WD Elements 14TB Shucking and Testing (Extended test too long)

Zer0

Zer0

Zer0

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Bought a 14TB for "shucking", before I have "opened" the plastic case I wanted to test HDD via USB 3.0 but I am worried is the HDD alright now since I want to keep very important data on it.

- Smart data was alright on WD Dashboard and HDD sentinel
- Short Self-test via Sentinel was completed in 2:30 min
- Extended Self-test via Sentinel took almost 49h and this is what is worrying to me.
- Surface Read test was alright and took 22h.

I am worried about 49h it took for a extended test, since it's showing as 29h estimated in Sentinel (this is an estimate from manufacturer) and it took 20 hours more. It was stuck at last 10% and written 1 minute remaining.
Does anybody have a clue why?
- There are no bad sectors or anything else, temperature was under 55C (I know this is high, but WD recommends up to 60), there is also no change in Smart data.
- I had HDD sentinel working, WD Dashboard working and HWinfo65 working at the time of testing, could the interfere somehow? I know these tests are low priority, because when there is disk activity the test can take longer, maybe temp checking or something from these applications count as activity too?
- I have noticed this behavior where testing took 4-5 more hours in the same manner with WD Passport 5TB which are SMR and never with internal CMR HDD, could the USB connections be related to longer test?

My intention was to further test the HDD with some more intensive tests, once I install it in my PC case, but first wanted to do some "light" testing and now I really don't know what do to. I have a very short period that I can return it, but this is completely debatable, since HDD actually passed the Extended Self-test and if If remove it from plastic enclosure to test further, wanted to do a full format, then 1 destructive test or reinitilize and then extended test again, I might void the warranty.

Please help guys, I know there are some people who goes in details with this kind of topics.

Screens for smart data and test:

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Just an update. It was strange to me that short test was completed in 2:30 and not in 2:00 first time.
This evening I have tested 10 different HDDs (USB, SATA, SSD, NVME) and each and every one finished the short test 100% at the mark of 2:00 and one SSD finished in 30 sec (the estimate was 2:00).

Then I tried testing WD Elements 14 TB again with short test, few tests couldn't finish before 5:00 mark. Then I had a few tests which lasted even more than 10 minutes!
Last one I did was even 13 min!!!

I knew something was not alright, new HDD, or something else, checked different USBs and got the same results and when I was tired I just tried to cut everything that might have some kind of a process with HDD...

I have turned OFF HwInfo64 and WD Dashboard and finally got the short test with sentinel 100% at 2:00 mark multiple times!

So as it seems now, if there is any software that is actually using HDD in any way (probably temp sensor or something similar in my case HwInfo64 and WD Dashboard), it will end up with very long (short and I assume extended) test with HDD Sentinel v6.00 PRO, since I was able to replicate the issue on short test, but have to test it yet on extended test.

This will need more testing and I will update the thread once I confirm the issue.
 
Just return or use it and keep backups which you should be doing for very important data anyway. I doubt anyone's going to have any greater insight than the diagnostics test itself as to why a surface test failed on your HDD. If the Sentinel test crashes again with a replaced drive, then you'll know the test itself is crap.
 
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Don't take any chances with the HD. You cannot replace your work. Mind you I just put all many many old HDs onto a 20TB drive. Such a joy to condense it all into something I can fit in my jacket.
 
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