4.6. What do the HDERR (FDERR, or TPERR) messages in /usr/adm/unix.log mean?
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This article is from the 3b1 computers FAQ, by John B. Bunch with numerous contributions by others.
4.6. What do the HDERR (FDERR, or TPERR) messages in /usr/adm/unix.log mean?
There are several possible causes for these. One of course is a bad disk, or a disk that has gone bad. But one should check the other options before determining the disk is really bad.
Dirty power supply contacts have been known to cause these problems. Open the machine and clean the power supply contacts on the ribbon-type cable that goes from the supply to the motherboard.
A weak or faulty power supply could also be your problem. Test the power supply voltages (with the hard drive and motherboard connected as a load), using some sort of Y-connector off the power cable to the hard drive. Test the +12VDC and +5VDC supplies with a meter, and make sure they are within acceptable tolerances. If they are too low, intermittent HDERRs will occur. There are several adjustment screws on the power supply (marked +5, +12, -12) that can adjust these values. Turning clockwise will increase the value, and counterclockwise will decrease it. Faulty power can make a good hard disk or motherboard appear to be bad.
More commonly you'll find FDERRs in your /usr/adm/unix.log file. Every time you format a new floppy disk, you'll get at least one. Floppy disks are prone to more errors, especially if you get those bargain basement brand types.
TPERRs might appear if you have a bad or defective cartridge tape block. If you start seeing a lot of these during your backup or verify phases, it would be a good idea to re-format the tape and run another surface check (to check for possibly bad streams, or good streams that have gone bad).
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