Understanding S.M.A.R.T. Parameters and Signs of Hard Disk Failure
S.M.A.R.T. Parameters are crucial for detecting early signs of hard disk failure. Learn how to interpret these parameters and safeguard your data from potential disasters. Don’t wait until it’s too late – act now to protect your valuable information!
The Tools
Before you begin, you’ll need a tool to read the many S.M.A.R.T. parameters available in your hard drive. There are many free tools (as CrystalDiskInfo) that can display and decode the many available S.M.A.R.T. parameters.
Hard Drive S.M.A.R.T. Parameters
With so many different parameters available, which ones give a warning sign? This is not an easy question to answer, as different manufacturers support different subsets of reporting variables. In addition, raw values you see in the rightmost column are vendor-specific, meaning nothing before they are decoded. However, there are some parameters that are supported by most manufacturers (for example AData, PQI, Transcend).
Most S.M.A.R.T. tools calculate drive’s health by analyzing the following variables: Reallocated Sectors Count, Current Pending Sectors Count, and Uncorrectable Sector Count. Manufacturer supplied disk analysis tools can use other (vendor-specific) parameters as well to perform a more in-depth analysis of the drive’s health.
Reallocated Sectors Count. This parameter gives a good hint on the overall health of the drive. It represents the number of sectors that were found bad and were remapped to a special zone (reserved area) of the hard disk. Normally, new hard drives should have zero reallocated sectors. With use, you may get an occasional instance or two; this usually does not represent a serious problem. What does represent a problem is a situation where the number of reallocated sectors is steadily increasing with time. This means the disk is slowly failing; get a replacement ASAP before you start getting uncorrectable read errors (see below).
Current Pending Sector Count. The meaning of this value is highly dependent on disk manufacturers. A rise in Current Pending Sector Count may mean there are unstable (but not necessarily outright bad) sectors on the drive. If the count of pending sectors increases with time, it’s time to replace the disk.
Uncorrectable Sector Count. When a sector is so bad it can’t be read for remapping, the Uncorrectable Sector Count variable increases. The variable represents the count of uncorrectable errors when reading/writing a sector from the disk surface. If the value of this attribute increases, this indicates mechanical problems or defects of the disk surface. A replacement disk should be used as soon as possible.
Read Error Rate. This parameter stores data about the rate of hardware read errors that occurred when reading data from the disk. The raw value is manufacturer dependent, so it’s difficult to interpret correctly. This parameter may not mean much to generic S.M.A.R.T. analysis tools, but is often used by disk diagnostic tools supplied by hard drive manufacturers.
Write Error Rate. Indicates errors while recording data into disk. Vendor-specific value, mostly used by manufacturer supplied HDD diagnostic tools.
Reallocation Event Count. The value stores the count of sector reallocation operations. Both successful and unsuccessful attempts are counted. This value supplements the reading of Reallocated Sectors Count, but is sometimes omitted (not recorded) by some models/manufacturers. A rise in Reallocation Event Count means the hard drive is deteriorating.
Spin Retry Count. This value stores the number of retries during disk spin-up. A growing value may be a sign of an upcoming mechanical failure.
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Hi, 8 errors has been reallocated on my 2TB Seagate drive,but 1 is uncorrectable.Should i replace disk asap ? Or can stay..? Raid6
Can hard disk failures be prevented entirely, or is it inevitable that all hard disks will fail eventually?
No, hard disk failures cannot be prevented entirely. All hard disks will eventually fail due to wear and tear, age, or other factors. It is important to regularly back up your data and use proper storage techniques to ensure that your data is safe.
What should one do if they suspect that their hard disk is failing?
If you suspect your hard disk is failing, the best thing to do is to back up any important data as soon as possible. This will ensure that you don't lose any valuable data if the hard disk does fail. You should also run disk diagnostics to test the health of the disk. If the disk fails the diagnostics, it's best to replace it as soon as possible.
What are some other early warning signs of a hard disk failure besides SMART parameters?
Can a hard disk still fail even if its SMART parameters do not indicate any issues?
Yes, a hard disk can still fail even if its SMART parameters do not indicate any issues. SMART parameters are only indicators of potential problems, and they may not always detect all issues. Additionally, the failure of a hard disk can be caused by other factors such as physical damage, power surges, or incorrect usage.
Are there any common misconceptions regarding SMART parameters and hard disk failures?
Yes, there are several common misconceptions regarding SMART parameters and hard disk failures. One is that SMART parameters can accurately predict when a hard drive will fail. While SMART parameters can provide some indications of a potential hard drive failure, they cannot accurately predict when a drive will fail. Another misconception is that SMART parameters are the only way to detect hard drive failures. While SMART parameters can be helpful in detecting hard drive failures, there are other methods, such as running diagnostic tests or monitoring system performance, that can also be used to detect hard drive failures. Finally, some people believe that SMART parameters can be used to fix hard drive failures. While SMART parameters can provide useful information about a potential hard drive failure, they cannot be used to fix the problem.
Read about SMART parameters and early signs of a failing hard disk. If you do have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our technical support service - we will be happy to help you.