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dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Hy all!
I've got a Western Digital Scorpio Blue 250GB laptop hdd. I want to use it as a file storage drive, because i have an ssd in my system, for the OS.

My problem is, that i can't really set the spindown time to my drive. When i use hdparm -B 127 or less, my hdd spin down after 8 sec (the head parking time is also 8 sec for this drive btw), no matter what the value of the -S in hdparm. When I set the -B value more than 127, my hdd never spin down.

hdparm -I output:

/dev/sdb:

ATA device, with non-removable media
	Model Number:       WDC WD2500BEVS-75UST0                   
	Serial Number:      WD-WXE308EC0938
	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 = 8
	Advanced power management level: 126
	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 Read/Write Long (AC1), obsolete
	   *	SCT Write Same (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
	not	enabled
	not	locked
		frozen
	not	expired: security count
	not	supported: enhanced erase
	88min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50014ee2014374d9
	NAA		: 5
	IEEE OUI	: 0014ee
	Unique ID	: 2014374d9
Checksum: correct

I really don't know what is the problem here, please help me.

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Can you post your rc.local?

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

#!/bin/bash
#
# /etc/rc.local: Local multi-user start-up script.
#

Last edited by dx21 (2013-01-28 16:35:36)

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Have you added the hdparm line into the rc.local file as described in the wiki?

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

No, i didn't. I don't want to make the changes permanent yet. Btw could you drop me a link? I can't find rc.local related part in the hdparm arch wiki.

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/La … wn_problem

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

i've modified my rc.local just in case:

#!/bin/bash
#
# /etc/rc.local: Local multi-user start-up script.
#
hdparm -B 127 /dev/disk/by-uuid/148a880c-b413-4748-b4a8-ddff5a9254d3
hdparm -S 6 /dev/disk/by-uuid/148a880c-b413-4748-b4a8-ddff5a9254d3

But as expected, the bahaviour is the same.

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Try specifying your hdd as shown below instead of by the uuid.  Also, for the purpose of testing remove or comment out the second hdparm -S line.

hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

I can't use /dev/sdx, because the os choose radnomly between my ssd and my hdd. So i don't really know who will become the sda and sdb at the next boot.
About the testing: I don't really know why we messing with the rc.local, because when we execute a hdparm command from terminal (-S -B) the behaviour of the HDD changes instantly. (as far as i know)

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

So you have a separate ssd and hdd?  That the operating system chooses randomly?  I am not sure what you mean.  Give more info on your disk setup and I may be able to help you better.

We are using rc.local becauase the terminal commands won't stick between reboots.
Try the following line and then append this to your /etc/pm/sleep.d/50-hdparm_pm

#!/bin/sh
 
if [ -n "$1" ] && ([ "$1" = "resume" ] || [ "$1" = "thaw" ]); then
	hdparm -B 127 /dev/disk/by-uuid/148a880c-b413-4748-b4a8-ddff5a9254d3 > /dev/null
fi 

then

chmod +x /etc/pm/sleep.d/50-hdparm_pm 

Hope that helps.

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

You should use something from /dev/disk/by-id and not from /dev/disk/by-uuid.

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R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

So you have a separate ssd and hdd?  That the operating system chooses randomly?  I am not sure what you mean.  Give more info on your disk setup and I may be able to help you better.

We are using rc.local becauase the terminal commands won't stick between reboots.
Try the following line and then append this to your /etc/pm/sleep.d/50-hdparm_pm

#!/bin/sh
 
if [ -n "$1" ] && ([ "$1" = "resume" ] || [ "$1" = "thaw" ]); then
	hdparm -B 127 /dev/disk/by-uuid/148a880c-b413-4748-b4a8-ddff5a9254d3 > /dev/null
fi 

then

chmod +x /etc/pm/sleep.d/50-hdparm_pm 

Hope that helps.

So, I have a laptop (Dell Inspiron 1525) with separate SSD and HDD.
SSD (OS) --->in the original hdd slot
HDD ---> in the ODD slot with caddy
Yes, the OS chooses randomly who become the sda and sdb, that's why i use uuid-s.

I know what is the rc.local, but i don't want to apply my changes every reboot yet, i'm just TESTING. Also, it's not important to keep my changes between sleep states yet because the same reason. I don't know why is this important right now.

Let's be my HDD the sda. I execute theese two commans by order:

sudo hdparm -B 127 /dev/sda

It's allow the spindown for the hdd, because the value less than 128. It seems it's working fine.

sudo hdparm -S 36 /dev/sda

  It's set the spindown time to 36*5=180 sec, but in my case, no matter what the value is, the real spindown time is always 8 sec (if allowed by the hdparm -B). So this is my REAL problem.

R00KIE: Why the id better than uuid? I tought they're just symlinks.

Yesterday I tried with Fedora LiveUSB but the effect was just the same.

Last edited by dx21 (2013-01-29 14:31:41)

DeadDingo

Member

Registered: 2012-09-29

Posts: 46

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

hmmm.  Honestly this shouldn't be so difficult.  I assume you have double checked the UUID numbers of the hdd an ssd?

---

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

R00KIE: Why the id better than uuid? I tought they're just symlinks.

In case you didn't notice, the symlinks in /dev/disk/by-uuid all point to partitions, some of the links in /dev/disk/by-id point to devices, which is what you want to use with hdparm.

Since your device doesn't always show up in the same place, using one of the symlinks in /dev/disk/by-id will solve that problem because it will always point to the right device node.

---

R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

R00KIE: Why the id better than uuid? I tought they're just symlinks.

In case you didn't notice, the symlinks in /dev/disk/by-uuid all point to partitions, some of the links in /dev/disk/by-id point to devices, which is what you want to use with hdparm.

Since your device doesn't always show up in the same place, using one of the symlinks in /dev/disk/by-id will solve that problem because it will always point to the right device node.

I didn't think about that. My mistake. But it doesn't solve my problem, because when i call manually the hdparm i always use sdx, and the problem still there.

Last edited by dx21 (2013-01-29 21:53:19)

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Your hd probably doesn't spin down when using hdparm -B 254 because the disk is accessed periodically as long as it is mounted, you may want to look at some laptop optimizations/tweaks that let the disk idle for longer and allows it to spin down.

---

R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

I've tested it. It's not spin down with value of -B 254, and -S 4, even if it's unmounted. Also, this hdd isn't spin down, when the value greater than 127 as I told.
However when i call the hdparm -y /dev/sda, the hdd spin down instantly, and stays in that state, till i access some data.

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Well i guess there's no way to fix this. This is not my first unsolvable problem with this HDD. I can't change the head parking time too (tried with wdidle3). WD should care about the advanced users too. :s I will think twice to buy another WD hdd.

Last edited by dx21 (2013-02-11 15:08:59)

dx21

Member

Registered: 2012-09-14

Posts: 15

Re: Western Digital HDD spindown problem

Hello again! I've got a new question. Is there any kind of software, wich can tell me when the hdd accessed last time? I hate to call the hdparm -y manually, so i want to write a script.