[SOLVED] Laptop SATA drive on desktop computer not working

Question

Hey guys,
My acer laptop crashed few days ago and I'm trying to recover the data off its SATA harddisk on my gf's desktop computer. I don't know why, but I get a lot of errors at startup.
dmesg:
Adding 2024180k swap on /dev/sda3. Priority:-1 extents:1 across:2024180k
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:20:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 16384 in
res 51/04:20:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=0x00 driverbyte=0x08
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : 0xb [current] [descriptor]
Descriptor sense data with sense descriptors (in hex):
72 0b 00 00 00 00 00 0c 00 0a 80 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] ASC=0x0 ASCQ=0x0
end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
__ratelimit: 6 callbacks suppressed
Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 1
Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 2
Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 3
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
ata5: EH complete
ata5.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
ata5.00: BMDMA stat 0x25
ata5.00: cmd c8/00:08:00:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
res 51/04:08:00:00:00/04:00:00:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
ata5.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
ata5.00: error: { ABRT }
ata5.00: configured for UDMA/133
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Result: hostbyte=0x00 driverbyte=0x08
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] Sense Key : 0xb [current] [descriptor]
Descriptor sense data with sense descriptors (in hex):
72 0b 00 00 00 00 00 0c 00 0a 80 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00
sd 4:0:0:0: [sdb] ASC=0x0 ASCQ=0x0
end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 0
Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 0
ata5: EH complete
I get the following output with hdparm:
$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/sdb
/dev/sdb:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: WDC WD2500BEVS-22UST0
Serial Number: WD-WXE507A05038
Firmware Revision: 01.01A01
Standards:
Supported: 8 7 6 5
Likely used: 8
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 268435455
LBA48 user addressable sectors: 488397168
Logical/Physical Sector size: 512 bytes
device size with M = 1024*1024: 238475 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 250059 MBytes (250 GB)
cache/buffer size = 8192 KBytes
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
Queue depth: 32
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, with device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 1
Advanced power management level: 128
Recommended acoustic management value: 128, current value: 254
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
SMART feature set
* Security Mode feature set
* Power Management feature set
* Write cache
* Look-ahead
* Host Protected Area feature set
* WRITE_BUFFER command
* READ_BUFFER command
* NOP cmd
* DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
* Advanced Power Management feature set
SET_MAX security extension
Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
* 48-bit Address feature set
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
* Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
* FLUSH_CACHE_EXT
* SMART error logging
* SMART self-test
* General Purpose Logging feature set
* WRITE_{DMA|MULTIPLE}_FUA_EXT
* 64-bit World wide name
* IDLE_IMMEDIATE with UNLOAD
* Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
* Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
* Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
* Host-initiated interface power management
* Phy event counters
DMA Setup Auto-Activate optimization
Device-initiated interface power management
* Software settings preservation
* SMART Command Transport (SCT) feature set
* SCT Long Sector Access (AC1)
* SCT LBA Segment Access (AC2)
* SCT Error Recovery Control (AC3)
* SCT Features Control (AC4)
* SCT Data Tables (AC5)
unknown 206[12] (vendor specific)
unknown 206[13] (vendor specific)
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
enabled
locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
Security level high
92min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50014ee2559ab684
NAA : 5
IEEE OUI : 0014ee
Unique ID : 2559ab684
Checksum: correct
Note that the drive is password protected. If I use 'hdparm --security-disable' with my known password, it fails with the following error:
$ sudo hdparm --security-disable password /dev/sdb
security_password="password"
/dev/sdb:
Issuing SECURITY_DISABLE command, password="password", user=master
SECURITY_UNLOCK: Input/output error
If I try this for few times, the security count expires.
I see three problems that it could have:
- my hdparm/system/whatever does not fully support the drive; maybe the password cannot be accepted?
- maybe the password used by the laptop bios was filled with other characters after my typing: spaces?
- not the password is the problem, but getting information from the drive: not supported by this system?
I assume dmesg is the key, but I can't interpret it. I hope someone could tell me what should I verify/do further, I have no idea what to test anymore.
Last edited by akephalos (2009-08-30 11:27:42)

Answer 1

djszapi wrote:Is it a crypted system ? Can't you boot into it from livecd neither ? What did you do immediately before when this error started to occur ?
No, it is not encrypted. Just as an information, it contains 4 partitions: sdb1=NTFS, sdb2=ext4, sdb3=swap, sdb4=ext4.
This error did not occur when I was using it on my laptop, but I took the HDD out and mounted it in my girlfriend's computer, she has another Arch installed there, so I don't meed to boot from this disk, just to be able to read it. The password is a disk password - hardware probably, not for encrypted partitions. I could not disable the password because the original laptop doesn't start anymore, and the BIOS settings on this desktop computer does not support HDD password, but only System password.
So, if the HDD had no passwod set, I could tell you if the reading problem comes from some incompatibility issues, but as for now, I can't tell where it comes from, because I need to deactivate its security with hdparm --security-disable first. But this actually looks to not work, or something.
I'm thinking that the mianboard doesn't support this HDD directly connected, the things I'll do next week are:
- buying an external HDD 2.5 rack
- plug it in the USB
- try again hdparm and anything required to make it read.
If this fails, too, probably the only remaining solution is to find someone with an Acer laptop to put this HDD inside and backup my data, or at least deactivate the pass from the bios setings.
Btw, I think this is something worth mentioning to warn the users in general: this Acer 5520G was of very poor quality, things began to crack right after the one year guarantee expired, beginning with the DVD-writer.