low-level formatter for linux
Bill Davidsen
davidsen at tmr.com
Sat Aug 8 16:13:29 UTC 2009
Markus Kesaromous wrote:
>
>
See below, but the bottom line is that your drive is dying, the only question is
if you will leave your data on it.
> ----------------------------------------
>> From: gene.heskett at verizon.net
>> To: fedora-list at redhat.com
>> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 00:33:27 -0400
>> Subject: Re: low-level formatter for linux
>>
>> On Tuesday 04 August 2009, Markus Kesaromous wrote:
>>> ----------------------------------------
>>>
>>>> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 03:33:25 +0000
>>>> From: geleem at bellsouth.net
>>>> To: fedora-list at redhat.com
>>>> Subject: Re: low-level formatter for linux
>>>>
>>>> Markus Kesaromous wrote:
>>>>> Is there a low-level HD formatter for linux?
>>>> linux-google search "low-level+format", will give 97k hits.
>>>>
>>>> mainly, for a truly oem *low-level format* you need an oem format program.
>>>> they are available in dos format.
>>>>
>>>> you will get advice to use 'dd' to zero out sectors.
>>>>
>>>> you will find programs to do all sorts of security erasers.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> for all practical purposes of clearing up why you need 'llf',
>>>>
>>>> did you now have live-in girl friend and you want to be sure
>>>> she does not find your pron? ;)
>>>>
>>>> your boss caught you with it on *his* computer?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> for practical purposes, girl friend included, using
>>>> 'dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/sdn bs=65536'
>>>> will removed any thing you need to worry about.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> for legal reasons, fbi, irs, boss, etc, log;
>>>> http://www.linux-kurser.dk/secure_harddisk_eraser.html
>>>> for a type of 'erase' programs available.
>>>>
>>>> there are many more, so you can look thru rest of 97k,
>>>> or modify "low-level+formatter" to lessen.
>>>>
>>>> much fun to you. :)
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> peace out.
>>>>
>>>> tc,hago.
>>>>
>>>> g
>>>> .
>>>>
>>>> ****
>>>> in a free world without fences, who needs gates.
>>>> **
>>>> help microsoft stamp out piracy - give linux to a friend today.
>>>> **
>>>> to mess up a linux box, you need to work at it.
>>>> to mess up an ms windows box, you just need to *look* at it.
>>>> **
>>>> learn linux:
>>>> 'Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition' http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html
>>>> 'The Linux Documentation Project' http://www.tldp.org/
>>>> 'LDP HOWTO-index' http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/index.html
>>>> 'HowtoForge' http://howtoforge.com/
>>>> ****
>>> Why I need to do low level formatting?
>>> Disk monitor is reporting 93 uncorrectable sector errors.
>> If that drive cannot correct them, it is already out of spare sectors and is
>> using its input power for life support.
>>
>> But to be sure, please post the output of 'smartctl -a /dev/sdX'
>> where X is the rest of that devices name, a,b,c,d,e etc.
>>
>> I'd retire it, before it falls over taking your data with it. Or are you
>> running amanda? I do. And I don't worry too much, I can do a bare metal
>> install on a fresh drive, fire up one of amanda's two recovery tools, and have
>> my 99GB restored in about 3 hours, including the final reboot to put in my
>> latest kernel.
>>
>>> Is that a good enough reason? :)
>>>
>>> PS: If I had something on the disk to hide from prying eyes, I would resort
>>> to a very simple solution: break open the drive (very easyli done), and
>>> place the platters on the fire grill for about 60 minutes. Ask a physics
>>> professor. See what he has to say about it :)
>>>
>>>
>>> _________________________________________________________________
>>> Get free photo software from Windows Live
>>> http://www.windowslive.com/online/photos?ocid=PID23393::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-U
>>> S:SI_PH_software:082009
>>
>> --
>> Cheers, Gene
>> "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
>> soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
>> -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
>> The NRA is offering FREE Associate memberships to anyone who wants them.
>>
>>
>> Truth is the most valuable thing we have -- so let us economize it.
>> -- Mark Twain
>>
>> --
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>
> I don't know enough about amanda. Guess I have to read up on it.
> Here is the output:
>
> # smartctl -a /dev/sdb
>
> smartctl version 5.38 [i386-redhat-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
> Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/
>
> === START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
> Model Family: Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 family
> Device Model: ST3500641AS
> Serial Number: 3PM07SFG
> Firmware Version: 3.AAD
> User Capacity: 500,107,862,016 bytes
> Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
> ATA Version is: 7
> ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
> Local Time is: Tue Aug 4 21:42:21 2009 PDT
> SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
> SMART support is: Enabled
>
> SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
> Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
> ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
> 1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 108 078 006 Pre-fail Always - 157925240
> 3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 096 096 000 Pre-fail Always - 0
> 4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 670
> 5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 036 Pre-fail Always - 1
> 7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 087 060 030 Pre-fail Always - 627490383
> 9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 082 082 000 Old_age Always - 16386
> 10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 097 Pre-fail Always - 0
> 12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 020 Old_age Always - 767
> 187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0032 001 001 000 Old_age Always - 863
> 189 High_Fly_Writes 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
> 190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 061 039 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 39 (0 2 41 29)
> 194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 039 061 000 Old_age Always - 39 (0 14 0 0)
> 195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x001a 060 045 000 Old_age Always - 185506743
> 197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 093 093 000 Old_age Always - 157
> 198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 093 093 000 Old_age Offline - 157
197-198 mean you have a ton of bad sectors. Either the media is deteriorating or
the electronics are going bad.
> 199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 037 000 Old_age Always - 366
And this (199) suggests problems getting data to the drive, or failing
electronics in the drive.
> 200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x0000 100 253 000 Old_age Offline - 0
> 202 TA_Increase_Count 0x0032 100 253 000 Old_age Always - 0
>
> SMART Error Log Version: 1
> ATA Error Count: 1188 (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 1188 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9674 hours (403 days + 2 hours)
> When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.
>
> Error 1187 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9674 hours (403 days + 2 hours)
> When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.
>
> Error 1186 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9674 hours (403 days + 2 hours)
> When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.
>
> Error 1185 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9674 hours (403 days + 2 hours)
> When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.
>
> Error 1184 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 9674 hours (403 days + 2 hours)
> When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.
> SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
> Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
> # 1 Short offline Completed: read failure 80% 15374 752823153
>
I would say this drive is toast. Back it up, run DBAN on it, scrap it.
--
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
"We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked." - from Slashdot
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