WD20EARX is too green for its own good

[Tom Del Rosso]

A WD20EARX is in a USB dock. If you run this batch file with a sleep delay
of 11 seconds, the Load Cycle Count increments every time. With 8 to 10
seconds, sometimes, and with 5 seconds it never increments.

@echo off
:loop
smartctl -a -d sat /dev/sdg |find /i "Load_Cycle_Count"
sleep %1
goto :loop

So I want to change the sleep timeout. I recall that the firmware update
wdidle3 was discussed in early September, but the utility is made for other
models.

If you use it on the wrong WD model does it safely abort, or make a brick?

This WD20EARX-00PASB0 drive is now connected with a USB dock. Does firmware
update require an internal connection?

I ask because this is also needed on some USB drives like WD20EADS-11R6B1
and WD20EARS-00MVWB0.

Is there a way to update those?

Ideally I wish it wasn't hard-coded, but I don't suppose you can make the
timeout even longer, can you?

And finally, what is the timeout on other brands?

 

[Arno]

A WD20EARX is in a USB dock. If you run this batch file with a sleep
delay of 11 seconds, the Load Cycle Count increments every time. With 8
to 10 seconds, sometimes, and with 5 seconds it never increments.

@echo off
:loop
smartctl -a -d sat /dev/sdg |find /i "Load_Cycle_Count"
sleep %1
goto :loop

So I want to change the sleep timeout. I recall that the firmware update
wdidle3 was discussed in early September, but the utility is made for
other models.

If you use it on the wrong WD model does it safely abort, or make a brick?

As discussed then, there is a strong warning on the WD page,
but the tool is not that specific. It just works on other,
sufficiently new WD models, so neither ;-)

This WD20EARX-00PASB0 drive is now connected with a USB dock. Does
firmware update require an internal connection?

Why would you want to do a firmware upgrade? wdidle3 just
sets a parameter.

I ask because this is also needed on some USB drives like WD20EADS-11R6B1
and WD20EARS-00MVWB0.

Is there a way to update those?

wdidle3? You can also use the Linux port somebody made of wdidle3:
http://idle3-tools.sourceforge.net/
There is also more info on what command is used on that page.

Ideally I wish it wasn't hard-coded, but I don't suppose you can make the
timeout even longer, can you?

And finally, what is the timeout on other brands?

Depends on what was set for the specific disk. This is not
really model-specific, but usage specific.

Arno

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Why would you want to do a firmware upgrade? wdidle3 just
sets a parameter.

WD describes it as a firmware update. It's a relief to know that it doesn't
do anything besides the parameter.

wdidle3? You can also use the Linux port somebody made of wdidle3:
http://idle3-tools.sourceforge.net/
There is also more info on what command is used on that page.

That's good. Thanks very much.