Maxtor's diagnostic utilities

Hi guys.

I recently have major problems with my 80GB 6Y080L0 Maxtor HDD.
Previously they were "drive not ready" and paging/controller errors.

Now:
1) When I try to copy files to it, they either disappear or take
forever to copy. Once the PC beeped, then slowed down and froze about 2
seconds later.
2) Boot-up takes forever, and sometimes stalls.
3) The BIOS sometimes does not detect the HDD - I have to try to detect
it a few times before it does (it isn't the cables because it suddenly
works/stops working without me touching the case).

All the while, Maxtor's Powermax v4.21 says the drive is fine. I get
the feeling that some goal posts have moved and standards lowered. Has
anyone actually successfully detected HDD errors with Maxtor's recent
Powermax 4.21 release? Bear in mind that this is the same utility that
failed to detect their own HDD. A few boot ups later it did, then said
everything was fine. Hmmmm....

Would the diagnostic tools of *other* manufacturers work?

Actually, if someone could point me to an independent HD diagnostic
utility, I would be grateful (does such a thing even exist?)

FWIW, I had a Maxstor 60GB drive that began to fail the S.M.A.R.T.
self-testsa t bootup. Maxstor's diag claimed it was fine. I was
running Powermax version 4.09. I finally called Maxstor and they
replaced the drive under warrantee with a 80Gb unit. No additional
problems so far. It has been about a year since replacement.

I only use the drive for data, and then rarely. I guess I trust it,
but.........

Rich


"Random Person" <nonexistent2032@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi guys.
>
>I recently have major problems with my 80GB 6Y080L0 Maxtor HDD.
>Previously they were "drive not ready" and paging/controller errors.
>
>Now:
>1) When I try to copy files to it, they either disappear or take
>forever to copy. Once the PC beeped, then slowed down and froze about 2
>seconds later.
>2) Boot-up takes forever, and sometimes stalls.
>3) The BIOS sometimes does not detect the HDD - I have to try to detect
>it a few times before it does (it isn't the cables because it suddenly
>works/stops working without me touching the case).
>
>All the while, Maxtor's Powermax v4.21 says the drive is fine. I get
>the feeling that some goal posts have moved and standards lowered. Has
>anyone actually successfully detected HDD errors with Maxtor's recent
>Powermax 4.21 release? Bear in mind that this is the same utility that
>failed to detect their own HDD. A few boot ups later it did, then said
>everything was fine. Hmmmm....
>
>Would the diagnostic tools of *other* manufacturers work?

On 16 Sep 2005 04:53:27 -0700, "Random Person"
<nonexistent2032@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi guys.
>
>I recently have major problems with my 80GB 6Y080L0 Maxtor HDD.
>Previously they were "drive not ready" and paging/controller errors.
>
>Now:
>1) When I try to copy files to it, they either disappear or take
>forever to copy. Once the PC beeped, then slowed down and froze about 2
>seconds later.
>2) Boot-up takes forever, and sometimes stalls.
>3) The BIOS sometimes does not detect the HDD - I have to try to detect
>it a few times before it does (it isn't the cables because it suddenly
>works/stops working without me touching the case).

Why did you keep trying to use it?
With these kinds of problems there are two immediate steps
to take, and not much else.

1) Immediately copy off data. Do not turn off the system
or anything else first.

2) Turn off system and try another data cable. If that
doesn't help, run the HDD manufacturers diagnostics. The
goal is merely to get a failure code, as either way the next
step is to contact Maxtor and get it RMA'd.

Sometimes drives fail like that, you dont' get a failing
test with the diagnostics... at least not at first, though
probably after a while if the drive still works at all at
that point.



>
>All the while, Maxtor's Powermax v4.21 says the drive is fine. I get
>the feeling that some goal posts have moved and standards lowered. Has
>anyone actually successfully detected HDD errors with Maxtor's recent
>Powermax 4.21 release? Bear in mind that this is the same utility that
>failed to detect their own HDD. A few boot ups later it did, then said
>everything was fine. Hmmmm....
>
>Would the diagnostic tools of *other* manufacturers work?

What did you hope to gain by running something else?
Nothing else will generate failure codes for the Maxtor,
AFAIK, and nothing (including Maxtors' utilities) can do
anything to repair a failing drive. Just replace it, not
worth the hassle or risk to data from this point on.

Hi Kony. I know it sounds silly but I have a deadline looming next week
and I have a lot of work to get done...I can certainly do without
having to reinstall Linux, get all the libraries in again, get
everything working, etc. If my drive is dying on me, fingers crossed it
will die after next week. Everything is backed up already though.

Once the deadline passes I'll try to stress the HD to get any failures
to show themselves.

I was hoping for an independent diagnostic utility because I am getting
the feeling that the current diagnostic utility is failing to detect
errors. Perhaps to reduce the number of RMAs? Not to point fingers at
anyone in particular, but it is *never* good when a company decides to
self-regulate (as is the case with all the companies in the HDD
industry AFAIK).

You know Rich, after all these problems I've had with Maxtor and their
unhelpful customer service (e.g. one liner emails "Low level format
your hard disk."), I am thinking that even if they offer a replacement,
I might not want it and might just tell them to keep it...

On 16 Sep 2005 07:29:29 -0700, "Random Person"
<nonexistent2032@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>Hi Kony. I know it sounds silly but I have a deadline looming next week
>and I have a lot of work to get done...I can certainly do without
>having to reinstall Linux, get all the libraries in again, get
>everything working, etc. If my drive is dying on me, fingers crossed it
>will die after next week. Everything is backed up already though.

That is exactly why you should not "piddle around" with it,
why you should just copy off data and replace it.

There is no need to reinstall Linux if the drive works well
enough to dupe it to another, but if it doesn't work that
well, you had to do it anyway.

The worst thing here could be trying to get more miles out
of a drive already demonstrating failure. Contact Maxtor
and have them do an advanced replacement. There is no
thought on your part about when an ideal time to do it would
be, that changes when the drive is finally failed if it
will. You were actually pretty lucky that it works at all,
still.


>
>Once the deadline passes I'll try to stress the HD to get any failures
>to show themselves.
>
>I was hoping for an independent diagnostic utility because I am getting
>the feeling that the current diagnostic utility is failing to detect
>errors.

it doesn't matter.
Literally, you do not need an independant diagnostic utility
and are just wasting time to look for one. Either the drive
is working fine or you're posting here about it... and need
to check the cables then if they're ok, replace it.



> Perhaps to reduce the number of RMAs? Not to point fingers at
>anyone in particular, but it is *never* good when a company decides to
>self-regulate (as is the case with all the companies in the HDD
>industry AFAIK).

How is it going ot reduce # of RMAs for a drive that's
failed to not show a failure code? Drive is still obviously
dead or malfunctional, and in such cases they still accept
it for warranty replacement if the warranty is still in
effect. Your argument cannot be valid because of this.

Come to think of it, the last one I had replaced, they
didn't even ask about failure code #s.

Random Person wrote:
> I know it sounds silly but I have a deadline looming next week
> and I have a lot of work to get done...I can certainly do without
> having to reinstall Linux, get all the libraries in again, get
> everything working, etc. If my drive is dying on me, fingers crossed it
> will die after next week. Everything is backed up already though.

And how much time will you save if the drive fails just when you need
it most? ;) And does it really take that long to make an image backup
of the whole drive?

Fry's currently offers 200GB Seagates for $60, after rebate, but if
you're not near a Fry's, see www.salescircular.com for local deals on
computer stuff and consumer electronics.

I forgot: Did you try HItachi's Drive Fitness Test, available from
www.hgst.com? It can do read testing on any brand of drive.

On 16 Sep 2005 04:53:27 -0700 As Androids Dreamed Of Electric Sheep
and then "Random Person" <nonexistent2032@yahoo.co.uk> wrote :

>Hi guys.
>
>I recently have major problems with my 80GB 6Y080L0 Maxtor HDD.
>Previously they were "drive not ready" and paging/controller errors.

This was not called from the BIOS but the O/S I suspect?

If so then stop blaming the drive?



--
Free Windows/PC help,
http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html