Is disk really bad if mkfs.ext4 -c -c reports errors?

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:20:29 -0500, Rashkae wrote:
>On 17-01-11 11:46 AM, Chris Green wrote:
>
>>
>>      Testing with pattern 0x55:  67.02% done, 23:57:16 elapsed.
>> (0/78947/0 errors) 
>
>
>Very interesting that you complete one pass with no errors, then on
>the second pass, start getting large number of *write* errors, with no 
>indication of a problem in SMART.
>
>I would say, off the top of my head, this is indicative of an I/O 
>problem on the Motherboard, but it doesn't rule out either the drive
>or cable...
>
>Unfortunately, I don't know of any easy way to diagnose a failure like 
>this.  I would have to separate the suspect drive from the suspect 
>computer and test them independently.  That is, put the drive in a 
>different computer and re-run the test.  At the same time, put a 
>different drive in the existing computer and format it there.
>
>And indeed, this could be a cable / loose connection problem.  If the 
>problem goes away when you move the drive around, I would replace the 
>SATA cable just as a caution.  If the problem can no longer be 
>replicated when the drive has been moved, I would use *neither* in a 
>critical production capacity.

The OP could use another SATA slot + another cable on the same machine.
Is another drive in the same computer?
I also would reset the CMOS and replace it's battery.

Perhaps a new drive isn't required. My misunderstanding was, that the
drive definitively failed.