Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

You can't do it over that USB interface then. You'll need to go direct to SATA connection or a supported USB bridge.

Will attempting to do so fail without causing damage ?

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Will attempting to do so fail without causing damage ?

It will work or fail without damage.

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

/dev/sdb:
 issuing DCO restore command
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(dco_restore) failed: Input/output error

Ok will have to locate a boot disk and try again installed internally on the sata port.

Will report back later, thanks for the help.

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

/dev/sdb:
 issuing DCO restore command
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(dco_restore) failed: Input/output error

Ok will have to locate a boot disk and try again installed internally on the sata port.

Will report back later, thanks for the help.

Out of curiosity, what absolute POS drive adapter do you use that doesn't even sport the full range of basic commands?

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Out of curiosity, what absolute POS drive adapter do you use that doesn't even sport the full range of basic commands?

Lol before you get too upset at my drive adapter you should know that this command failed again with the exact explanation on the internal sata port of my desktop. There is a different problem here by the looks of it.

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Managed to get the output of smartctl

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo smartctl -ax /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-linux-3.13.0-32-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:   Western Digital Caviar SE Serial ATA
Device Model:   WDC WD2500JD-57HBC0
Serial Number:  WD-WCAL75730506
Firmware Version: 21.02J21
User Capacity:  250,059,350,016 bytes [250 GB]
Sector Size:   512 bytes logical/physical
Device is:    In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:  ATA/ATAPI-6 (minor revision not indicated)
Local Time is:  Wed Mar 4 19:43:54 2015 UTC
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
AAM level is:   128 (quiet), recommended: 128
APM feature is:  Unavailable
Rd look-ahead is: Enabled
Write cache is:  Enabled
ATA Security is: Disabled, NOT FROZEN [SEC1]
Wt Cache Reorder: Disabled

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

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x82)	Offline data collection activity
					was completed without error.
					Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status:   (  0)	The previous self-test routine completed
					without error or no self-test has ever 
					been run.
Total time to complete Offline 
data collection: 		( 7275) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: 			 (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
					Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
					Suspend Offline collection upon new
					command.
					Offline surface scan supported.
					Self-test supported.
					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.
					No General Purpose Logging support.
Short self-test routine 
recommended polling time: 	 (  2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: 	 ( 91) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: 	 (  5) minutes.
SCT capabilities: 	    (0x003f)	SCT Status supported.
					SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
					SCT Feature Control supported.
					SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME     FLAGS  VALUE WORST THRESH FAIL RAW_VALUE
 1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate   PO-R--  200  200  051  -  0
 3 Spin_Up_Time      POS---  125  108  021  -  6266
 4 Start_Stop_Count    -O--CK  100  100  040  -  229
 5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct  PO--CK  200  200  140  -  0
 7 Seek_Error_Rate     PO-R--  200  200  051  -  0
 9 Power_On_Hours     -O--CK  066  066  000  -  25096
 10 Spin_Retry_Count    PO--C-  100  100  051  -  0
 11 Calibration_Retry_Count PO--C-  100  100  051  -  0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count    -O--CK  100  100  000  -  214
194 Temperature_Celsius   -O---K  103  095  000  -  47
196 Reallocated_Event_Count -O--CK  200  200  000  -  0
197 Current_Pending_Sector -O--C-  200  200  000  -  0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable  -O--C-  200  200  000  -  0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count  -O-R--  200  253  000  -  0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate  P--R--  200  200  051  -  0
              ||||||_ K auto-keep
              |||||__ C event count
              ||||___ R error rate
              |||____ S speed/performance
              ||_____ O updated online
              |______ P prefailure warning

Read SMART Log Directory failed: scsi error aborted command

ATA_READ_LOG_EXT (addr=0x00:0x00, page=0, n=1) failed: scsi error aborted command
Read GP Log Directory failed

SMART Extended Comprehensive Error Log (GP Log 0x03) not supported

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Extended Self-test Log (GP Log 0x07) not supported

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description  Status         Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Conveyance offline Completed without error    00%   25079     -
# 2 Extended offline  Completed without error    00%    21     -
# 3 Extended offline  Completed without error    00%     1     -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
 SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
  1    0    0 Not_testing
  2    0    0 Not_testing
  3    0    0 Not_testing
  4    0    0 Not_testing
  5    0    0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
 After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

SCT Status Version:         2
SCT Version (vendor specific):    258 (0x0102)
SCT Support Level:          1
Device State:            Active (0)
Current Temperature:         47 Celsius
Power Cycle Max Temperature:     31 Celsius
Lifetime  Max Temperature:     65 Celsius
SCT Temperature History Version:   2
Temperature Sampling Period:     1 minute
Temperature Logging Interval:    0 minutes
Min/Max recommended Temperature:   5/55 Celsius
Min/Max Temperature Limit:      1/60 Celsius
Temperature History Size (Index):  128 (28)

...

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Continued...

Index  Estimated Time  Temperature Celsius
 29  2015-03-04 17:36   ? -
 30  2015-03-04 17:37  21 **
 31  2015-03-04 17:38   ? -
 32  2015-03-04 17:39  21 **
 33  2015-03-04 17:40   ? -
 34  2015-03-04 17:41  25 ******
 35  2015-03-04 17:42   ? -
 36  2015-03-04 17:43  23 ****
 37  2015-03-04 17:44   ? -
 38  2015-03-04 17:45  29 **********
 39  2015-03-04 17:46   ? -
 40  2015-03-04 17:47  19 -
 41  2015-03-04 17:48   ? -
 42  2015-03-04 17:49  23 ****
 43  2015-03-04 17:50   ? -
 44  2015-03-04 17:51  55 ************************************
 45  2015-03-04 17:52   ? -
 46  2015-03-04 17:53  47 ****************************
 47  2015-03-04 17:54   ? -
 48  2015-03-04 17:55  49 ******************************
 49  2015-03-04 17:56   ? -
 50  2015-03-04 17:57  51 ********************************
 51  2015-03-04 17:58   ? -
 52  2015-03-04 17:59  41 **********************
 53  2015-03-04 18:00   ? -
 54  2015-03-04 18:01  47 ****************************
 55  2015-03-04 18:02   ? -
 56  2015-03-04 18:03  45 **************************
 57  2015-03-04 18:04   ? -
 58  2015-03-04 18:05  41 **********************
 59  2015-03-04 18:06   ? -
 60  2015-03-04 18:07  41 **********************
 61  2015-03-04 18:08   ? -
 62  2015-03-04 18:09  23 ****
 63  2015-03-04 18:10   ? -
 64  2015-03-04 18:11  45 **************************
 65  2015-03-04 18:12   ? -
 66  2015-03-04 18:13  43 ************************
 67  2015-03-04 18:14   ? -
 68  2015-03-04 18:15  45 **************************
 69  2015-03-04 18:16   ? -
 70  2015-03-04 18:17  45 **************************
 71  2015-03-04 18:18   ? -
 72  2015-03-04 18:19  45 **************************
 73  2015-03-04 18:20   ? -
 74  2015-03-04 18:21  45 **************************
 75  2015-03-04 18:22   ? -
 76  2015-03-04 18:23  47 ****************************
 77  2015-03-04 18:24   ? -
 78  2015-03-04 18:25  47 ****************************
 79  2015-03-04 18:26   ? -
 80  2015-03-04 18:27  43 ************************
 81  2015-03-04 18:28   ? -
 82  2015-03-04 18:29  27 ********
 83  2015-03-04 18:30   ? -
 84  2015-03-04 18:31  23 ****
 85  2015-03-04 18:32   ? -
 86  2015-03-04 18:33  25 ******
 87  2015-03-04 18:34   ? -
 88  2015-03-04 18:35  27 ********
 89  2015-03-04 18:36   ? -
 90  2015-03-04 18:37  45 **************************
 91  2015-03-04 18:38   ? -
 92  2015-03-04 18:39  45 **************************
 93  2015-03-04 18:40   ? -
 94  2015-03-04 18:41  47 ****************************
 95  2015-03-04 18:42   ? -
 96  2015-03-04 18:43  47 ****************************
 97  2015-03-04 18:44   ? -
 98  2015-03-04 18:45  45 **************************
 99  2015-03-04 18:46   ? -
 100  2015-03-04 18:47  27 ********
 101  2015-03-04 18:48   ? -
 102  2015-03-04 18:49  25 ******
 103  2015-03-04 18:50   ? -
 104  2015-03-04 18:51  31 ************
 105  2015-03-04 18:52   ? -
 106  2015-03-04 18:53  25 ******
 107  2015-03-04 18:54   ? -
 108  2015-03-04 18:55  21 **
 109  2015-03-04 18:56   ? -
 110  2015-03-04 18:57  27 ********
 111  2015-03-04 18:58   ? -
 112  2015-03-04 18:59  29 **********
 113  2015-03-04 19:00   ? -
 114  2015-03-04 19:01  23 ****
 115  2015-03-04 19:02   ? -
 116  2015-03-04 19:03  43 ************************
 117  2015-03-04 19:04   ? -
 118  2015-03-04 19:05  27 ********
 119  2015-03-04 19:06   ? -
 120  2015-03-04 19:07  23 ****
 121  2015-03-04 19:08   ? -
 122  2015-03-04 19:09  29 **********
 123  2015-03-04 19:10   ? -
 124  2015-03-04 19:11  23 ****
 125  2015-03-04 19:12   ? -
 126  2015-03-04 19:13  33 **************
 127  2015-03-04 19:14   ? -
  0  2015-03-04 19:15  39 ********************
  1  2015-03-04 19:16   ? -
  2  2015-03-04 19:17  27 ********
  3  2015-03-04 19:18   ? -
  4  2015-03-04 19:19  37 ******************
  5  2015-03-04 19:20   ? -
  6  2015-03-04 19:21  31 ************
  7  2015-03-04 19:22   ? -
  8  2015-03-04 19:23  21 **
  9  2015-03-04 19:24   ? -
 10  2015-03-04 19:25  35 ****************
 11  2015-03-04 19:26   ? -
 12  2015-03-04 19:27  23 ****
 13  2015-03-04 19:28   ? -
 14  2015-03-04 19:29  47 ****************************
 15  2015-03-04 19:30   ? -
 16  2015-03-04 19:31  47 ****************************
 17  2015-03-04 19:32   ? -
 18  2015-03-04 19:33  29 **********
 19  2015-03-04 19:34   ? -
 20  2015-03-04 19:35  33 **************
 21  2015-03-04 19:36   ? -
 22  2015-03-04 19:37  29 **********
 23  2015-03-04 19:38   ? -
 24  2015-03-04 19:39  25 ******
 25  2015-03-04 19:40   ? -
 26  2015-03-04 19:41  19 -
 27  2015-03-04 19:42   ? -
 28  2015-03-04 19:43  31 ************

SCT Error Recovery Control:
      Read: Disabled
     Write: Disabled

Device Statistics (GP Log 0x04) not supported

SATA Phy Event Counters (GP Log 0x11) not supported

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

Anything in there in the way of explaining what's going on here ?

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Continued...

SATA Phy Event Counters (GP Log 0x11) not supported

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

Anything in there in the way of explaining what's going on here ?

no firmware updates available, so it looks like a secure erase might take care of it, but first paste the output of smartctl -P show /dev/sdX i would imagine that someone has seen one of these buggers and reported something...

https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Here you go.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo smartctl -P show /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-linux-3.13.0-32-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

Drive found in smartmontools Database. Drive identity strings:
MODEL:       WDC WD2500JD-57HBC0
FIRMWARE:      21.02J21
match smartmontools Drive Database entry:
MODEL REGEXP:    WDC WD(4|8|12|16|20|25|30|32|40)00(JD|KD|PD)-.*
FIRMWARE REGEXP:  .*
MODEL FAMILY:    Western Digital Caviar SE Serial ATA
ATTRIBUTE OPTIONS: None preset; no -v options are required.

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Here you go.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo smartctl -P show /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-linux-3.13.0-32-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

Drive found in smartmontools Database. Drive identity strings:
MODEL:       WDC WD2500JD-57HBC0
FIRMWARE:      21.02J21
match smartmontools Drive Database entry:
MODEL REGEXP:    WDC WD(4|8|12|16|20|25|30|32|40)00(JD|KD|PD)-.*
FIRMWARE REGEXP:  .*
MODEL FAMILY:    Western Digital Caviar SE Serial ATA
ATTRIBUTE OPTIONS: None preset; no -v options are required.

nothing reported there. go ahead with the secure erase. secure erase erases *everything* DPO, HPA, bad sectors, etc.
https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Ok will report back

[keeney123]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

From a hardware's point of view seems seems an awful lot of nonsense just to to get one little HD to behave.

[ratdude747]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

^they do that to make it so people don't rip off the HDDs and copy/mod the content on them. DVR boxes suck. HTPC for the win.

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

^they do that to make it so people don't rip off the HDDs and copy/mod the content on them. DVR boxes suck. HTPC for the win.

I thought the content was simply encrypted with an "unknown" key making the contents useless except inside the box ?

Anyway I issued the security erase which I thought didn't work because the drive stopped responding to even the commands it did before the erase but after reboot it was recognized by the bios. However since there was no OS on it I booted back into the Ubuntu live cd and installed Ubuntu only to find I was back in the same spot as before - no bios recognition.

Very strange.

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

^they do that to make it so people don't rip off the HDDs and copy/mod the content on them. DVR boxes suck. HTPC for the win.

+1 i know a Comcast engineer, who worked for echostar also, who will confirm it too! also google "unlock original xbox hard drive"
some of the "security" implemented on these DVRs is built like a Brick shit house.

I thought the content was simply encrypted with an "unknown" key making the contents useless except inside the box ?

Anyway I issued the security erase which I thought didn't work because the drive stopped responding to even the commands it did before the erase but after reboot it was recognized by the bios. However since there was no OS on it I booted back into the Ubuntu live cd and installed Ubuntu only to find I was back in the same spot as before - no bios recognition.

Very strange.

well, i think we have Bodgy firmware for sure. you could try this though
Reformat DVR hard drive for PC use

if you though this was "nonsense", doing it the way above is plain fuckery!
if it was me i would be beating the thing senseless all the way to the rubbish bin....

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

Well I'm here for the fun of getting things working that are presumed dead. When it becomes fun no more I move on.

And with this one I'm just about there lol.

[mmartell]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

SUCCESS! Or as Dubya might say, mission accomplished.

The kicker was in your last link. I wasn't imagining that when I rebooted the pc the bios would recognize it but when I powered off it was locked again. It was the PUIS - Power Up In Standby. Disabled that as directed and the drive was finally good.

Thanks for sticking it out, man. Really appreciate it.

[goontron]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

SUCCESS! Or as Dubya might say, mission accomplished.

The kicker was in your last link. I wasn't imagining that when I rebooted the pc the bios would recognize it but when I powered off it was locked again. It was the PUIS - Power Up In Standby. Disabled that as directed and the drive was finally good.

Thanks for sticking it out, man. Really appreciate it.

no issue!
i had a backlog of 12,000 (yes, thousand) drives to be DOD wiped and surface scanned/SMART tested, so i worked with a buddy of mine to build a server just for doing that and have it all scripted.

he is an engineer for Comcastaway so i had him do the scripting and i did the hardware. i learned the bugs and strangenesses of every drive out there...

these WDs seem to have some strange quirks.... anyway, these drives do have modified firmware to track more like a DVD than an HDD, that is done to prevent lags in recorded video but causes some odd wear patterns, just a heads up.

[keeney123]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

^they do that to make it so people don't rip off the HDDs and copy/mod the content on them. DVR boxes suck. HTPC for the win.

Making it secure and making it unusable are two separate things. It should not take an electronic engineer to get these things to work. I would think the people writing the protection program are not able to figure out how to protect their programs without causing great deals of frustrations to regular users who just want something to work. Seems to me if they sat down with a hardware engineer some easier methods would prevail for the the same or better security and yet allow the user access to his equipment.

I'm glad mmartell was able to get it working.

[SteveNielsen]

Re: Western Digital Hard Drive Not Bootable

This has been an interesting thread and I'm pleased a solution was found.