IBM Hard drive faliure

[FlyingSparks]

All hard drives have inherent defects. These defects relate to the media, a high tech metallic film, "sputtered" [as in a spitting action] on to a disc [usually metal but the latest IBM, model 120GXP, are made of glass - v high tech], a process perfected by the Japos from which they made alot of money as it applies to the manufacture of anything related to very thin metallic plating/coating but without the hassles of electro-plating [chrome plating etc].
These defects are mapped out, together with extra [redundant] backup media, after the assembly process. Media defect management is the name of the game in hard drive manufacture.
As long as the defect is manageable during the declared projected life of the hard drive, it is deemed passed for sale.
A few factors determine the manageablity of media defect. Temperature, integrity of the sputtering, from batch to batch, [as in video & audio tapes], even-ness of the substrate [ie BS word for the platter], for example. When the media cannot retain data within a given error algorithm/formula, you get f**ked Windows!!
The HDD Bios will manage the defect throughout its projected life, replacing small defects with redundant media automatically. Its when the defect becomes unmanageable, that's when it's deemed unserviceable.
In my case, it seems to be an IBM design fault as many have experienced it, the media defect is kept manageable when the access time is increased, which effectively is what "Low Acoustics" is doing.
By slowing the drive heads, thereby increasing average access time, the media is read slower. In reality, the drive serviceable life is being reduced. Data is always read, it's the degree of error that makes it OK or not. The error, quoted as how many times per millions, is based on error-correction formula [an algorithm in BS]. If it fails that, it's returned as error and if it's within say, Windows, the error will be trapped by some prearranged Windows error code.
The time for deep pockets is when it "cannot be read". The data loss is so great, that the error formula, as preprogrammed into the HDD Bios, is told to give up. Data is always there, it's whether its worth the time to read it. Data recovery houses can always pick things up and remake the jigsaw - up to a point.
My drive is on the borderline, I'll say. Put it to low acoustics to use it for say, a couple of months, or stress it to kill it quickly and get a replacement.
Those who say a virus kills the drive do not know enough about hard drives. A virus CAN stress a HDD to death but it can take months or with a borderline drive, a few hours, but a virus cannot just short out some electrical component, say. Don't forget, a virus is just a software program, nothing more. It cannot bypass a HDD design, unless that HDD design has some dumb, amateur circuitry design.
It's like, say, wiring a 12V motor from a 230/110-24/12V transformer. Unless there is an auto-step up/down slider that can be programmed through software, it cannot be changed except manually. IC circuitry is mainly switching voltage [5V/0V] except those that drives the mechanicals like the platter motor and the drive heads actuator [similar to a speaker/vioce coil design].

Nothing is impossible but within the bounds of possibility, a HDD killer virus cannot overspin the platter motor as that is feedback monitored. It will have to be one that keep the heads working overtime, until death.

[woody]

Very informative post!There have been a few others about IBM hard drives.Looks like people have been warned..thanks!

[Sammie]

Hi. Can a benchmark program which probably stresses HDD destroy it somehow or create bad sectors? or even recording heavy video? thanks.
Sam.

[malbolgia]

Originally posted by Sammie
Hi. Can a benchmark program which probably stresses HDD destroy it somehow or create bad sectors? or even recording heavy video? thanks.
Sam.

stress can be bad but heat is what kills them

[spottydog]

Originally posted by pokopiko
Actually IBM never recovered completely from the 75G glass platter HD fiasco. I have found out the hard way that all ATA-100 and 133 7200+ RPM harddisks need a dedicated cooler case, else they can get toasted quite easily.

I got one month out of mine! Turned it on one morning, and it was as if it had just got fed up and gone on holiday.
So now its W.D. caviar.

[dx]

Yes...I just had a 46Gig IBM 75GXP drive fail on me this past Sunday. I heard all the horror stories in the past, but figured that I must have been lucky. After dealing with IBM customer support on Monday (they were extreemly difficult), I realized that this is my last IBM drive.

I know that some of you poopoo Maxtor drives, but I've had 3 in my lifetime. One is 8 years old, second is 5 1/2 years old, and the last is 3. Never had to replace any of them...they are ALL still running strong. And IBM is supposed to make better hard drives...Go figure!

[Sammie]

About a 3 weeks ago I purchased 4 Seagate Barracudas
2 80GB
2 40GB for my 3 comps. they all work good and they have the best utilities compare to others as well as the best support. Lets say you bought a Seagate HDD OEM and want to make sure it is still in warranty period, simply go to their site , enter hdd's model and serial and that's it. You'll see when you warranty expires. This is important if you buying from nonereputable/nottrusting reseller. Thats what Seagate sales told me after 15 min talk.
p.s. forgot to tell you that if your hdd fails you don't have to show them your receipt , only the serial matters and the replacment drive is usully brand new. I hate other stupid hard drive manufacturers.

[LTR12101B]

I'll vote for Seagate.

I bought a 1.2Gb Seagate from a loose collection on a desk at a show - £5 UK

Dead? of course it was.
But had about 3 weeks to run on the warranty!

THEY SENT ME a refurbished 1.7 Gb as a replacement - I guess they'd run out of 1.2's


Now THAT is what you call support!

[spottydog]

Originally posted by LTR12101B
I'll vote for Seagate.

I bought a 1.2Gb Seagate from a loose collection on a desk at a show - £5 UK

Dead? of course it was.
But had about 3 weeks to run on the warranty!

THEY SENT ME a refurbished 1.7 Gb as a replacement - I guess they'd run out of 1.2's


Now THAT is what you call support!

NO thats what you call bloody lucky, jammy sod

[Master]

Here is the latest fw update for 75GPX/DTLA drives.

It will create a boot disk with a fw-updater.

Please don´t use a raid controller while updating !!

/http://www.geocities.com/dtla_update/

[dx]

Originally posted by Master
Here is the latest fw update for 75GPX/DTLA drives.

It will create a boot disk with a fw-updater.

Please don´t use a raid controller while updating !!

/http://www.geocities.com/dtla_update/

Thanks for the link Master...very informative info.

Sadly I tried this firmware (fix) update 6 months ago when I began hearing about these problems. Didn't work. And Poko's advice is important as well...but again it didn't work for this drive.

Looking at your links gave me some insights though. It seems that most of the drives seem to fail within the first 18 months or not at all.

Also discovered that IBM is turning over its Hard Drive division to Hitachi over the next few months. Even more incentive NOT to buy a IBM drive.