Code:
 I was getting -very- delayed (over 38 seconds) responses to "fdisk -l" which seems to happen after I make my machine go into "suspending" mode
~ 
 Some debian users
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 http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2012/09/msg01928.html
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 suggested to me it may be a problem with the drive being either dying or sleeping. So I run hdparm to disable power management:
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# hdparm -Z /dev/sda

/dev/sda:
 disabling Seagate auto powersaving mode
 HDIO_DRIVE_CMD(seagatepwrsave) failed: Input/output error
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 but after I took it off the box and just ran knoppix (6.0.2) in a diskless box it still happened
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 I may not be the only one having such problems. Do you have an idea of what may be going on?
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 lbrtchx
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// __ disconnected to the Internet
// __ right after booting init 2 and right after init 5

$ date; time fdisk -l
Sat Sep 29 01:41:18 UTC 2012

real    0m0.009s
user    0m0.000s
sys    0m0.000s

// __ after suspending my box

$ date; time fdisk -l
Sat Sep 29 01:45:55 UTC 2012

real    0m38.103s
user    0m0.000s
sys    0m0.000s
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ date; time fdisk -l
Sat Sep 29 01:46:39 UTC 2012

real    0m38.092s
user    0m0.000s
sys    0m0.000s
knoppix@Microknoppix:~$ date; time fdisk -l
Sat Sep 29 01:47:42 UTC 2012

real    0m38.097s
user    0m0.000s
sys    0m0.000s