Re: [PARPORT] Iomega Zip : MEDIUM ERROR


David Campbell (campbell@gear.torque.net)
Fri, 20 Feb 1998 07:58:22 +0000


*snip*

> >I used to have a util which when pointed at the device file would tell you
> >the health of the disk. Try:
> >
> >http://www.torque.net/~campbell/sd_life.html and
> >http://www.torque.net/~campbell/sd_life.c
>
> Tried it and got the following :
>
> sda:scsi0: MEDIUM ERROR on channel 0, id 6, lun 0, CDB: Request Sense 00
> 00 00 10 00
> extra data not valid Current error sd08:00: sense key Medium Error
> Additional sense indicates Defect list not found
> scsidisk I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0, absolute sector 0
> unable to read partition table

*boggle*
Media error while reading disk status is not good.

> Format Status
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Format type 0x01
> Field format count 0x00 # Has not been formated since factory
> Spare blocks after format
> Factory Side 0 0x063e
> Side 1 0x062c
> Field Side 0 0x063e
> Side 1 0x062c
>
> Cartridge Status
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Button status Normal
> Disk status Ready
> Last sector 0x0002ffff
> Bytes per sector 0x00000200
> Factory Serial Number dump: 234490022679718302ZIP1 IOM0100E111
> Media format type 0x00
>
> Redundant blocks Spare In use
> Side 00 0 0
> Side 01 0 0

My test disk gives the following:

Format Status
----------------------------------------------------
Format type 0x01
Field format count 0x01 # I have formatted this disk once before
Spare blocks after format
Factory Side 0 0x064a
          Side 1 0x0643
Field Side 0 0x064a
          Side 1 0x0643

Cartridge Status
----------------------------------------------------
Button status Normal
Disk status Ready
Last sector 0x0002ffff
Bytes per sector 0x00000200
Factory Serial Number dump: 103131004559610502ZIP IOM01
Media format type 0x00

Redundant blocks Spare In use
Side 00 126 0
Side 01 126 0

I think you need to reformat those disks. Grab:
http://www.torque.net/~campbell/sd_format.c

Compile with the same flags as sd_life.c, usage is similar. (Note there is
no "Are you really sure?" message, so be careful). This utility will
perform a full format off-line (sd_format returns immediately but the
drive keeps going - the drive is doing all the hard work).

> I usually do mkfs.ext2 with -m 0 flag and sometimes delete also
> 'lost+found'. Does this have something to do with the problem?

*shake head*
lost+found is where fsck places files it finds. If this directory does not
exist then the lost file is deleted.
 
> I also tried 'dd copy' suggested by A. Cox, but it didn't work neither. I
> don't know if I proceeded correctly but all I got was the following :
>
> bash-2.01# dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/loop0 bs=1k
> scsi0: MEDIUM ERROR on channel 0, id 6, lun 0, CDB: Request Sense 00 00 00
> 10 00extra data not valid Current error sd08:00: sense key Medium Error
> Additional sense indicates Defect list not found
> scsidisk I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0
> dd: /dev/sda: Input/output error
> 0+0 records in
> 0+0 records out
>
> I seem to have another disk (fourth) gotten unusable.

I seem to have no problems with my disks, I have heard that some of the
non-Iomega disks have a reputation for bad sectors. From memory there was
a bad batch of "Fuji" disks that escaped the factory. Haven't heard any
reports since (sounds like a one off batch).

I will have to check my documentation but if you get a "0 spare / 0 in
use" count on the spare blocks according to sd_life, put the disk to one
side. It sounds like the relocation table is dead.

Anyway, try the sd_format on the dead disks and let me know what sd_life
returns.

David Campbell
=======================================================
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dcampbel@p01.as17.honeywell.com.au (For all other mail)

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Wed 30 Dec 1998 - 10:17:29 EST