[mythtv-users] Need help interpreting hard disk error messages

[Craig Huff]

I have my O/S and original /video partition on a PATA harddrive that
is reporting errors with smartd and logging messages in
/var/log/messages, but I'm not sure where the problems lie (in a
particular partition?) and how to fix them (if they are repairable).
This may only be the result of transient problems I had with a loose
power connector for the drive, or these may be precursors of a
meltdown, so I kinda would like to know how big a cesspool I'm about
to step into.

Here is a sample of the messages in /var/log/messages:
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev hda,
sector 397318809
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: hda: dma_intr: status=0x51 {
DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: hda: dma_intr: error=0x40 {
UncorrectableError }, LBAsect=397318823, high=23, low=11442855,
sector=397318817
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: ide: failed opcode was: unknown
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev hda,
sector 397318817
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: hda: dma_intr: status=0x51 {
DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: hda: dma_intr: error=0x40 {
UncorrectableError }, LBAsect=397318823, high=23, low=11442855,
sector=397318817
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: ide: failed opcode was: unknown
Aug 24 09:33:56 localhost kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev hda,
sector 397318817
Aug 24 10:02:57 localhost smartd[3470]: Device: /dev/hda, 71 Currently
unreadable (pending) sectors
Aug 24 10:02:57 localhost smartd[3470]: Device: /dev/hda, 31 Offline
uncorrectable sectors

I suspect these relate to the original /video partition because I have
a couple of recordings that I cannot copy off to the current /video
partition on a new SATA harddrive.  It is possible that there are more
files elsewhere; I just don't know.

In addition, "fdisk -l /dev/hda" reports this:
Disk /dev/hda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1          13      104391   83  Linux
/dev/hda2              14       30401   244091610    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5              14        1580    12586896   83  Linux
/dev/hda6            1581        1841     2096451   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda7            1842        1906      522081   83  Linux
/dev/hda8            1907       30401   228886056   8e  Linux LVM

and /dev/hda8 is the original /video partition.  Doing a little math,
I come up with 30619638 sectors used for the partitions before hda8,
and all the messages pertain to sectors above 397,000,000.

Is this something I can fix using qtparted to reformat the original
/video partition (now mounted as /vidArch)?  Do I need to use fdisk
and/or mkfs?  Abandon ship and get another disk?

Somehow, I get the sinking feeling that this is a problem at a lower
level than partition formatting and the disk might be about to go
belly up.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Craig.