High Fly Writes keep rising

Loud_Silence · 09-14-10, 08:51 PM

About three months ago I bought a Seagate Pipeline after my three year old Hitachi Deskstar melted. Since then the high-fly write count on SMART has been rising and now it's at 27. I don't know if the protection is doing its job and that's good, or my disk is unstable and it's bad. Nothing else shows any problems, SMART, chkdsk, seatools... nothing.

Is there a problem or the disk is doing fine and I shouldn't worry? Thank you a lot.

Jan Kyster · 09-14-10, 11:16 PM

Until around a year ago I've always said go with Seagate. I'm not so sure anymore - have lost count on the incredible amount of discs going back as RMA

Clicking noises, BSOD, freezes, you name it... the latest discs bought have been Samsung SpinPoint F3 HD103SJ. So far not a glitch and they are fast!

But yes. I would worry. Make sure to make a backup of your data ASAP

and expect it to go down any time...

If it doesn't

and if it does, you were warned!

Have a search and look in the Seagate forum... you're not alone.

Loud_Silence · 09-15-10, 11:17 AM

What the hell?? I just looked at a topic from a guy complaining about the number of high fly writes, and.... has a guy inside Seagate's tech support gone funny on his head or what?! It sounds like they're receiving faulty disks and sending them out again as repaired, and then receiving then again!

DAMN IT!!! When I bought this disk, I was about to buy a Samsung instead... Now I wish I had done it

It's so weird... no bad sectors, no freezes, no bsods.... nothing. Only the high fly write count is wrong...

FIREWALL · 09-15-10, 11:39 AM

Always have used Western Digital and never have had a problem.

Arclight · 09-15-10, 12:20 PM

Same here. Performance of thier 640GB is outstanding. Think Samsung makes faster TB drives.

Jan Kyster · 09-15-10, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loud_Silence

What the hell??

It's a sad story indeed...

Just 4 hours ago today I got the latest failing disc. A HP desktop, vertical mounted Seagate, clicking noises, read/write errors, slowdowns etc. etc.
Mounted it in an USB-docking station for an attempt to retrieve data - and all was well?!

Vertical = clicking. Horisontal = okay...

A faithfull Seagate customer through more than 25 years signing off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loud_Silence

It's so weird... no bad sectors, no freezes, no bsods.... nothing. Only the high fly write count is wrong...

Welcome to the really annoying part of it.
Now that you've seen that errors are registered, you'll keep an eye on the readings.
Perhaps they'll grow, perhaps not, but you'll always have it in the back of your mind: can it be trusted? Will it fail?

Fingers crossed... which actually may or may not work!

Loud_Silence · 09-20-10, 01:37 PM

No problems yet. After defragging the whole disk, the high-fly write count has risen from 25 to 29. Besides of that, everything looks fine

Loud_Silence · 09-26-10, 03:41 PM

I just posted a message on the Seagate forum, but I have the feeling that nobody there gives a *******

Loud_Silence · 09-30-10, 08:12 PM

Well, after all it seems that they do give a ****. One guy told me a few diagnostic tools and how to interpret seagate's cryptic SMART data.
It turns out that my disk is working fine. The high-fly write count is fine and the clicking noises are normal as well.
Anyway I'll keep making backups frequently.

Gerald · 09-30-10, 10:56 PM

If you make frequent backups, put them on an external drive circuit

09-14-10, 08:51 PM	#1
Loud_Silence Planesman Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 193 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	High Fly Writes keep rising About three months ago I bought a Seagate Pipeline after my three year old Hitachi Deskstar melted. Since then the high-fly write count on SMART has been rising and now it's at 27. I don't know if the protection is doing its job and that's good, or my disk is unstable and it's bad. Nothing else shows any problems, SMART, chkdsk, seatools... nothing. Is there a problem or the disk is doing fine and I shouldn't worry? Thank you a lot.

09-15-10, 11:39 AM	#4
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	Always have used Western Digital and never have had a problem. __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

09-15-10, 12:20 PM	#5
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Same here. Performance of thier 640GB is outstanding. Think Samsung makes faster TB drives. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

09-30-10, 10:56 PM	#10
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,223 Downloads: 548 Uploads: 0	If you make frequent backups, put them on an external drive circuit __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

09-14-10, 11:16 PM	#2
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	Until around a year ago I've always said go with Seagate. I'm not so sure anymore - have lost count on the incredible amount of discs going back as RMA Clicking noises, BSOD, freezes, you name it... the latest discs bought have been Samsung SpinPoint F3 HD103SJ. So far not a glitch and they are fast! But yes. I would worry. Make sure to make a backup of your data ASAP and expect it to go down any time... If it doesn't and if it does, you were warned! Have a search and look in the Seagate forum... you're not alone.

09-15-10, 11:17 AM	#3
Loud_Silence Planesman Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 193 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	What the hell?? I just looked at a topic from a guy complaining about the number of high fly writes, and.... has a guy inside Seagate's tech support gone funny on his head or what?! It sounds like they're receiving faulty disks and sending them out again as repaired, and then receiving then again! DAMN IT!!! When I bought this disk, I was about to buy a Samsung instead... Now I wish I had done it It's so weird... no bad sectors, no freezes, no bsods.... nothing. Only the high fly write count is wrong...

09-20-10, 01:37 PM	#7
Loud_Silence Planesman Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 193 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	No problems yet. After defragging the whole disk, the high-fly write count has risen from 25 to 29. Besides of that, everything looks fine

09-26-10, 03:41 PM	#8
Loud_Silence Planesman Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 193 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I just posted a message on the Seagate forum, but I have the feeling that nobody there gives a *******

09-30-10, 08:12 PM	#9
Loud_Silence Planesman Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 193 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Well, after all it seems that they do give a ****. One guy told me a few diagnostic tools and how to interpret seagate's cryptic SMART data. It turns out that my disk is working fine. The high-fly write count is fine and the clicking noises are normal as well. Anyway I'll keep making backups frequently.