Is it normal the 2TB USB hard drive become so hot during the TestDisk [Deeper Search] process?

Question

This question is the continuation of my problem in this link.

So I use Testdisk to try to fix my problem.

The highlighted drive is the drive which became RAW (Seagate BUP Slim).

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So in short, I did : Proceed ---> Intel ---> Analyze.
Below is the result after Analize :

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So I hit enter on my keyboard to do the [Quick Search]. After the [Quick Search] finished analyzing the cylinder, it show the result like below:

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So I hit enter on my keyboard to [Continue]. Then it show like below:

I hit enter again on my keyboard to continue. The result like below:

So I hit enter to do the [Deeper Search].

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When the [Deeper Search] reach 03%, it show like this:

After around 4.5 hours when the [Deeper Search] reach 37%, I touch the hard drive and it shock me as the hard drive metal casing is so hot which my finger can't stand the hot if I keep on touch it for more than 1 minute. Because I'm a coward, I'm afraid that if I continue the process it may burn this 5 months old drive, so I stop the process. Do "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media", then unplug the drive from the computer. Get a little fan to cool down the drive.

In the internet, I read some users have the process of the [Deeper Search] run for days even a week without saying that the hard drive became very hot. So I don't know if during the process they touch the HD and found out it's not so hot --or-- they never touch the HD which of course they don't know if the HD getting very hot or not --or-- they touch the HD and found out it's very hot but they just let the process to continue until it finish 100% and the HD still OK despite the very hot during the process.

So my question:
Is it actually a normal thing that the hard disk became very hot after a few hours of the [Deeper Search] process ? Or is it because there is something wrong on the HD during the process ?

Any kind of respond would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advanced.

PS : This is the CrystalDisk information result before I ran the TestDisk

Answer 1

Regardless of if you are using TestDisk, or a business-class server that is in (almost) constant operation (though many businesses these days will use SSDs), the basic rules I've always understood are:

• cool is good.
• heat is normal.
• hot, unpleasant to the touch, isn't.

Heat is not preferred, but happens. Giving off a bit of heat is okay. Being so hot you can't touch it and it almost feels like it may be close to burn-level indicates something is wrong, which is dangerous. Hardware replacement is recommended.

Although, that is referring to a brief touch. If you can hold your hand there for a while before it gets unpleasant, that sounds like you're somewhere in between the 2nd and 3rd bullet point. So, I suggest using that drive minimally (enough to get data off of it, and then no more).

If I were to use that drive at all, I wouldn't want it where I couldn't see it, and preferably not enclosed in a hard-to-handle location. So, something like a USB reader, maybe. Although, of course, having something out in the open might present a different set of safety hazards. So, besides a doorstop, bookend, geeky decoration, etc., probably not really good for any practical common usage scenario that is coming to my mind.

Answer 2

Your assessment of 'burning hot' is subjective. Seagate say the normal operating temperatures of their drives are 5 to 50 degrees C, and that for more recent drives the upper limit is 60 C. This is the standard in many industries for maximum touch temperature which will not cause skin damage if held for 5 seconds. I would say if you can keep touching the case for 60 seconds it probably is not up to maximum. because you would notice the scars and continuing pain.

You could possibly monitor the disk temperature using a tool such as Smartmontools, although the results should be carefully interpreted.