Here are smartctl results when run on Ubuntu 11.10 - they don't seem to indicate any HW problem: **** Long selftest: smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [i686-linux-3.0.0-16-generic] (local build) Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net === START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION === SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1 Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error # 1 Extended offline Completed without error 00% 500 - ***** SMART information: smartctl 5.41 2011-06-09 r3365 [i686-linux-3.0.0-16-generic] (local build) Copyright (C) 2002-11 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net === START OF INFORMATION SECTION === Device Model: MCCOE64GEMPP Serial Number: SE923B5130 Firmware Version: 2.9.03 User Capacity: 60 011 642 880 bytes [60,0 GB] Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/physical Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall] ATA Version is: 7 ATA Standard is: ATA/ATAPI-7 T13 1532D revision 4a Local Time is: Wed Mar 7 07:57:14 2012 EET SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability. SMART support is: Enabled === START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION === SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED General SMART Values: Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity was never started. Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled. Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed without error or no self-test has ever been run. Total time to complete Offline data collection: ( 120) seconds. Offline data collection capabilities: (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate. Auto Offline data collection on/off support. Suspend Offline collection upon new command. Offline surface scan supported. Self-test supported. No Conveyance Self-test supported. Selective Self-test supported. SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering power-saving mode. Supports SMART auto save timer. Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported. General Purpose Logging supported. Short self-test routine recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes. Extended self-test routine recommended polling time: ( 15) minutes. SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 1 Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds: ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE 1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 099 099 051 Pre-fail Always - 0 5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0007 094 094 001 Pre-fail Always - 4096 (0, 13) 9 Power_On_Hours 0x0033 099 099 000 Pre-fail Always - 500 12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0033 099 099 000 Pre-fail Always - 176 184 End-to-End_Error 0x0033 099 099 000 Pre-fail Always - 0 187 Reported_Uncorrect 0x0033 100 100 000 Pre-fail Always - 0 188 Command_Timeout 0x0033 099 099 000 Pre-fail Always - 0 190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0023 045 045 000 Pre-fail Always - 0 195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x001a 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0 196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0033 099 099 000 Pre-fail Always - 0 197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 0 198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x003e 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0 199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0 201 Soft_Read_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 100 002 Old_age Always - 0 202 Data_Address_Mark_Errs 0x0032 100 100 002 Old_age Always - 0 232 Available_Reservd_Space 0x0013 094 094 002 Pre-fail Always - 3828 SMART Error Log Version: 1 No Errors Logged SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1 No self-tests have been logged. [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t] SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1 SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS 1 0 0 Not_testing 2 0 0 Not_testing 3 0 0 Not_testing 4 0 0 Not_testing 5 0 0 Not_testing Selective self-test flags (0x0): After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk. If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay. ***** I'll run the same tests with the Ubuntu 12.04 installer image later on.