A few observations on a failing hard drive and fitting a replacement

This is weird. I have just run the 4kalign diagnostic on my other two HDR's (both 1TB) with different results.

On the one where I installed an conventionally formatted HDD (I.E. not Advance Format) I get these results:

Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
    Logical/Physical Sector size:          512 bytes
 
Disk /dev/sda: 1000 GB, 1000202273280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953520065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048    2107391    1060258  83  Linux
Warning: Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2        2107392  1930108927  963996390  83  Linux
Warning: Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3      1930108928  1953523711    11711385  83  Linux
Warning: Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
 
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sda1 is properly aligned.
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sda2 is properly aligned.
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sda3 is properly aligned.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign

Which I assume is correctly aligned. However, when run on my other HDR (1TB) that has been unopened and has the original Seagate 1TB inside, I get theses results:

Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
    Logical  Sector size:                  512 bytes
    Physical Sector size:                  4096 bytes
    Logical Sector-0 offset:                  0 bytes
 
Disk /dev/sda: 1000 GB, 1000202273280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953520065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sda1              2    2104514    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sda2        2104515  1932539174  965209297  83  Linux
/dev/sda3      1932539175  1953520064    10482412  83  Linux
 
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda1 is misaligned by 1024 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda2 is misaligned by 1536 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda3 is misaligned by 3584 bytes.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign

That surprises me as the second has not been formatted by me and is as it came, new, from JL.

FYI, the second one is the one I am seeing reallocated sectors on too. Could it be related?

Neither of these two HDD's are Advance Format discs so I suppose this test is irrelevant on such drives.

Is that the case?
 
The Humax Factory Fitted 500GB drive doesn't pass this test either, so I guess only 4K sector size advanced format drives need to conform

Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
    Logical/Physical Sector size:          512 bytes
 
Disk /dev/sdb: 500 GB, 500105249280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976768065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sdb1              2    2104514    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        2104515  955787174  476833297  83  Linux
/dev/sdb3      955787175  976768064    10482412  83  Linux
 
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sdb1 is misaligned by 1024 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sdb2 is misaligned by 1536 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sdb3 is misaligned by 3584 bytes.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign
 
This is a factory fitted 1TB unit (Seagate), but still, I too would have expected it to pass the test. Perhaps it is because its not an Advanced Format drive?

Ezra: posts crossed.

But. As well as running the test on my original 1TB Unit (which 'fails') I also ran it on my other 1TB unit with my 1TB Western Digital NON ADVANCE FORMATTED HDD, and it passes - alignment OK!
 
If it isn't an advanced format drive then it will always be aligned, but the diagnostic may say that it isn't (I'll fix that now).

Wallace - that second drive that is reporting unaligned appears to be a 4K/AF one!
 
Well the second drive is the standard fitted Seagate in the unit I have not opened! That's not to say it isn't AF of course, just that if it is, they are now fitting them from the factory.

This is the Device model taken form the Diagnostic screen:

Device Model:- ST1000VM002-1CT162

Confused?

I am.
 
I've just updated the diagnostic - it should report the drive type as the first line and not report misalignment for a non-AF drive.
 
Thanks. First unit reports a non AF drive and always aligned, the second unit, as you mentioned, states it is an AF drive but still shows the misalignment yet it is the factory fitted Seagate unit.
 
Wallace said:
Thanks. First unit reports a non AF drive and always aligned, the second unit, as you mentioned, states it is an AF drive but still shows the misalignment yet it is the factory fitted Seagate unit.
Click to expand...
I didn't know that Humax were fitting AF drives now. Is it a fairly new box?
That it isn't aligned as factory delivered is strange - it will have degraded performance, run hotter and with more noise in general. It might not actually affect recording or playback though, just make the drive work harder. It may be that if you reformat it then it will end up aligned, since formatting your other new 1TB resulted in an aligned configuration, and it's the same model isn't it?
 
af123 said:
If it isn't an advanced format drive then it will always be aligned, but the diagnostic may say that it isn't (I'll fix that now).
Click to expand...

I've just updated the diagnostic - it should report the drive type as the first line and not report misalignment for a non-AF drive.
Click to expand...
That's got it
Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
 
--> This is a Standard Format drive.
 
    Model Number:      ST3500312CS                         
    Logical/Physical Sector size:          512 bytes
    Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5900
 
Disk /dev/sdb: 500 GB, 500105249280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976768065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sdb1              2    2104514    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        2104515  955787174  476833297  83  Linux
/dev/sdb3      955787175  976768064    10482412  83  Linux
 
 
Standard format drive - partitions are always aligned.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign
 
af123 said:
It may be that if you reformat it then it will end up aligned, since formatting your other new 1TB resulted in an aligned configuration, and it's the same model isn't it?
Click to expand...
Does this mean that newer versions of Humax Firmware will format an advanced format drive and correctly align the to 4K sectors?
 
af123 said:
I didn't know that Humax were fitting AF drives now. Is it a fairly new box?
That it isn't aligned as factory delivered is strange - it will have degraded performance, run hotter and with more noise in general. It might not actually affect recording or playback though, just make the drive work harder. It may be that if you reformat it then it will end up aligned, since formatting your other new 1TB resulted in an aligned configuration, and it's the same model isn't it?
Click to expand...

Yes, the box was bought new on 2nd August. It came with firmware version 1.02.32 installed with loader version 7.33.

As I said earlier, this HDD is showing increasing reallocated sectors. New it had none, on the 18th it was showing 88 and as of now its is showing 96 reallocated sectors. I have not noticed any performance issues yet, but I am sure more visible problems are immanent..

To answer your last question. No, the two units do not have the same HDD's. The one that passes was an old 500GB model I replaced the drive in nearly two years ago with a 1TB disc. It's a WD10EVDS. The other is the stock Seagate unit fitted in the HDR I purchased 2nd August this year. That is the one that fails the 4kalign test.
 
I cannot understand why the factory fitted Seagate 1TB HDD is being shown as an AF drive by 4kalign, when, according to the Seagate Website, it is not! Not only that, 4kalign clearly states that the sectors are misaligned.
My theory was that the HDD was batch formatted before installation into the HDR unit and it was formatted incorrectly. I have since formatted the HDD in my HDR and it still shows as an AF drive with misaligned sectors! I have attached, again the latest 4kalign results...

Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
 
--> This is an Advanced Format (AF) drive.
 
    Model Number:      ST1000VM002-1CT162                     
    Logical  Sector size:                  512 bytes
    Physical Sector size:                  4096 bytes
    Logical Sector-0 offset:                  0 bytes
    Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5900
 
Disk /dev/sda: 1000 GB, 1000202273280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953520065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sda1              2    2104514    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sda2        2104515  1932539174  965209297  83  Linux
/dev/sda3      1932539175  1953520064    10482412  83  Linux
 
 
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda1 is misaligned by 1024 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda2 is misaligned by 1536 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda3 is misaligned by 3584 bytes.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign

As this disc is showing increasing number of reallocated sectors anyway, I have removed it from the HDR and fitted a WD10EVDS, which is a standard AV-GP, non-Advance Format drive and it is working perfectly, so far.
 
If the diagnostic mis-identifies the drive as advanced format, the remainder of the results will be invalid and should be ignored.
 
I am coming to that conclusion myself. However, the reallocated sector count, alas, is correctly reported. When I install the HDD in my caddy and connect it to my PC then boot into my GParted (Partition Magic) CD, running the disc diagnostics confirm the duff sectors.
 
I also have a 1TB HDR that is a few months old. It appears to give the same 4kalign result as Wallace. i.e.

Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
 
--> This is an Advanced Format (AF) drive.
 
    Model Number:      ST1000VM002-1CT162                     
    Logical  Sector size:                  512 bytes
    Physical Sector size:                  4096 bytes
    Logical Sector-0 offset:                  0 bytes
    Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5900
 
Disk /dev/sda: 1000 GB, 1000202273280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953520065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sda1              2    2104514    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sda2        2104515  1932539174  965209297  83  Linux
/dev/sda3      1932539175  1953520064    10482412  83  Linux
 
 
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda1 is misaligned by 1024 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda2 is misaligned by 1536 bytes.
*WARNING* - partition /dev/sda3 is misaligned by 3584 bytes.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign

The seagate website indicates the drive is advance format (I think):
http://www.seagate.com/files/staticfiles/support/docs/manual/ce/Pipeline HD Series/100633414f.pdf

My drive has no reallocated sectors at present.

I'm keen to know if this is an issue in the Humax as I have bought a ST1000VM002 as a backup.
 
Wallace said:
I cannot understand why the factory fitted Seagate 1TB HDD is being shown as an AF drive by 4kalign, when, according to the Seagate Website, it is not! Not only that, 4kalign clearly states that the sectors are misaligned.
Click to expand...

According to the document at the link posted by mole_hill above, it is an AF drive.

4kd.png


and it's certainly reporting a 4K sector size to the operating system when asked. Have you found conflicting information on Seagate's web site?
 
Black Hole said:
If the diagnostic mis-identifies the drive as advanced format, the remainder of the results will be invalid and should be ignored.
Click to expand...
That's true, but the diagnostic is asking the drive itself for its physical sector size...
 
af123 said:
... Have you found conflicting information on Seagate's web site?
Click to expand...

I had a cursory glance and read the tech sheet. TBH, I was looking for the words, 'Advanced Format', which I didn't come across. Other makes seem to publish it in a clearer, not so technical, way. WD, for example, actually have it written on the drive itself.
 
This is my recently-fitted 1TB replacement, formatted in situ:
Code: 
>>> Beginning diagnostic 4kalign
Running: 4kalign
 
--> This is an Advanced Format (AF) drive.
 
    Model Number:      ST1000VM002-1CT162                   
    Logical  Sector size:                  512 bytes
    Physical Sector size:                  4096 bytes
    Logical Sector-0 offset:                  0 bytes
    Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5900
 
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000 GB, 1000202273280 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953520065 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
 
  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System
/dev/sdb1              8    2104510    1052226  83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        2104512  1932539166  965217330  83  Linux
/dev/sdb3      1932539168  1953520062    10490445  83  Linux
 
 
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sdb1 is properly aligned.
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sdb2 is properly aligned.
*  OK  * - partiton /dev/sdb3 is properly aligned.
 
>>> Ending diagnostic 4kalign

Same drive as Wallace, but no alignment problem.
 
I can't understand it.

mole_hill, fenlander and myself clearly have the same drives, but only fenlander's drive is reported as being aligned.

I have been able to format my Seagate disc in two separate HDR's. The results are the same, misaligned, according to the 4kalaign diagnostic. It would agree, it does not seem to be aligned as the starting sectors are not divisible by 8, as af123 says they must to be aligned correctly.

In truth, I have now removed the Seagate drive completely and I am no longer using it as it is showing increasing reallocated sectors. I have replaced it with A CORRECTLY ALIGNED Western Digital 10EURX. Well, I assume it's correctly aligned! 4kalign reports so and the starting sectors are divisible by 8.
 
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