Suspend on Dell XPS m1330 seems to be causing GRUB problems

[potiphera]

Also, the content of sda_health_before_test.txt is:

smartctl version 5.37 [i686-pc-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-6 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: ST9200420ASG
Serial Number: 5SH09LF4
Firmware Version: 3.ADD
User Capacity: 200,049,647,616 bytes
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: 7
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is: Mon Jan 5 00:00:17 2009 EST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: FAILED!
Drive failure expected in less than 24 hours. SAVE ALL DATA.
See vendor-specific Attribute list for failed Attributes.

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed
without error or no self-test has ever
been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: ( 426) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x53) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
No Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
No Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 111) minutes.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 100 253 006 Pre-fail Always - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 098 098 085 Pre-fail Always - 0
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 099 099 020 Old_age Always - 1294
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 001 001 036 Pre-fail Always FAILING_NOW 42622
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 071 060 030 Pre-fail Always - 12928394660
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 097 097 000 Old_age Always - 2990
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 034 Pre-fail Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 099 099 020 Old_age Always - 1317
187 Unknown_Attribute 0x0032 079 079 000 Old_age Always - 21
189 Unknown_Attribute 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
190 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 062 045 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 723714086
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 917
193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0022 021 021 000 Old_age Always - 158099
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x001a 038 055 000 Old_age Always - 38 (Lifetime Min/Max 0/16)
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x0012 061 047 000 Old_age Always - 84493910
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0010 099 098 000 Old_age Offline - 30
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x003e 099 098 000 Old_age Always - 30
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x0000 200 200 000 Old_age Offline - 0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 253 000 Old_age Always - 0
202 TA_Increase_Count 0x0000 100 253 000 Old_age Offline - 0
240 Head_Flying_Hours 0x0000 000 000 000 Old_age Offline FAILING_NOW 43851616095157
241 Unknown_Attribute 0x0000 000 000 000 Old_age Offline FAILING_NOW 1665522197
242 Unknown_Attribute 0x0000 000 000 000 Old_age Offline FAILING_NOW 513194
254 Unknown_Attribute 0x0000 001 001 000 Old_age Offline - 1

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 22 (device log contains only the most recent five errors)
CR = Command Register [HEX]
FR = Features Register [HEX]
SC = Sector Count Register [HEX]
SN = Sector Number Register [HEX]
CL = Cylinder Low Register [HEX]
CH = Cylinder High Register [HEX]
DH = Device/Head Register [HEX]
DC = Device Command Register [HEX]
ER = Error register [HEX]
ST = Status register [HEX]
Powered_Up_Time is measured from power on, and printed as
DDd+hh:mm:SS.sss where DD=days, hh=hours, mm=minutes,
SS=sec, and sss=millisec. It "wraps" after 49.710 days.

Error 22 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 2976 hours (124 days + 0 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 60 00 58 e0 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00580060 = 5767264

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 ff 3f 55 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.939 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 06 4f 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.938 READ DMA EXT
c8 ff 3f 7e 00 00 e0 00 00:00:06.938 READ DMA
c8 ff 3f 5c 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.938 READ DMA
c8 ff 05 57 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.938 READ DMA

Error 21 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 2976 hours (124 days + 0 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 6e 00 58 e0 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0058006e = 5767278

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 ff 3f 55 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.955 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 06 4f 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.955 READ DMA EXT
c8 ff 3f 7e 00 00 e0 00 00:00:06.955 READ DMA
c8 ff 3f 5c 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.955 READ DMA
c8 ff 05 57 28 00 e0 00 00:00:07.010 READ DMA

Error 20 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 2935 hours (122 days + 7 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 5f 00 58 e0 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0058005f = 5767263

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 ff 3f 55 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.515 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 06 4f 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.515 READ DMA EXT
c8 ff 3f 7e 00 00 e0 00 00:00:06.515 READ DMA
c8 ff 3f 5c 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.515 READ DMA
c8 ff 05 57 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.571 READ DMA

Error 19 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 2935 hours (122 days + 7 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 5f 00 58 e0 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0058005f = 5767263

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 ff 3f 55 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.516 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 06 4f 00 58 e0 00 00:00:06.516 READ DMA EXT
c8 ff 3f 7e 00 00 e0 00 00:00:06.516 READ DMA
c8 ff 3f 5c 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.516 READ DMA
c8 ff 05 57 28 00 e0 00 00:00:06.571 READ DMA

Error 18 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 2935 hours (122 days + 7 hours)
When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

After command completion occurred, registers were:
ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 51 00 b9 0c 5c e0 Error: UNC at LBA = 0x005c0cb9 = 6032569

Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC Powered_Up_Time Command/Feature_Name
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---------------- --------------------
25 ff 3f a2 0c 5c e0 00 00:00:12.934 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 3f 63 0c 5c e0 00 00:00:12.934 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 3f 24 0c 5c e0 00 00:00:12.933 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 3f e5 0b 5c e0 00 00:00:12.932 READ DMA EXT
25 ff 3f a6 0b 5c e0 00 00:00:12.932 READ DMA EXT

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Short offline Completed without error 00% 3 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 0 -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Not_testing
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

[caljohnsmith]

As I suspected, it unfortunately looks like your HDD is on its last legs. If I were in your shoes, I would immediately try to backup any important data that you have on the drive if you have not done so all ready, and then scrap the HDD for recycling. The test returned multiple errors, and the overall health assessment is "FAILED", so I think that about says it all. It's up to you what you want to do, but if I were in your situation, I would invest in a new HDD. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[potiphera]

Thanks! There are only a few personal files to back up, but I'd also like to back up the system files so I don't have to re-tweak everything... Google tells me Remastersys may be what I need for the job?

Also, did Ubuntu kill the drive (due to the load cycle issue)? I've only had Ubuntu on that computer for maybe 8 months or less (it's running Hardy). Then again, I seem to remember that there were some repeating file-corruption issues when it was running Vista, and the computer has had some other hardware issues as well.

[caljohnsmith]

Thanks! There are only a few personal files to back up, but I'd also like to back up the system files so I don't have to re-tweak everything... Google tells me Remastersys may be what I need for the job?

Also, did Ubuntu kill the drive (due to the load cycle issue)? I've only had Ubuntu on that computer for maybe 8 months or less (it's running Hardy). Then again, I seem to remember that there were some repeating file-corruption issues when it was running Vista, and the computer has had some other hardware issues as well.

I've never used Remastersys, but it looks like it will do a full system backup, which considering the state of your HDD, that may not help you if it backs up corrupted system files. If you know which system files you tweaked in the past, like /etc/X11/xorg.conf for example, I think I would save those manually if I were you. I really don't think that Ubuntu in itself would be at fault of damaging the HDD, but it could be that you installed software that possibly misused the HDD (although I doubt it); if Vista had the same problem, then that would indicate it's highly unlikely it is Vista's or Ubuntu's fault. Anyway, good luck and hope you can get a new HDD soon so you at least won't have a bad HDD to deal with.