[CentOS] Hard drive errors

[chrism at imntv.com]

Cian Cullinan wrote:
> Well given the simultaneous errors from both disks, and the all-clear
> from smartctl, it *really* sounds like a problem external to the
> disks, I.E.: cables, controller etc.

I had a workstation machine a number of years ago that had a similar 
problem.  I was able to duplicate the problem and make it go away at 
will by enabling/disabling the fan that was on the southbridge chip that 
controlled diskIO for that particular motherboard.  Removing the 
fan/heatsink entirely triggered a wave of disk errors.  "Freezing" the 
chip with a "can of compressed air" would make the errors stop (until 
the chip heated up again).  I was rather poor at the time so I 
temporarily solved it by shoehorning a bigger heatsink onto the 
southbridge until I could afford a new motherboard.

Cheers,