[tlug] Hard Drive Issue: Smelling Like Hardware Problem; Final Tests; Destruction (was Re: Possibility to recover a hard disk by swapping control board: USB Power Limits (Especially on Laptops))

[jep200404@example.com]

On Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:06:28 +0900, Zev <zev@example.com> wrote:

> 1) I cannot run smartctl because in both cases I do not have /dev/{s,h}d{a,b} to check against.

That smelss more like a hardware problem. Your inability to 
run smartctl is why I asked for the output of echo /sys/block/[hs]d*. 

> For fun I'll try this all again on a desktop computer at work, but I doubt anything will
> change.

If you do, please post the output of: 

   echo /sys/block/[hs]d*

It is possible and unlikely that if there is a hardware problem, 
that it is in the laptop and not in the drive per se. 
If so, trying this on the desktop could reveal an OK drive. 
I would certainly try this on a desktop (especially on a regular 
(i.e., non-Apple) PC before trying swapping controller boards. 

> []From what Kalin says, it sounds like I should not bother with 
> replacing the controller board.

Since you have good backup, my seat of pants cost/risk/benefit 
analysis weighs against replacing controller boards. 

I would not bother replacing the controller board. 

> I was hoping that ... I could run it though dd with /dev/random 
> and /dev/zero a few times.
> So I am thinking it is now time to come up with good strategies 
> (that won't take hours) to physically wipe the hard disk before 
> recycling it.  

If you have a hardware problem (which is likely), 
software (such as but not limited to dd) will not help. 

> I guess sandpapering the platters might be good enough?

Yes. Very much so. [1]

> Or does Tokyo Hackerspace offer a disk destruction service?

There are plenty if simple techniques that are very effective. 
Don't overthink this. [1] If you do something spectacular, 
please post video of it in Ogg Theora format. 

[1] http://lists.tlug.jp/ML/1107/msg00056.html