T.e.c. Date

[raro]

Just received an error message:

The next predicted T.E.C. date for Hard Disk XX is closer than 3 days! We recommend you to start backup of all critical data from the disk.

This might have come from O&O Drive LED, a neat tool that monitors HDD performance and reads out the SMART data.

what is this T.E.C. date?

[lopburi3]

Google says start to worry. Looks like you have more problems that you think (or the PM exercise has screwed up your reporting).

Q: What is T.E.C.?

A: T.E.C. is "Threshold Exceeded Condition" and basically it means a disk failure. When your Drive Health software reports a "Nearest T.E.C." you should consider it as a "Failure date".

[Guest Reimar]

lopburi3 is very right!

I would use HD Regenerator for to degausing the HDD without loosing of data! TEC is recognized by O&O Drive LED not as physical but kind of Initialyzing error, mostly causing by wrong gausing! That can be a result from over heating of the drive!

Ok, I'll create a time limited copy of that program and place is as CD-Image on the download section of TV under Windows System Utilities. You can download it today evening from there.

[Guest Reimar]

I added the program HDD-Regenerator 1.51 to the Downloads.

This program has limited function but will run 10 times without Limitation. After that it will "repair" the first found bad sector only.

Please download the prog and follow the instruction in How to work.txt

Cheers

[raro]

ouch! Thanks a lot, will try that tool...thanks a lot Reimar!

In the meantime, I got a Drive Health Warning:

The Dard Disk xx had a non-typical SMART attribute value fal. No immediate action is required. We recommend continue monitoring with Drive Health Tool.

...that's what I actually did and also run the extended SMART swelf test of O&O. Didn't find anything....will report back after using Reimar's tool

/edit: I would rule out heat problems, the HDD in question is always below 40°... rather at 35°

/edit again....darnnn...got no Floppies around.....

Edited November 25, 2007 by raro

[raro]

Hi Reimar,

ok, I made that disk, reboot, followed your instructions, and this program apparently doesn't find SATA HDDs....nevertheless I ran a scan on my drive C: just for trying it out and it hung up after a certain time. Rebooted the comp and everything normal.

The TEC warning actually came from a tool called Drive Health 2.0 (not O&O!) - it just told me that the seek-error rate on the other drive is -100. This is marked as a "dangerous change". According to this article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Monitori...ting_Technology

it has to do with a worsening disk surface...

Interstingly, the drive in question (which prompted this thread) is now considered "healthy"...

[Guest Reimar]

Hi Reimar,

ok, I made that disk, reboot, followed your instructions, and this program apparently doesn't find SATA HDDs....nevertheless I ran a scan on my drive C: just for trying it out and it hung up after a certain time. Rebooted the comp and everything normal.

The TEC warning actually came from a tool called Drive Health 2.0 (not O&O!) - it just told me that the seek-error rate on the other drive is -100. This is marked as a "dangerous change". According to this article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Monitori...ting_Technology

it has to do with a worsening disk surface...

Interstingly, the drive in question (which prompted this thread) is now considered "healthy"...

Hi raro,

if the prog hangs there only 2 reasons: 1.: physical problems on the HDD and 2.: problems with unstable power!

For to run the scan on an SATA HDD, the SATA HDD must be set as 1. HDD Boot drive. I use it on my own systems on this way!

Will take a look at DriveHealth but if the error shows a Seek Error, that not means physical damage in first instance but structure problems. And this could be handeled with HD Reg.

[raro]

ok, will check that with the boot drive settings.

I talked to a computersavvy friend of mine today and he said that the SMART data are to be taken with a grain of salt anyways. Programs such as Drive Health tend to give out false errors. Only after letting them run for a while will make the warnings more accurate.

[raro]

so I fiddled around with the comp over the weekend but was not able to turn the HDD in question (a SATA drive) into a boot drive. Hence, this wonderful program could not find the drive and nothing changed.

In the meantime those warnings continue to pop up and also the drives stall from time to time. In that case a reboot does the trick...again, the drives are not overheating, the temperature is anything between 33 and 40 celsius.

[raro]

Just a question...as I do have Spinrite 6.0....what is the difference between Soinrite and HHD Reg?

Anyways...I let Spinrite run over the HDD that died in my office last week and it found already damage sectors and repared most of them...will keep you posted!

[raro]

update on that HDD...now the BIOS of two different computers cannot find it anymore.

In the beginning, it took the BIOS long time to detect the HDD but once windows started (which also took much longer than usual), it was not visible anymore. Now even the BIOS ignores it.

Is there any tool that could fix this problem?

[yeti]

Hopefully you have backed up everything on the HDD already.

So just check wether it's still under warranty and get a new one.

[raro]

yep...backed up most of the data as I heeded early warning signs: At first, the comp was running slower and slower and then I noticed that I could not open certain files anymore. When a complete folder disappeared, I headed for Tukcom and got me a new HDD....was able to recover lots of data with spinrite, but finally the entire HDD was no longer visible!

nope...no more arranty on that one....

[monty]

So better make that grain of salt with which to take S.M.A.R.T. warnings rather small

Salt is not good for your health anyway...

[raro]

So better make that grain of salt with which to take S.M.A.R.T. warnings rather small

Salt is not good for your health anyway...

hehehe.....well, there were several HDDs discussed above, I just didn't want to open a new thread as all the problems were HDD related and somewhat similar. The HDD with the SMART warning is still up and running. After using Spinrite on it also the TEC warnings don't show up anymore.

The HDD that went south is from a different comp. No warning tools were installed on that one - I will change that on the new install...

[raro]

...and so the saga continues:

I used Spinrite 6/0 on my comp's boot HDD, a Maxtor Diamnd Max Plus 9, 160 GB after TEC warngings came up.

After a while it seemed as Spinrite did not respond anymore, there was no progress for at least five minutes, probably longer. I exited Spinritethrough its exit menu and rebooted the comp.

From this moment on, the BIOS cannot find the HDD anymore, instead there isa sound coming from the HDD like a cheap ringtone, something like dideludideludi...which is repeated two or three times.

Put the HDD on a USB enclosure and connected to my laptop, same result.

In hindsight, the other HDD that went down two weeks ago is the same Maxtor type, just 250 GB, was also treated with Spinrite and cannot be recognized by the BIOS anymore...is there a general problem with Spinrite??

[yeti]

You could always contact Spinrite support, but it's considered one of the best tools around for HDD, so having two drives fail on you is either:

- bad luck (maybe the 2 drives were bought at the same time and ended up having the same lifetime)

- there is something wrong with your system. You said it couldn't be overheating, maybe electrical/power supply problems...

[raro]

well, the HDDs were indeed purchased at the same time, whereas the old server HDD had a significantly longer running time.

Both computers were at different locations (office resp. home) but with similar power problems. Although both comps are buffered with a CPU, occasional power-outs are longer than the CPU is able to make up for it and the comp runs out of power.

Anyways, I don't think the core of the problem is here, it is rather that AFTER running Spinrite both HDDs are no longer recognized by the BIOS - on two different computers.

A friend of mine hinted that Spinrite MIGHT unmount the HDD and remount it when finished. If the re-mount doesn't work properly the HDD might be not recognizable anymore. Could this be a possible cause and if yes is it fixable?

[yeti]

Spinrite uses its own DOS, so I doubt it would unmount the HDD in a way DOS would not recognize it anymore.

But you'd better ask their technical support.

BTW, your comps are buffered by a UPS, not a CPU. And the UPS should have come with a program to automatically shut down the computer when the battery is almost out of juice.

Edited January 13, 2008 by yeti

[raro]

ok, I had the ultimate pleasure having an expert over to my place yesterday.

One HDD he was able to reanimate, the other one is pronounced dead. Both cases are diagnosed as damaged bearing.