---
name: "idle3ctl"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "idle3-tools"
version: "0.9.1-8"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/idle3ctl"
---

# idle3ctl(8)

disable, get or set the idle3 timer on Western Digital HDD

## NAME

idle3ctl - disable, get or set the idle3 timer on Western Digital HDD

## SYNOPSIS

**idle3ctl** \[ flags \] \[device\] ..

## DESCRIPTION

**idle3ctl** can disable, get and set the value of the infamous idle3 timer found on recent Western Digital Hard Disk Drives.  **Idle3ctl** can be used as an alternative to the official wdidle3.exe proprietary utility, without the need to reboot in a DOS environement. **Idle3ctl** is an independant project, unrelated in any way to  Western Digital Corp.

**THIS SOFTWARE IS EXPERIMENTAL, NOT WELL TESTED AND ACCESSES LOW LEVEL INFORMATION OF YOUR HARDDRIVE. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.**

## OPTIONS

When no flags are given, **-g** is assumed.

- *-h*

  Display help

- *-V*

  Show version and exit

- *-v*

  activate verbose output, mainly useful for debugging.

- *--force*

  force execution even if no Western Digital HDD are detected

- *-g*

  get raw idle3 timer value

- *-g100*

  get idle3 timer value as wdidle3 v1.00 would display it

- *-g103*

  get idle3 timer value as wdidle3 v1.03 would display it

- *-d*

  disable idle3 timer

- *-s\<value\>*

  set idle3 timer raw value. Value must be an integer between 1 and 255. The idle3 timer is set in 0.1s for the 1-128 range, and in 30s for the 129-255 range.

## BUGS

Please report any bugs on the sourceforge tracker at  **https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group\_id=329372&atid=1381968**

## EXIT STATUS

**idle3ctl** will return zero on success and non zero on failure.

## AUTHOR

**idle3ctl** has been written by Christophe Bothamy \<cbothamy at users.sf.net\>.

## SEE ALSO

**http://idle3-tools.sourceforce.net** Idle3-tools website

- **http://www.wdc.com/**

  Western Digital website