FC3 and Drive Errors

[Rick Stevens]

On Mon, 2006-09-18 at 17:04 -0400, mylar wrote:
> On Mon, 2006-09-18 at 14:22, Rick Stevens wrote:
> > On Mon, 2006-09-18 at 14:04 -0400, mylar wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > I am running Fedora Core 3 on a Dell Dimension 4700 desktop. It's a dual
> > > boot machine. Windows resides on a 80 Gb SATA drive and Linux on a
> > > regular 200 Gb ATA IDE drive attached to the PATA controller. When
> > > running FC3 the system has been working fine for well over a year but of
> > > late has been freezing up every now and  then. Everytime it freezes and
> > > I go over the system logs I am seeing the following drive errors
> > > occuring just prior to the system crashing...
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: status=0x51 { DriveReady
> > > > SeekComplete Error }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: error=0x84
> > > > { DriveStatusError BadCRC }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: ide: failed opcode was: unknown
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: status=0x51 { DriveReady
> > > > SeekComplete Error }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: error=0x84
> > > > { DriveStatusError BadCRC }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: ide: failed opcode was: unknown
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: status=0x51 { DriveReady
> > > > SeekComplete Error }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: hdb: dma_intr: error=0x84
> > > > { DriveStatusError BadCRC }
> > > > Sep 18 04:02:20 brooklyn kernel: ide: failed opcode was: unknown
> > > 
> > > Any ideas what might be going on ? Is the drive going bad on me ? 
> > > I am going to doi a check for bad blocks and see what happens. Any  other ideas,
> > > hints, suggestions would be appreciated.
> > 
> > Those kinds of errors are usually indicative of a dying drive.  You're
> > receiving CRC errors on the DMA transfers and seek incomplete errors.
> > 
> > This can also be caused by a dying power supply--particularly the +12VDC
> > side of things, since that's what's used to turn the spindle and move
> > the heads.  If you have the technical competence and a multimeter, check
> > the voltages AT THE DRIVE using the meter.  You want the +12VDC level at
> > about 12.7 to 13.0 volts.  IIRC, the 12V should be between the black
> > (ground) and yellow wires on the drive connector.  If they're low, you
> > should think about a new power supply.
> > 
> > If the voltages seem OK, then plan on a new drive in the near future.
> > While you're in there, also make sure all the fans are running well
> > (they do wear out).  You could also blow dust out using a can of Dust
> > Off.  Use care so you don't force dirt down into any of the connectors
> > such as the CPU, memory, PCI bus, etc.  It's amazing how much crud
> > accumulates in a case.
> > 
> Hi Rick,
> 
> Yep, I was thinking along the similar lines, it could be the drive is on
> it's way. Thanks for the tip regarding the power supply. Yeah, I can
> handle the process of checking the voltages. I'll connect up my Fluke
> multitester and see what kind of voltages I'm getting. Actually I was
> kind of wondering about a possible power supply  problem as I have seen
> similar behavior on other machines shortly before a power supply  crap
> out.

Yes, power supplies get abused an awful lot and many people don't think
about them being culprits often.

> Unfortunately the machine ain't no longer under the Dell warranty
> so I'll have put out the cash if it needs a new drive. If it's a power
> supply I have plenty  of those  laying around all over the place. :)

Drives are relatively cheap.  The trick is getting a power supply that
fits physically.  Dell is notorious for having weird supply
configurations.

> Good advice on cleaning the machine out. It's well overdue for a
> dusting. These machines tend to collect more dust than a vacuum cleaner
> and I haven't been getting around to cleaning them as often as I should.

I have a vacuum with a REALLY small tip (home brewed) that I use a lot
along with one of those soft brushes you get at the car wash for your
dashboard (or fascia).  They work quite well and you really don't risk
forcing crud down into nasty places where it causes grief.

I also unplug PCI cards, RAM and CPUs (when I can) and shoot their
sockets with Freon TF.  A quick swipe of a soft artgum eraser on the
connector fingers of the PCI cards and RAM sticks helps, too.  A clean
computer is a happy computer!

> Much Thanks.

You're welcome, kemosabe!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-          Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.           -
----------------------------------------------------------------------