Random EXT4 FS errors

Question

I'm having a wired problem in my laptop. It works fine but almost every hour the screen freezes. When I force the shutdown and start it again, I see problems similar to this:

The only solution I found is turning over the laptop for few seconds before starting it again. This help me see my Ubuntu work normally without these FS problems.

Update: This is the smartctl output:

smartctl 6.5 2016-01-24 r4214 [i686-linux-4.15.0-32-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-16, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Seagate Laptop SSHD
Device Model:     ST500LM000-SSHD-8GB
Serial Number:    W761F5WC
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000c50 07c440eb8
Firmware Version: LIV5
User Capacity:    500 107 862 016 bytes [500 GB]
Sector Sizes:     512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physical
Rotation Rate:    5400 rpm
Form Factor:      2.5 inches
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   ATA8-ACS, ACS-3 T13/2161-D revision 3b
SATA Version is:  SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 6.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is:    Fri Aug 17 14:37:51 2018 CEST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
See vendor-specific Attribute list for marginal Attributes.

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x82) Offline data collection activity
                    was completed without error.
                    Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0) The previous self-test routine completed
                    without error or no self-test has ever 
                    been run.
Total time to complete Offline 
data collection:        (  128) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:            (0x7b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                    Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                    Suspend Offline collection upon new
                    command.
                    Offline surface scan supported.
                    Self-test supported.
                    Conveyance Self-test supported.
                    Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
                    power-saving mode.
                    Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01) Error logging supported.
                    General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine 
recommended polling time:    (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:    (  96) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time:    (   2) minutes.
SCT capabilities:          (0x1081) SCT Status supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 10
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000f   114   099   034    Pre-fail  Always       -       81759080
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0003   098   098   000    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   097   097   020    Old_age   Always       -       3865
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   100   100   010    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000f   072   060   030    Pre-fail  Always       -       163745195646
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   080   080   000    Old_age   Always       -       17649 (115 151 0)
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0013   100   100   097    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   096   096   020    Old_age   Always       -       4175
184 End-to-End_Error        0x0032   096   096   099    Old_age   Always   FAILING_NOW 4
187 Reported_Uncorrect      0x0032   098   098   000    Old_age   Always       -       2
188 Command_Timeout         0x0032   100   094   000    Old_age   Always       -       25770197149
189 High_Fly_Writes         0x003a   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022   058   036   045    Old_age   Always   In_the_past 42 (Min/Max 42/46 #389)
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate      0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       1213
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   098   098   000    Old_age   Always       -       4834
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   042   064   000    Old_age   Always       -       42 (0 12 0 0 0)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x000f   080   080   030    Pre-fail  Always       -       17711 (44104 0)
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0012   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0010   100   100   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x003e   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
254 Free_Fall_Sensor        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 7 (device log contains only the most recent five errors)
    CR = Command Register [HEX]
    FR = Features Register [HEX]
    SC = Sector Count Register [HEX]
    SN = Sector Number Register [HEX]
    CL = Cylinder Low Register [HEX]
    CH = Cylinder High Register [HEX]
    DH = Device/Head Register [HEX]
    DC = Device Command Register [HEX]
    ER = Error register [HEX]
    ST = Status register [HEX]
Powered_Up_Time is measured from power on, and printed as
DDd+hh:mm:SS.sss where DD=days, hh=hours, mm=minutes,
SS=sec, and sss=millisec. It "wraps" after 49.710 days.

Error 7 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 16948 hours (706 days + 4 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  40 51 00 ff ff ff 0f  Error: UNC at LBA = 0x0fffffff = 268435455

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  60 00 08 ff ff ff 4f 00      00:00:25.320  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 20 ff ff ff 4f 00      00:00:25.319  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 60 88 da 7f 41 00      00:00:25.309  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 20 ff ff ff 4f 00      00:00:25.288  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 ff ff ff 4f 00      00:00:25.284  READ FPDMA QUEUED

Error 6 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 966 hours (40 days + 6 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  40 51 00 10 c5 a5 00  Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00a5c510 = 10863888

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  60 00 08 88 79 42 43 00      00:00:18.239  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 80 79 42 43 00      00:00:18.239  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 a8 10 c8 84 40 00      00:00:18.237  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 78 79 42 43 00      00:00:18.237  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 00 e0 c6 84 40 00      00:00:18.237  READ FPDMA QUEUED

Error 5 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 966 hours (40 days + 6 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  40 51 00 10 c5 a5 00  Error: UNC at LBA = 0x00a5c510 = 10863888

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  60 00 28 00 48 f8 40 00      00:00:13.615  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 08 0e 44 40 00      00:00:13.609  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 18 60 d0 e6 40 00      00:00:13.608  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 b8 a8 e6 40 00      00:00:13.608  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 28 10 9b e6 40 00      00:00:13.607  READ FPDMA QUEUED

Error 4 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 32 hours (1 days + 8 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  40 51 00 76 9d b6 01  Error: UNC at LBA = 0x01b69d76 = 28745078

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  60 00 80 60 9d b6 41 00      00:01:10.856  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  61 00 08 68 89 59 40 00      00:01:10.747  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 00 08 88 f6 3c 40 00      00:01:10.747  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  2f 00 01 10 00 00 20 00      00:01:10.494  READ LOG EXT
  60 00 40 c8 25 4c 41 00      00:01:10.441  READ FPDMA QUEUED

Error 3 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 32 hours (1 days + 8 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  40 51 00 76 9d b6 01  Error: UNC at LBA = 0x01b69d76 = 28745078

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  60 00 80 60 9d b6 41 00      00:00:53.242  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  61 00 80 40 ba 44 41 00      00:00:53.241  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 00 10 10 f7 86 40 00      00:00:53.241  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 40 98 b7 1e 42 00      00:00:53.216  READ FPDMA QUEUED
  60 00 08 60 9d b6 41 00      00:00:53.169  READ FPDMA QUEUED

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Vendor (0x50)       Completed without error       00%         1         -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

I made a FSCK at the startup to fix the problem but it didn't help. Do you have any solution ?

Answer 1

Backup Immediately

Go buy an additional external HDD/SSD and make a full CloneZilla Live backup right now! The dead giveaway that your drive is in imminent danger of failing is the following parameter:

184 End-to-End_Error 0x0032 096 096 099 Old_age Always FAILING_NOW 4

Especially as you've been having this issue for a month now: HDDs are known to not die immediately, but give you ample warning like clicking sounds, random errors, ... whereas SSDs die suddenly without warning unless you measure their SMART status regularly.

The rule of thumb for drives is:

• HDDs die a slow, painful death like cancer
• SSDs die a sudden death like a heart attack

Answer 2

Impossible to answer.

If your system is unstable, and thus unable to shutdown properly, having filesystem errors appear (at random, since it depends on disc activity at the time of crash) is to be considered normal.

This is not a filesystem problem, and not a fsck problem, you have to fix whatever is causing your system to freeze in the first place.

Answer 3

According to the smartctl output, your drive is failing right now.

Make a separate backup of everything on it. Do not overwrite any previous backups (some files may already be corrupted, we don't want to overwrite the good backup).

Then replace the drive with a new one and start comparing the new backup with the last known good backup to see how much got wrecked.