Hard disk errors: “Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled”

Question

What do these errors mean?

Sep 30 23:52:29 ubuntu kernel: [ 1649.816032] [Hardware Error]: Machine check events logged
Sep 30 23:52:37 ubuntu kernel: [ 1657.885240] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:52:37 ubuntu kernel: [ 1657.887489] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:52:37 ubuntu kernel: [ 1657.887495] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:53:29 ubuntu kernel: [ 1709.597129] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:53:29 ubuntu kernel: [ 1709.599380] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:53:29 ubuntu kernel: [ 1709.599385] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:54:21 ubuntu kernel: [ 1761.309135] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:54:21 ubuntu kernel: [ 1761.311386] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:54:21 ubuntu kernel: [ 1761.311391] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:55:04 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Quitting due to inactivity
Sep 30 23:55:04 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Quitting was requested
Sep 30 23:55:04 ubuntu dbus[881]: [system] Activating service name='org.debian.apt' (using servicehelper)
Sep 30 23:55:05 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Initializing daemon
Sep 30 23:55:05 ubuntu dbus[881]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.debian.apt'
Sep 30 23:55:05 ubuntu AptDaemon.PackageKit: INFO: Initializing PackageKit compat layer
Sep 30 23:55:12 ubuntu kernel: [ 1813.021139] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:55:12 ubuntu kernel: [ 1813.023394] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:55:12 ubuntu kernel: [ 1813.023399] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:56:04 ubuntu kernel: [ 1864.737157] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:56:04 ubuntu kernel: [ 1864.739403] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:56:04 ubuntu kernel: [ 1864.739408] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:56:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 1916.453416] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:56:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 1916.455780] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:56:56 ubuntu kernel: [ 1916.455786] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:57:47 ubuntu kernel: [ 1968.157063] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:57:47 ubuntu kernel: [ 1968.159297] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:57:47 ubuntu kernel: [ 1968.159303] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:58:39 ubuntu kernel: [ 2019.869064] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:58:39 ubuntu kernel: [ 2019.871307] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:58:39 ubuntu kernel: [ 2019.871312] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:59:31 ubuntu kernel: [ 2071.581322] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Sep 30 23:59:31 ubuntu kernel: [ 2071.586202] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Sep 30 23:59:31 ubuntu kernel: [ 2071.586208] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
Sep 30 23:59:41 ubuntu wpa_supplicant[1223]: WPA: Group rekeying completed with 00:24:b2:dd:cb:42 [GTK=CCMP]
Oct  1 00:00:05 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Quitting due to inactivity
Oct  1 00:00:05 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Quitting was requested
Oct  1 00:00:05 ubuntu dbus[881]: [system] Activating service name='org.debian.apt' (using servicehelper)
Oct  1 00:00:06 ubuntu AptDaemon: INFO: Initializing daemon
Oct  1 00:00:06 ubuntu dbus[881]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.debian.apt'
Oct  1 00:00:06 ubuntu AptDaemon.PackageKit: INFO: Initializing PackageKit compat layer
Oct  1 00:00:23 ubuntu kernel: [ 2123.293360] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled
Oct  1 00:00:23 ubuntu kernel: [ 2123.295625] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Asking for cache data failed
Oct  1 00:00:23 ubuntu kernel: [ 2123.295630] sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through

Answer 1

Is there a problem? Why do you assume these are errors? Obviously, most of what is there is not an error; I would assume these are simply status messages output during normal operation. The process seems to be saying that it checked to see if Write Protect was enabled, and did not find any indication that it was, so it is assuming not (Write Enabled), and therefore it is OK to write to the device (sdb).

If there was an error, it would have said so.

Answer 2

I had same problem on my laptop and I was surprised because i do not have any additional disks USB or any thing

after checking the pc i found that I was connecting the empty SD-MEM converter to SD reader I just unplugged it the error disappeared

Answer 3

"Test WP failed, assume Write Enabled" means that the SCSI layer could not read the write protect status so after some different kinds of probing gave up and assumes the device has write enable set. It's in the kernel in function sd_read_write_protect_flag(), drivers/scsi/sd.c - and it's nothing to worry about.