I tried the cat /dev/hda > /dev/null method and this is what I got.(i did it 3 times it only took about 3 minutes)
Starting bash.
empeg:/empeg/bin# cat /dev/hda > /dev/null
hda: read_intr: status=0x59
hda: read_intr: error=0x40
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:00 (hda), sector 133080
cat: /dev/hda: Input/output error
empeg:/empeg/bin# cat /dev/hda > /dev/null
hda: read_intr: status=0x59
hda: read_intr: error=0x40
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:00 (hda), sector 133080
cat: /dev/hda: Input/output error
empeg:/empeg/bin# cat /dev/hda > /dev/null
hda: read_intr: status=0x59
hda: read_intr: error=0x40
end_request: I/O error, dev 03:00 (hda), sector 133080
cat: /dev/hda: Input/output error
empeg:/empeg/bin#
So what do you think?