Steps for Repairing a Disk of Unknown Faults

Here's the typical output from the command to initiate a short test. The long test is similar but the completion time is approx. 2 hours instead of 2 minutes.
Code:
humax# smartctl -t short /dev/sda
smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [7405b0-smp-linux-2.6.18-7.1] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net

=== START OF OFFLINE IMMEDIATE AND SELF-TEST SECTION ===
Sending command: "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode".
Drive command "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode" successful.
Testing has begun.
Please wait 2 minutes for test to complete.
Test will complete after Mon Feb 11 22:40:14 2013

Use smartctl -X to abort test.
humax#
 
Thanks for that info af123. Does your e2fsck check include the -c or -cc switch to first run the badblocks program in order to update the bad block inode ?
Not by default, no. It is possible to pass extra flags to e2fsck via the menu system - generally that will be because someone here has instructed a user to do that.
To fix bad sectors on the disk, the fix-disk uses hdparm to directly zero the relevant LBA.

tmenu_fixdisk.png


(Just noticed this is a newer version of the menu than that included in CFW 2.15 hence options 2 & 3)
 
Here's what I'm getting:

humax# smartctl -t long /dev/sda
smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [7405b0-smp-linux-2.6.18-7.1] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net
/dev/sda: Unknown USB bridge [0x0411:0x0108 (0x100)]
Smartctl: please specify device type with the -d option.
Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary
humax#
The other 2 commands:
smartctl --test=long /dev/sda
and
smartctl --all /dev/sda

give exactly the same result. What am I missing?

 
Is that a HDR? If so, did you boot with a USB disk attached? It could be that your internal disk is actually /dev/sdb rather than /dev/sda

'--test=long' is just another version of '-t long'
--all should show all data. Rather than that, I would use '-l selftest' to just show the self test logs.

Code:
humax# smartctl -l selftest /dev/sda
smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [7405b0-smp-linux-2.6.18-7.1] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net
 
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Extended offline    Completed without error      00%      1607        -
# 2  Short offline      Completed without error      00%      1597        -
# 3  Short offline      Completed without error      00%      297        -
 
In #22 I'm guessing the -c = e2fsck option 'Check for bad blocks and add them to the badblock list'
I can't find a reference to the e2fsck -x option, what does it do?
 
'-x' enables all subsequent options to be passed to e2fsck. If the '-x' option wasn't present then fix-disk would attempt to interpret the options (and fail in this case).
 
The discussion is worthwhile. The aim is to make it as simple as possible although I suspect there will always be some guidance required for some boxes.

I don't believe that running the filesystem check with -c or -cc routinely or by default is a good idea. The disk firmware should take care of remapping any bad blocks and the new fix-disk in 2.15 can force it to do so if necessary. However, we built in the option for people to specify additional flags if necessary - most likely because someone here has recommended that they should to fix a specific case.
 
Is that a HDR? If so, did you boot with a USB disk attached? It could be that your internal disk is actually /dev/sdb rather than /dev/sda

Yes, there is a USB drive attached. I'll give it another try tonight minus the external drive.
 
The discussion is worthwhile. The aim is to make it as simple as possible although I suspect there will always be some guidance required for some boxes.

Definitely. I have been developing post 1 (still a work-in-progress) and aim to transfer it to the Quick Start Guide when we agree it is accurate. However, the Telnet menu in post 22 looks like it will make the instructions much easier to write (and therefore follow), so I am inclined to delay until the new menu makes it into the downloadable CF.

Testing this will also give me the prod to update my CF, I tend not to change anything unless there is a specific reason and my HDR still languishes on 1.02.20/2.12.
 
Here's what I'm getting:

humax# smartctl -t long /dev/sda
smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [7405b0-smp-linux-2.6.18-7.1] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net
/dev/sda: Unknown USB bridge [0x0411:0x0108 (0x100)]
Smartctl: please specify device type with the -d option.
Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary
I should point out that not all USB disks will fail in this way. The one connected to my Humax will quite happily display its SMART infomation and run tests.
 
I'm currently running smartctl --test=long /dev/sda on HDR3. Would it be possible to report % progress on the VFD in 2.16?
 
Now running fix-disk (option 1). When the various scans are in progress, are the output lines supposed to replace each other so it becomes a single animated line? On iTelnet each line is scrolling up.

Belay that, I switched to my PC and it's doing what I expected.
 
Label info. HDR-FOX T2/GB/1TB 7104315 63718431500385

My HDR-Fox T2 has been suffering increasingly long interruptions in programme playback whilst displaying "This channel is scrambled or not available". Given that this occurs even when replaying programmes from my external USB connected storage this must surely be the most inapt error message going! The machine is already a Humax replacement for a machine that developed the same problem (in my experience this occurs as the hard drive exceeds 80% full); but this time I thought to try and resolve my problem in-house.

Trying to use the normal format programme gave me "Cannot format the hard disk. The capacity is too large". The drive is the original 1TB drive supplied with the machine.

The following is some of the results I got from using the PuTTY Telnet utility, and hopefully they make some sense to someone!
(These results were obtained with the external storage disconnected)

Finally, please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place; my excuse is that this is the first forum I've ever posted to in my 65 year life!
PS I've attached a text file of this as the text formatting is better than here................... Mmmm, then again maybe not. When I try to post it says "You cannot post links or email addresses until you have 10 posts. This is to prevent SPAM", so on the assumption that a "link" means an attachment I'll remove it! No, removing the attachment doesn't work; but there is no "@" in my text so why does your system think there is an email in it? OK, I'll remove my message below and just leave the attachment for you to read!

**************************************************************************
 

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  • Humax HD Testing-2.txt
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Your hard drive is not at all well, the SMART lines to note are :-
Code:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME        FLAG    VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
 
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct  0x0033  001  001  036    Pre-fail  Always  FAILING_NOW 5850
 
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0012  100  100  000    Old_age  Always      -      1
 
198 Offline_Uncorrectable  0x0010  100  100  000    Old_age  Offline      -      1
I would wait to see if you get a reply from af123 or xyz321 as they are the hard disk experts
BTW
ID# 190 is not a problem, it is not supported on the Humax
 
Thank you for your replies. I'll wait to see if there are more and if not then perhaps just remove the HD and format new ext3 partitions on it using my PC. If that doesn't work I won't any worse off than I am at the moment!
 
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