Features Register [HEX]
        SC = Sector Count Register [HEX]
        SN = Sector Number Register [HEX]
        CL = Cylinder Low Register [HEX]
        CH = Cylinder High Register [HEX]
        DH = Device/Head Register [HEX]
        DC = Device Command Register [HEX]
        ER = Error register [HEX]
        ST = Status register [HEX]
Powered_Up_Time is measured from power on, and printed as
DDd+hh:mm:SS.sss where DD=days, hh=hours, mm=minutes,
SS=sec, and sss=millisec. It "wraps" after 49.710 days.

Error 35885 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9979 hours (415 days + 19 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  04 61 00 53 4f c2 e0  Device Fault; Error: ABRT

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  b0 d8 00 00 4f c2 e0 00      00:12:31.593  SMART ENABLE OPERATIONS
  c6 00 10 00 00 00 a0 00      00:12:30.642  SET MULTIPLE MODE
  ef 03 0c 00 00 00 a0 00      00:12:30.627  SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
  b0 da 00 00 4f c2 e0 00      00:12:20.339  SMART RETURN STATUS
  b0 d8 00 00 4f c2 e0 00      00:12:18.628  SMART ENABLE OPERATIONS

Error 35884 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9979 hours (415 days + 19 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  04 61 00 53 4f c2 e0  Device Fault; Error: ABRT

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  b0 d8 00 00 4f c2 e0 00      00:12:18.628  SMART ENABLE OPERATIONS
  ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      00:12:18.627  IDENTIFY DEVICE

Error 35883 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9977 hours (415 days + 17 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  04 61 00 00 00 00 a0  Device Fault; Error: ABRT

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  ef 02 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SET FEATURES [Enable write cache]
  f5 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SECURITY FREEZE LOCK
  ef 66 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SET FEATURES [Disable revert defaults]
  c6 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET MULTIPLE MODE
  ef 03 0c 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]

Error 35882 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9977 hours (415 days + 17 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  04 61 00 00 00 00 a0

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  f5 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SECURITY FREEZE LOCK
  ef 66 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SET FEATURES [Disable revert defaults]
  c6 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET MULTIPLE MODE
  ef 03 0c 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
  ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:35.840  IDENTIFY DEVICE

Error 35881 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9977 hours (415 days + 17 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  04 61 00 00 00 00 a0  Device Fault; Error: ABRT

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  ef 66 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:38.433  SET FEATURES [Disable revert defaults]
  c6 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET MULTIPLE MODE
  ef 03 0c 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:36.847  SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
  ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 00      01:03:35.840  IDENTIFY DEVICE
  ef 03 0c 00 00 00 00 00      01:02:56.233  SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9918         -
# 2  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9912         -
# 3  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9907         -
# 4  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9898         -
# 5  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9885         -
# 6  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9877         -
# 7  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9872         -
# 8  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9866         -
# 9  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9861         -
#10  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9856         -
#11  Extended offline    Completed without error       00%      9853         -
#12  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9847         -
#13  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9843         -
#14  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9837         -
#15  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9832         -
#16  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9825         -
#17  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9822         -
#18  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9814         -
#19  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9808         -
#20  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9804         -
#21  Short offline       Completed without error       00%      9792         -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

Can anyone conversant with the meaning of the output advise me if the drive is usable? And where can I find documentation to learn to understand the output?

Thanks.

PrakashC

The attribute values look OK. No reallocated sectors, no pending reallocations, fine temperature. Seek_Error_Rate is below threshold so that is presumably fine too (on some drives it indicates a failing drive but that depends on manufacturer and model. Anyway, it is below threshold so should be OK).

The security freeze unlock etc. that you did 7 hours earlier look a bit weird to me. Perhaps others will chime in.

The power-on hours is 9984 which is a bit more than a year. I have had drives fail after 48000 hours and as early as 16000 hours.

I would recommend doing an “extended offline test” before reusing the drive (“smartctl -t long /dev/sdh”). That will take a few hours.

That security freeze probably unlock happened when the PC did not shut down for nearly an hour. After which I started running into freezes while booting.

I really would like to understand what the test results indicate and what additional info will be available from the “extended offline test”. Could you (anyone) point me to some url where I could learn something?

PrakashC