funnel seek test

[dsln]

I just received the following error on the hard drive:

internal error   - funnel seek test

Is the hard drive toast?

[fwilson]

Not necessarily, but it is suspect.  The funnel seek test throws the drives heads around in a funnel pattern and is timing sensitive.  If it is a slow drive and/or the machine is performing other tasks this may fail, even on a good drive.

You may want to try the DOS funnel seek test to ensure no other processes are running. If all other tests pass, including SMART tests then the drive is probably ok.
 

[Zhiro]

Hello dsln,

I agree 100% with fwilson.
However, it is always good practice that whenever you are given any possibility of hard drive failure, to backup all your precious data.  A hard drive may still be functional, even if it does not pass certain tests.  A hard drive could fail a SMART Test. It could even end up with bad sectors or tracks, but still be functional, giving the user a false sense of security, until the day of complete failure. So, as a reminder, always be sure to back up your precious data.  It is much more economical to spend, say 150 dollars on a back up external drive, than it is to pay a technician to recover your data on a failed drive. Average cost to recover your data, depends on the severity of the failure of the hard drive. The cost can range from 150 - 1500 plus.