Ubuntu
libatasmart package

disk has a view bad sector

Asked by crow

hai,
i'm just install ubuntu 12.04 on my laptop, and then i open disk utility and got a message "disk has a view bad sector". then i click S.M.A.R.T data i got warning on Reallocated Sector Count. what that message means and how do i resolve it?

thx ^^

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu libatasmart Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Try an fsck in liveCD, bad sectors on a drive are like cancer, they spread and the drive deteriorates. I suggest you replace it ASAP.

Revision history for this message
crow (baukzz) said : 		#2

ummmm.. it means i have to replace my HDD or what?? I just bought it

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Just because it's new doesn't mean it cannot be faulty...

Revision history for this message
Barry Drake (b-drake) said : 		#4

I bought one on e-bay that had bad sectors - I claimed my money back fast!

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#5

Having this 'Reallocated Sector Count' since more than one year. Just happens on larger disks these days, view linked bug report.
However when backups belong to basic strategy there is nothing to worry either way.

Revision history for this message
crow (baukzz) said : 		#6

so it can't be repaired? :(

Revision history for this message
Barry Drake (b-drake) said : 		#7

No.

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#8

> can't be repaired?

No. There is nothing to repair that's why specific sectors exist in the first place. One could say the software didn't catch up with hardware developement.
But that's all explained much better in the bug report or on disk vendors web pages.
You need to make backups and monitor if the value suddenly increases fast, lets say from 12 to 300, from 300 to 1100, just as example. Although these days thresholds can be very high (300000+) a fast increase of bad sectors should race users attention.
When the disk is new, still having guarantee, return it back.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask crow for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.