Comments on: Hard Disk’s hard life http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54 glandium.org Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:27:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Anton Ertl http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-193 Anton Ertl Sat, 24 Dec 2005 14:41:41 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-193 Similar story here: New hard disk (WDC WD400UE-22HCT0), already 38739 load cycles after 403 power-on hours. But hdparm -B254 seems to help. Thanks for the tip. Similar story here: New hard disk (WDC WD400UE-22HCT0),
already 38739 load cycles after 403 power-on hours.
But hdparm -B254 seems to help. Thanks for the tip.

]]> By: dominik http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-135 dominik Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:12:25 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-135 I can confirm that phenomenon. And no, it does not only happen on GNU/Linux, either. I on my dual boot laptop with a Samsung MP0804H I get ca. 2 load cycles per minute, running either Linux or Windows. Atm with a lifetime of 8900 minutes, I already have a load cycle count of 14750. Unfortunately, with that model hdparm -Bnnn does not work, doing the command fails with an error. It seems the drive does not support it. I can confirm that phenomenon. And no, it does not only happen on GNU/Linux, either.
I on my dual boot laptop with a Samsung MP0804H I get ca. 2 load cycles per minute, running either Linux or Windows. Atm with a lifetime of 8900 minutes, I already have a load cycle count of 14750.
Unfortunately, with that model hdparm -Bnnn does not work, doing the command fails with an error. It seems the drive does not support it.

]]> By: marc http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-134 marc Sat, 26 Nov 2005 21:40:31 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-134 Very strange. I'm using the smarttools since two years and have never seen a behaviour like that. The laptop I'm writing this on has 3200h power on and 13800 load cycles which is still 99% life left. It's all running Debian here, mostly sarge. Very strange. I’m using the smarttools since two years and have never seen a behaviour like that. The laptop I’m writing this on has 3200h power on and 13800 load cycles which is still 99% life left.

It’s all running Debian here, mostly sarge.

]]> By: glandium http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-133 glandium Fri, 25 Nov 2005 17:36:03 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-133 Raphael: the thing is that the hard disk is _always_ active, having the ext3 journal commit every 5 seconds. Whether it parks/unparks the heads at this time is pointless. Actually, if you take a look at your disk status with hdparm -C, you will _always_ see active (idle or not), which means heads are not parked. And then after some time, it _will_ park and unpark the heads instantly (Load_cycle_count inscreased), and still be active. So what is the point ? Raphael: the thing is that the hard disk is _always_ active, having the ext3 journal commit every 5 seconds. Whether it parks/unparks the heads at this time is pointless. Actually, if you take a look at your disk status with hdparm -C, you will _always_ see active (idle or not), which means heads are not parked. And then after some time, it _will_ park and unpark the heads instantly (Load_cycle_count inscreased), and still be active. So what is the point ?

]]> By: Sebastians Blog http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-132 Sebastians Blog Fri, 25 Nov 2005 17:08:28 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-132 [...] Mike Hommey: Hard disk’s life [...] [...] Mike Hommey: Hard disk’s life [...]

]]> By: Raphael http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-131 Raphael Fri, 25 Nov 2005 15:33:12 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-131 I don't know about you, but I prefer a laptop with a hard disk that may have a relatively short lifetime than one with a hard disk that crashes instantly when someone bumps into me while I am using it. A head crash may result in instant failure. A shorter lifetime due to parking the heads too frequently is less severe problem. That being said, it does not make much sense to park the heads all the time if the laptop is used mostly as a desktop and is not moved often. I don’t know about you, but I prefer a laptop with a hard disk that may have a relatively short lifetime than one with a hard disk that crashes instantly when someone bumps into me while I am using it. A head crash may result in instant failure. A shorter lifetime due to parking the heads too frequently is less severe problem.

That being said, it does not make much sense to park the heads all the time if the laptop is used mostly as a desktop and is not moved often.

]]> By: rozie http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-130 rozie Fri, 25 Nov 2005 06:39:45 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-130 Well, I belive laptops park hard disc heads as often as they can to prevent damage in case the laptop is moved, shaken, hit, etc. One of the worst things for desktop disc is to shake/hit them, while reading/writing. I guess parking heads lowers the risk of damage in case of laptops. Well, I belive laptops park hard disc heads as often as they can to prevent damage in case the laptop is moved, shaken, hit, etc. One of the worst things for desktop disc is to shake/hit them, while reading/writing. I guess parking heads lowers the risk of damage in case of laptops.

]]> By: Anonymous http://glandium.org/blog/?p=54&cpage=1#comment-129 Anonymous Fri, 25 Nov 2005 02:12:45 +0000 http://web.glandium.org/blog/?p=54#comment-129 <blockquote>Well, at least, I’ve never experienced a hard disk failure in 12 years of using computers with hard disks. For how long ?</blockquote> Until shortly after you blatantly defy Cthulu and Shub-Disk like that. :)

Well, at least, I’ve never experienced a hard disk failure in 12 years of using computers with hard disks. For how long ?

Until shortly after you blatantly defy Cthulu and Shub-Disk like that. :)

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