[smartmontools-support] Samsung HD502IJ new firmware causes i/o error while querying Device Statistics log

[Viktor Štujber]

smartctl.exe -ax /dev/hdb
smartctl pre-7.5 2025-03-27 r5680 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win7-sp1] (CircleCI)
SATA controller... internal onboard on ASUS M5A78L-M-USB3 (2011).

On 11. 4. 2025 11:51, Christian Franke wrote:
> Viktor Štujber wrote:
>> I have an old SAMSUNG SpinPoint F1 DT (model: HD502IJ). I updated it 
>> from 1AA01112 to 1AA01117 using a sketchy Dell firmware bundle that 
>> has been reported to mis-identify and mis-patch other drive models. 
>> The update seems to work, but now when I query extended info (-ax), 
>> the last few steps encounter an i/o error and the HDD stops 
>> responding to all subsequent queries ("Read Device Identity failed: 
>> Input/output error") until a single read/write operation is done. 
>> Then it's possible to query it again. Querying the non-extended info 
>> works fine.
>
> Which smartmontools command line, version, platform and SATA 
> controller (USB docking station?) is used to access the drive?
> (Please always include the used smartctl command line and the first 
> smartctl output line in bug reports)
>
>
>>
>> In the diff between an old and new listing, I see the following:
>>
>>  0x01           SL  R/O      1  Summary SMART error log
>>  0x02           SL  R/O      2  Comprehensive SMART error log
>>  0x03       GPL     R/O      2  Ext. Comprehensive SMART error log
>> +0x04       GPL     R/O      2  Device Statistics log
>
> The new firmware indicates added support for Device Statistics ...
>
>
>>  0x06           SL  R/O      1  SMART self-test log
>>  0x07       GPL     R/O      2  Extended self-test log
>>  0x09           SL  R/W      1  Selective self-test log
>>  0x10       GPL     R/O      1  NCQ Command Error log
>>  0x11       GPL     R/O      1  SATA Phy Event Counters log
>> +0x21       GPL     R/O      2  Write stream error log
>> +0x22       GPL     R/O      2  Read stream error log
>>  0x80-0x9f  GPL,SL  R/W     16  Host vendor specific log
>>  0xe0       GPL,SL  R/W      1  SCT Command/Status
>>  0xe1       GPL,SL  R/W      1  SCT Data Transfer
>>
>> -Device Statistics (GP/SMART Log 0x04) not supported
>> +ATA_READ_LOG_EXT (addr=0x04:0x00, page=0, n=1) failed: Input/output 
>> error
>> +Read Device Statistics page 0x00 failed
>
> ... but obviously does not implement it properly.
>
>
>>
>> At this point I don't know if this is a generic vs branded firmware 
>> inconsistency, or if the new firmware lies about its capabilitties, 
>> or if the drive needs some particular compatibility settings to query 
>> it properly, or if the actual i/o error occurs at some preceding 
>> non-displayed operation. I figured I should ask before I start trying 
>> random things.
>
> It would be a harmless firmware bug if only the ATA_READ_LOG_EXT of 
> log 0x04 would fail.
>
> If the drive itself no longer responds after the failure, it is a more 
> serious bug. Otherwise it may be a bug in the error handling of the 
> ATA pass-through layer from OS, USB-bridge, ...
>