Seagate 200G drive ugly clicking when idle!

[trodas]

Drive(s) in question - Seagate PATA 200G ST3200822A ones.
Number of them - There.
Description of problem - in folding machines, they are mostly idle. Yet each about 45sec or something a self check (or something like this INTO the drive, no IDE activity shown) is started. This generate click noise and such sounds like HDD activity and it is extremely annoying. I did not want to hear these clicks. Otherwise I'm happy with the drives, but I just want this to STOP. Either stop, or return the drive any get another brand that won't click when idle. VERY annoying. Is there a way to make this STOP forever, or one just should not buy any Seagate drivers?
Anyone?
Affected machines - Any. It simply did not matter on what machine they run, it is always the same. Noise, clicks, noise, clicks...

Thanks for letting me know. I just got there these ST3200822A drives, so I either found a solution or return them - Maxtor's did not do such noise, maybe I should just not went to Seagate... Or is there a new firmware or utility available to STOP THIS...?

[lawrywild]

use systool to change AAM to a lower setting.

good luck

(harddrive acoustic management)

[[XC] Lead Head]

is it like a solid "clunk" that happens every once in a while and it keeps doing it at indentacle amounts of time

[trodas]

lawrywild -
use systool to change AAM to a lower setting.
good luck (harddrive acoustic management)
Well, thanks for trying, but this is NOT AAM ;) (unfortunately)

Lead Head - exactly. I over heard it is called self check and the drive does it when iddle to "prevent diagnostic to prevent future failures". IMHO this is BS to say it politely. From my experience - what moves - fail. Sooner or later. So, moving more means increased chance of failure. For the very same reasons the drivers used as winblows swap ones fail much more often that these who aren't used that way.
In my folding machine I got a 1G of ram and therefore (also extremly optimized XP, cut down to 575MB of size and less that 50MB o ram usage) I disabled the swap file on all my folding machines. 9 of them, so to say. This probably only increased my problems, however there is nothing to swap, acctually, so, enabling swapping will not work as solution for sure. Other users with the very same problem already use swap files and still have problems...
I contacted Seagate, asking them about new / different firmware, so we see what they come up with. I hoped that there could be a utility like the one for setting up the AAM that could disable this "feature", but ... who knows.
Other than that - if we managed to get more users unhappy with the situation, we might be able to push them up for a firmware update that include the possibility to DISABLE THIS.
Science Fiction?
I would say it is just about the number of people who contact them.

PS. I already get suggested to use SysTool http://www.techpowerup.com/systool/ to disable the AAM :lol: Of course, the drives have NO AAM to set or disable :p
Well, at least ppl's is trying to help.

http://www.slibe.com/fullimage/fd4d44dd-systool_fail_to_.gif (http://www.slibe.com)

[lawrywild]

lawrywild -
Well, thanks for trying, but this is NOT AAM ;) (unfortunately)

Lead Head - exactly. I over heard it is called self check and the drive does it when iddle to "prevent diagnostic to prevent future failures". IMHO this is BS to say it politely. From my experience - what moves - fail. Sooner or later. So, moving more means increased chance of failure. For the very same reasons the drivers used as winblows swap ones fail much more often that these who aren't used that way.
In my folding machine I got a 1G of ram and therefore (also extremly optimized XP, cut down to 575MB of size and less that 50MB o ram usage) I disabled the swap file on all my folding machines. 9 of them, so to say. This probably only increased my problems, however there is nothing to swap, acctually, so, enabling swapping will not work as solution for sure. Other users with the very same problem already use swap files and still have problems...
I contacted Seagate, asking them about new / different firmware, so we see what they come up with. I hoped that there could be a utility like the one for setting up the AAM that could disable this "feature", but ... who knows.
Other than that - if we managed to get more users unhappy with the situation, we might be able to push them up for a firmware update that include the possibility to DISABLE THIS.
Science Fiction?
I would say it is just about the number of people who contact them.

PS. I already get suggested to use SysTool http://www.techpowerup.com/systool/ to disable the AAM :lol: Of course, the drives have NO AAM to set or disable :p
Well, at least ppl's is trying to help.

http://www.slibe.com/fullimage/fd4d44dd-systool_fail_to_.gif (http://www.slibe.com)

are you on nf4?

if so 'update' the driver of parallel ata controller in device manager to windows driver, change AAM and then 'update' the driver back to nf4 :)

[trodas]

No, I'm not on nf4. Im on ATI RX480 "Grouper" board, but once again - it does not matter on what machine the drive is connected to. It does on DFI LP B mainboard, it does it on Grouper, it does it on JetWay N2PAP Ultra crap, it does it probably even when I connect it to the PSU... :rolleyes: (not tested this one yet, no point)

I already determined beyond the shadow of doubt that this IS the drive internal "feature"... :(


Its called STIR (Seek To Improve Reliability) where the drive does random seeking to avoid the head sitting on the same place on the disk, which they reckon could heat up that particular track on the platter.

Now just HOW TO DISABLE IT. (better KILL IT WITH FIRE, tough...)

Another user says this:

Have two 7200.8s, and they click. Have a 7200.9, doesn't click.

So I checked and indeed, mine are 7200.7 ... :(
Now if the change between 7200.8 and 7200.9 is in firmware only and I belive it is, then just using the firmware from 7200.9 into my 7200.7 ones will help! :D

Anyone have 200G 7200.9 Seagate drive? And who know, how to download and then flash the firmware on drive? :p: ;)
That could be a quick and easy solution! :D

I got THERE these 200G Seagates 7200.7 type and this is ANNOYING as HELL, so all the help I can get is great. No exchanges on good parts policy suxx, when Seagate decide do THIS :(

[lawrywild]

ok... but AAM is stored in the harddrive so ofcourse it'd be no different on other motherboards.

I thought 7200.9 was totally different drives, if what you say if true maybe I should upgrade my 7200.8s :)

[trodas]

Well, if you read the posts above you know that this is NOT AAM ;) Mainly also because the disks have NO AAM.

Anyway, you got 7200.8 Seagates? And they are also PATA and ST3200822A models? :confused:
If that is the case, could you please provide hi-res pic of the drive PCB?
Thanks ;) I provide my one too, and we see - I bet the only difference between 7200.7 and 7200.8 is drive firmware.

Now how the hell take it from your HDD's and flash it to my ones?! :confused: :confused: :confused:

[hixie]

Have you tried connecting a harddrive straight to the powersupply without connecting the data cable? It produces a clicking noise, from the head moving back and forth.
Is that what your experiencing?

[trodas]

hixie - probably it will clicking even then, when iddle for some time - but that is not what concern me anymore. I need silent drive CONNECTED AND USED with computer - as anyone else. We are already way past determining what causing it - STIR - Seek To Imporve Reliability - "feature" from Seagate ;) Not need to re-checking it so many times - it does that, period. ;) Or is there reason why you want such test?


Anyway, I was wrong.

Pictures of 200G Seagate drivers, from left my7200.7 and then 7200.8 type (this one won't click/generate noise in iddle):

http://www.slibe.com/imagestumb/2c2bb12b-72007PATA_jpg.jpg (http://www.slibe.com/image/2c2bb12b-72007PATA_jpg/) http://www.slibe.com/imagestumb/0f1e651a-72008PATA_jpg.jpg (http://www.slibe.com/image/0f1e651a-72008PATA_jpg/)
(click to see full size)

It is obvious that I was wrong and 7200.7 to 7200.8 is not only a firmware difference, but the PCB id different as well. Probably the number of disks inside are same, but that hardly matters now.
So, there is no way to flash no-clicking firmware to 7200.7 from 7200.8 ;)

But there is good news as well. I just find out, that Seagate sometimes send no-clicking firmware, as is written on this forum:
http://forums.storagereview.net
...so, attack Seagate now and f*cking demand the damn firmware now! :mad:

[trodas]

We do not have any firmware updates available for any PATA hard drives, and we do not support using 3rd party applications to change the way the hard drive works. The STIR and offline-scan features are designed to extend the life of the hard drive and maintain data integrity. They cannot be disabled.

Mike H.
Seagate Technical Support

Blah, blah blah... but there is slight hint, that 3rd party app can change the behaviour - eg. can OFF the damn STIR! :D

Now where can I get it? Anyone did it? :confused:

[mat128]

No, I'm not on nf4. Im on ATI RX480 "Grouper" board, but once again - it does not matter on what machine the drive is connected to. It does on DFI LP B mainboard, it does it on Grouper, it does it on JetWay N2PAP Ultra crap, it does it probably even when I connect it to the PSU... :rolleyes: (not tested this one yet, no point)

I already determined beyond the shadow of doubt that this IS the drive internal "feature"... :(



Now just HOW TO DISABLE IT. (better KILL IT WITH FIRE, tough...)

Another user says this:


So I checked and indeed, mine are 7200.7 ... :(
Now if the change between 7200.8 and 7200.9 is in firmware only and I belive it is, then just using the firmware from 7200.9 into my 7200.7 ones will help! :D

Anyone have 200G 7200.9 Seagate drive? And who know, how to download and then flash the firmware on drive? :p: ;)
That could be a quick and easy solution! :D

I got THERE these 200G Seagates 7200.7 type and this is ANNOYING as HELL, so all the help I can get is great. No exchanges on good parts policy suxx, when Seagate decide do THIS :(
Might be old thread but decided to help anyway, I had a 7200.8 but it was defective so I returned it and asked for a 7200.9 instead, I got the .9 and there is no clicking whatsoever. I work at a computer store and we never had any comeback on the "clicking" but we didnt stock seagate as much as we do now back then (1 yr or so...)

PS: just read your reply lawrywild... dont "upgrade" the .9 are slower by about 10mb/s at beginning of the disk. Now it doesnt really matter on my raid 0 but just thought I might advise you.

[trodas]

Well, it is not old thread. I thinking about asking Seagate to reconsider sending me the firmware, because if people hear that there is a good chance their HDDs produce very ughly, irritating sort-of random noise when IDDLE, people probably think twice before buying Seagates - if this is not fixed :nono: :(