TOSHIBA MK1011GAH: diagnosing READ MULTIPLE error

[fpi]

hi all,
I got this disk
=============================
Device Model: TOSHIBA MK1011GAH
Firmware Version: BK001C
User Capacity: 100,030,242,816 bytes
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: 7
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
=============================

which seems to work correctly. What I got (3 tries) is that, reaching the 95GB (sector 185871264),
READ MULTIPLE error occurs. I'm using dd/dd_rescue to get the bitstream image from a Linux system.

I would be able to diagnose this error. I mean to isolate the main facts that can cause this error,
and to known possibile workarounds, if any. I tried some options of hddparm, but errors remains.

You can find the SMART informations later in this post.

Thank you and best regards!

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

capabilities: (0x51) SMART execute Offline immediate.
No Auto Offline data collection support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
No Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
No Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 79) minutes.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 0
2 Throughput_Performance 0x0007 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 100 100 002 Pre-fail Always - 1768
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 3146
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 272
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 0
8 Seek_Time_Performance 0x0005 100 100 050 Pre-fail Offline - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 087 087 000 Old_age Always - 5565
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 162 100 030 Pre-fail Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 1859
187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0032 001 001 000 Old_age Always - 122
188 Command_Timeout 0x0032 100 060 000 Old_age Always - 552
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 070 035 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 30 (Lifetime Min/Max 21/37)
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 446
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 3997757
193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 089 089 000 Old_age Always - 116258
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 30 (Lifetime Min/Max 10/65)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 140
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 10
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 100 100 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0
220 Disk_Shift 0x0002 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 8293
222 Loaded_Hours 0x0032 088 088 000 Old_age Always - 5170
223 Load_Retry_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
224 Load_Friction 0x0022 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
226 Load-in_Time 0x0026 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 321
240 Head_Flying_Hours 0x0001 100 100 001 Pre-fail Offline - 0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 126 (device log contains only the most recent five errors)

Error 126 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 5565 hours (231 days + 21 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 b4 2b 14 eb Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0b142bb4 = 185871284

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c4 00 10 b0 2b 14 eb 00 01:51:55.401 READ MULTIPLE
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:55.393 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 08 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:55.385 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:55.379 IDENTIFY DEVICE
c4 00 10 b0 2b 14 eb 00 01:51:32.703 READ MULTIPLE

Error 125 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 5565 hours (231 days + 21 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 b4 2b 14 eb Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0b142bb4 = 185871284

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c4 00 10 b0 2b 14 eb 00 01:51:32.703 READ MULTIPLE
c4 00 10 a0 2b 14 eb 00 01:51:14.976 READ MULTIPLE
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:14.968 IDENTIFY DEVICE
ef 03 08 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:14.960 SET FEATURES [Set transfer mode]
ec 00 00 00 00 00 a0 02 01:51:14.952 IDENTIFY DEVICE

Error 124 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 5565 hours (231 days + 21 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 a3 2b 14 eb Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0b142ba3 = 185871267

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
c4 00 10 a0 2b 14 eb 00 01:50:16.100 READ MULTIPLE
c4 00 10 90 2b 14 eb 00 01:50:16.096 READ MULTIPLE
c4 00 10 80 2b 14 eb 00 01:50:16.092 READ MULTIPLE
c4 00 10 70 2b 14 eb 00 01:50:16.088 READ MULTIPLE
c4 00 10 60 2b 14 eb 00 01:50:16.084 READ MULTIPLE

[Vulcan]

READ MULTIPLE error occurs

In fact what happens is that the disk reponds with UNC for a sector, which was being read for a READ MULTIPLE command. This is not a problem with the READ MULTIPLE command - the error logs you show below (collected by smartctl) are completely expected when a UNC sector is encountered, and could occur with any variant of a READ command.

I would be able to diagnose this error. I mean to isolate the main facts that can cause this error

The error is nothing to do with READ MULTIPLE - it's just some UNC sectors.

[fpi]

Thank you Vulcan,
I did not read the log with the right attention...

So, the Uncorrectable Data means "An ECC error in the data field could not be corrected (a media error or read instability)", right?
Roughly speaking, I can say that it's a bad sector? Or that, in those positions, the header/footer surrounding data it's corrupted ? Or what else?

[Vulcan]

Thank you Vulcan

You're welcome

So, the Uncorrectable Data means "An ECC error in the data field could not be corrected (a media error or read instability)", right?
Roughly speaking, I can say that it's a bad sector?

Yes - the drive is currently unable to successfully read those sectors, using its existing settings for internal recovery (ECC [even with f/w assist], retries, head offset changes etc. etc.). Based on the SMART data, at least 10 sectors are in that state.

IMHO actions at this point depend on factors like experience, available hardware, your available time, use of alternative existing software or writing own software etc.

You said that you chose to use dd_rescue (which I don't use, so I can't give specific advice on its options) but have you investigated dd_help and/or increasing the number of dd_rescue retries and/or approaching those (currently) unreadable sectors by reading in a reverse direction etc.? Just a few of the possible options for you to consider. Other cloning software is also available (search the forum history for cloning).

Beware that the original drive could fail catastrophically at any time (e.g. if the unreadable sectors are due to scratches caused by particles which could cause a head crash). Therefore I suggest that you are careful not to lose any partial clone of the original disk which you have got so far (in your story so far, it is not clear to me whether you have currently kept a partial clone or not).

Depending on the value of the data to you, you could consider getting professional help from someone with drive imaging hardware, which may have more success.

Good luck...

[fpi]

Hi Vulcan,
I was able to recover a partial DD using dd/dd_rescue: I tried reading in reverse order between the range of damaged sectors,
without success. I was able to recover the files since the limited damage.

Again, thank you fro supporting and to this great forum!
regards,
fpi

[Vulcan]

I was able to recover the files

That's good news