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HP Printer Users Can Override Low Toner Message to Continue Printing
Many HP laser printer users have replaced their toner cartridges because the printer warned them that the toner is depleted. However, buried in the printer’s settings is a way to bypass the message and continue printing indefinitely because, contrary to the warning, the toner is still good.
WD Hard Drive Users Experience False Alarm Warnings
Some Western Digital storage drive users are experiencing warning alerts that their hard drives are bad, triggered by Synology diagnostic software that they’re using with their NAS. The software sends an alert that internal SMART data for their hard disks is flashing a warning because it’s been powered on for three years.
Users Are Missing Real Issues Due to False Alarms
In March, a Synology forum user found that the warnings happened to their two Western Digital hard drives, running for about 26,400 hours or just a few days after three years of use. Warranty for the affected hard drives also expired at the three-year mark. A YouTuber recently pointed out that these warnings could make users miss real issues, such as reallocated sectors.
Is Synology at Fault for False Alarms?
Some speculate that Synology may be signaling alarms on its product to react to Western Digital’s timer, hoping users will purchase Western Digital’s disks instead. But a tech YouTuber doesn’t think that’s the case. Western Digital’s documentation suggests that users replace their drives at the three-year mark.
Extended Use Is a Poor Indicator of Drive Health
The fact that the hard drives have been on for an extended period of time alone, similar to how a printer only counts the sheets of paper it has gone through, is not a good reason to indicate a drive is in bad health and needs to be replaced. Western Digital has yet to provide a reason for why the drives are programmed to send out alerts after three years of use.
Workaround to Disable WDDA Alerts and Reddit Blackout
The Synology subreddit has had discussions about disabling WDDA alerts to ignore the warning and use all Synology features. However, the subreddit is currently participating in the Reddit blackout to protest the site’s intense monetization of APIs.
Western Digital’s Dubious Track Record
Western Digital has previously been sued for using shingled magnetic recording (SMR) drives in some of its Red NAS drives without notifying consumers. The company has also experienced issues with its SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD and NAS devices with cloud services.
Conclusion
False alarms can be a frustrating experience for hard drive users, especially when it leads to missing real issues. While there is a workaround to disable the alert, it shouldn’t be the only solution. Western Digital needs to provide a more reasonable explanation for why their drives are programmed to send out warnings after three years of use.
FAQs
Q: Can I still use my hard drive after receiving a Western Digital drive warning?
A: Yes, you can still use your hard drive even after receiving a Western Digital drive warning. The message is a false alarm, triggered by Synology diagnostic software.
Q: Can I disable the WDDA alerts on my Synology NAS to ignore Western Digital’s timer?
A: Yes, you can disable the WDDA alerts to ignore Western Digital’s timer on your Synology NAS. However, it’s not a long-term solution, and Western Digital needs to address the issue.
Q: What is shingled magnetic recording (SMR), and why is it bad for hard drives?
A: Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) is a technology that overlaps data on the hard drive, enabling more data to be stored per disk. However, it comes at the cost of write speed and longevity, and Western Digital was sued for using SMR on some of its Red NAS drives without informing consumers.
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