I am zeroing out some old drive - some may not have secure erase. If I issue the command:

hpparm --security-erase-enhanced

Against a drive that does not have this feature, will it error? Man does not tell me.

  • @dlarge6510@lemm.ee
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    11 year ago

    Hmm perhaps the drive is responsible for returning the error and your ones are just ignoring invalid commands.

    • WasPentaliveOP
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      11 year ago

      Seems like a valid assessment. Also I am using a USB attached SATA adapter, so that may play into it too.

      • @dlarge6510@lemm.ee
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        11 year ago

        Also I am using a USB attached SATA adapter

        Very likely. Hdparm must support the bridge chip in order to pass commands through the bridge, now we know that the bridge in some form supported as you are able to query the drive but it might be the bridge is blocking either the security-erase command or the response. The drive would respond to the bridge should there be any errors, the bridge has to pass that on.

        The only way to be certain is to plug the drive into a proper AHCI SATA port. Or use eSATA.

        • WasPentaliveOP
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          11 year ago

          Ah well, I switched to a USB3 drive toaster I borrowed. This works much faster. I just did a 3TB drive basically overnight. Not as fast as secure erase but fast enough.