> tytso@MIT.EDU (Theodore Y. Ts'o) writes:
>
> > If the errors show up randomly, it could be an issue with the interface;
> > if they're consistant, the drive is toast.
>
> Not always. I have seen an unterminated SCSI bus to produce consistent errors
> on the same block number. Seemingly the block contained some quite 'reflection
> inducing' bit pattern. Morale: Always double check on another computer, before
> you scrap a 'defect' drive.
[that was my quote, by the way, not Ted's :-)]
SCSI is a totally different thing, but we're talking about IDE here. With
IDE consistant errors on certain blocks are almost guaranteed to be
physical disk errors - I have yet to see a counter-example.
Of course, nobody says you should scrap the drive just because the linux
kernel happens to spit out some IDE errors. :-) It is however a pretty
good sign that something is wrong; as Ted said, it is almost always the
first sign that the drive is aproaching its life-end. Replacing it is the
sensible thing to do if you value your data on it.
Ionut
--
It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool,
than to open it and remove all doubt.