i doubt whether ubuntu is killing my hard disk

[Vivek788]

i had issues with my hard disk

/dev/sda:

 Model=ST3250310AS                             , FwRev=4.AAA   , SerialNo=            6RYEJXN2
 Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec Fixed DTR>10Mbs RotSpdTol>.5% }
 RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=4
 BuffType=unknown, BuffSize=8192kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=?16?
 CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=488397168
 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
 PIO modes:  pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4 
 DMA modes:  mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 
 UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6 
 AdvancedPM=no WriteCache=enabled
 Drive conforms to: Unspecified:  ATA/ATAPI-1,2,3,4,5,6,7

 * signifies the current active mode

I also am posting a syslog piece..don't know if it contains any error signs.

vivek@vivek-desktop:/var/log$ zcat syslog.2.gz|grep ata
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 0000000017fc0000 - 0000000017fce000 (ACPI data)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   18.618471] Memory: 377508k/392960k available (2157k kernel code, 14940k reserved, 998k data, 364k init, 0k highmem)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   18.618484]       .data : 0xc031b5a4 - 0xc0414dc4   ( 998 kB)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.434058] libata version 3.00 loaded.
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.099880] pata_amd 0000:00:06.0: version 0.3.10
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.100019] scsi0 : pata_amd
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.100064] scsi1 : pata_amd
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.100605] ata1: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x1f0 ctl 0x3f6 bmdma 0xffa0 irq 14
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.100607] ata2: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 bmdma 0xffa8 irq 15
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.434770] ata1.00: ATAPI: SONY    DVD RW DRU-190A, 1.61, max UDMA/66
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.622535] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/66
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.622564] ata2: port disabled. ignoring.
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.746914] sata_nv 0000:00:08.0: version 3.5
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.747841] scsi2 : sata_nv
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.749146] scsi3 : sata_nv
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.749297] ata3: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xe400 ctl 0xe080 bmdma 0xd880 irq 15
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   23.749300] ata4: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xe000 ctl 0xdc00 bmdma 0xd888 irq 15
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   24.057939] ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   24.533530] ata4: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   24.541598] ata4.00: ATA-7: ST3250310AS, 4.AAA, max UDMA/133
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   24.541603] ata4.00: 488397168 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 0/32)
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   24.557580] ata4.00: configured for UDMA/133
Oct 14 19:26:43 vivek-desktop kernel: [   28.583881] EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
Oct 14 19:28:48 vivek-desktop pulseaudio[5692]: module-gconf.c: Unable to read or parse data from client.
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [    0.000000]  BIOS-e820: 0000000017fc0000 - 0000000017fce000 (ACPI data)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   13.867206] Memory: 377508k/392960k available (2157k kernel code, 14940k reserved, 998k data, 364k init, 0k highmem)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   13.867219]       .data : 0xc031b5a4 - 0xc0414dc4   ( 998 kB)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.140513] libata version 3.00 loaded.
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.381995] pata_amd 0000:00:06.0: version 0.3.10
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.382154] scsi0 : pata_amd
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.382211] scsi1 : pata_amd
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.382758] ata1: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x1f0 ctl 0x3f6 bmdma 0xffa0 irq 14
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.382760] ata2: PATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0x170 ctl 0x376 bmdma 0xffa8 irq 15
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.718810] ata1.00: ATAPI: SONY    DVD RW DRU-190A, 1.61, max UDMA/66
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.906577] ata1.00: configured for UDMA/66
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   20.906610] ata2: port disabled. ignoring.
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.436726] sata_nv 0000:00:08.0: version 3.5
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.436822] scsi2 : sata_nv
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.436866] scsi3 : sata_nv
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.437019] ata3: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xe400 ctl 0xe080 bmdma 0xd880 irq 15
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.437022] ata4: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xe000 ctl 0xdc00 bmdma 0xd888 irq 15
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   21.745612] ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.221190] ata4: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.229253] ata4.00: ATA-7: ST3250310AS, 4.AAA, max UDMA/133
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.229256] ata4.00: 488397168 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 0/32)
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.244238] ata4.00: configured for UDMA/133
Oct 14 20:22:22 vivek-desktop kernel: [   22.750947] EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.

I had just replaced an old hard disk after it became severely damaged ...following similar footsteps..so I dont actually expect to see those error messages at this early stage.

Problems now are like..system slows down on bootup 1-2 times (this doenst happen more than 1-2 times).On typing TOP..i have seen the 1 minute load count go upto 9..the main runing processes being [pdflush],[scsi_eh_0] to eh_4,kblockd,kswapd etc...but it calms down after some time.

Also once while shutting down,I got this error message as part of the long stream of text
"IDE device:No such file or directory "
The shutting down stopped there and hard to reset pc.Shut down stopped once without text error(with usual orange bar reaching end).I used to get this IDE issue many times with the faulty disc.
It used to give a msg on the lines of "ata mask status cmd frozen "(these are keywords i remember).
I had searched abt this error back then and confirmed tat the disc was dead(it also clicked) and got it replaced..but the new disk also showed it while booting up the live cd to install hardy.

What worries me and turns my doubt towards the os(ubuntu) is that I saw some posts and messages on launchpad and other places about hardy writing too much pages into disk..pls clarify..i am lost...i have to move to find the source of my issues ...i have lots of data to bring back to disk from backup..so i want to know if moving to another distro can increase my disk's life ...

[coolpcguy]

try replacing the cables. a faulty cable can give this problem as well

[Vivek788]

thanks..will try.but .i have cmos issues as well..and twice my pata disks chips were burnt and got disk replaced...now this is to sata..somehow i dont think this is about the cable alone..and ya i had used this on another system to backup data..so maybe tat is not issue...faulty psu ..maybe...donno...gotto negotiate with the dealer 2mrw.. (fingers crossed)

[coolpcguy]

^ "burnt pata disks" symptoms of faulty PSu/earthing. Please get the same checked ASAP