Please see the link I provided earlier (http://pastebin.ca/930776). It
has all the information.


In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage Ignoramus24341 wrote:
Probably. What does

smartctl --all /dev/hda

say? (and hdb)

Does it report any errors?

i

On 2008-03-06, Ant wrote:
Hello.

For about two weeks ago, I had two of these incidents (13 days apart
between them):

hdb: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
hdb: DMA timeout error
hdb: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: DMA disabled
hdb: DMA disabled
ide0: reset: success
hdb: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x41
hdb: DMA timeout error
hdb: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hdb: DMA disabled
ide0: reset: success
hdb: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x41
hdb: DMA timeout error
hdb: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hdb: DMA disabled
ide0: reset: success
hdb: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x41
hdb: DMA timeout error
hdb: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hdb: DMA disabled
ide0: reset: success

From this, my old Linux/Debian system became slow and unresponsive due
to high CPU usage (e.g., 7.xx in top). I had to shutdown (shutdown -r
now) Linux/Debian, reboot, and things are back to normal speed. I doubt
it is temperature related because the room is in the 60s and 70s
degrees(F) and computer wasn't working intensely (e.g., surfing the
Web).

Also, I recalled before these problems started, my motherboard (CMOS and
BIOS) didn't see both of my primary master drives (both HDDs: hda and
hdb), but can see my secondary master (DVD-ROM drive = hdc). I had to
open the case, but didn't see anything wrong. I wiggled the cable ends
for the HDDs. I booted my machine up and it seemed fine for a few days/a
week and then these errors came up (not disconnections).

I ran smartctl utility on both of my HDDs for information and results:
http://pastebin.ca/930776 ...

My full system specifications can be found he
http://alpha.zimage.com/~ant/antfarm.../computers.txt
(secondary/backup machine). Does that mean my decade old Quantum 6.4 GB
HDD (already made a backup just in case) is finally dying? Or is it
something else?

Thank you in advance.

--
"All the best work is done the way that ants do things -- by tiny but
untiring and regular additions." --Lafcadio Hearn
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