wd5741.exe and WD Red drives, settings verification ?

[solarisguy]

I am about to run wd5741.exe, as downloaded from http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=619&sid=201&lang=en

Code:

C:\>wd5741.exe -?
WD5741 Version 1
Update Drive
Copyright (C) 2013 Western Digital Corporation

Syntax:
WD5741 [-d?] [-dn] [-dall] [-s] [-bn] [-?]
where
-s  Stop updating on first failure
-bn  Set maximum bytes per command (default=512)
-d?  List available drives
-dn  Update the specified drive
-dall  Update all applicable drives

-?  This help message

C:\>wd5741.exe -d?
WD5741 Version 1
Update Drive
Copyright (C) 2013 Western Digital Corporation


-Dn  Model String  Serial Number  Firmware
-D0  WDC WD60EFRX-68MYMN1  WD-WX21AA11BBCC  82.00A82

C:\>

Before I commit to wd5741.exe -d0 -s how can I see what had been before and then what was changed?

Thank you in advance!

 

[solarisguy]

Anyone with the experience with http://idle3-tools.sourceforge.net/ ?

From the above web page:

Description

Idle3-tools provides a linux/unix utility that can disable, get and set the value of the infamous idle3 timer found on recent Western Digital Hard Disk Drives.

If smartctl can see a drive, can we read the value, so we do not need to guess?

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

The only relevant experience I have is of using wdidle3.exe from the Ultimate Boot CD. It can read the current value and write a new value.

 

[okgunguy]

The WDIDLE3 tool on the UBCD will change the idle timer on both Reds and Greens. If this is what you are attempting to do on your Reds. Just run the WDIDLE3. I just did this on all of my disks so I know for a fact it works. However, every Red disk I have was already set to 300 (5 minutes) from the factory. I only had to change the Greens.