I applaud your backup efforts, and I encourage you to continue both the saving of data and monitoring of drive health. I'm sure there are utilities that can read and interpret the SMART data and give you more information about what is occurring. Just keep in mind that SMART doesn't say that the drive is bad, just that it is exhibiting abnormal test responses. You won't know when the drive is bad until you hear it crunch funny, not boot, not spin up, or other such tangible symptoms. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] S.M.A.R.T. error message From: Gregg Pfaff <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, November 02, 2009 7:30 pm To: [log in to unmask] I've been getting that message on my old HP 433mhz Celeron, running win98se, on the primary 8gb drive for 6 months now and after I hit F1 it operates fine. I backed it up to the second (slave) drive and if it goes it goes. I only really use it to run some old programs I have and word processing etc. But I feel the message is an error and the drive seems normal. Like I said...I back up my important stuff regularly. Gregg ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenneth Whyman SC" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 5:53 PM Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] S.M.A.R.T. error message SMART is a drive monitoring technology that has become a standard in the industry. The hard drive itself monitors several different parameters concerning its own health, and reports the results to the IDE controller if it is enabled to receive it in BIOS. One SMART alarm is not a great cause for concern. The second and subsequent ones are, especially when they begin occurring on a regular basis (every boot cycle). SMART does not tell you that the hard disk has failed, only that it is getting ready to do so. My advice to you at this point is to make a VERY prompt backup to CD of all your data, and continue to monitor the drive. If you get SMART alerts each boot-up, save money quickly for a new drive and use the current one with regular backups until it drops. Be sure to have your Windows restore disk and any drivers you need to recover the system close at hand. Another idea is to shoot a disk image as a backup and lay that onto the new drive if and when the old one gives it up. That method of backup and restore will get you going a little quicker that the old "restore disk and drivers" method. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [PCBUILD] S.M.A.R.T. error message From: Phillip Williams <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, November 02, 2009 1:12 pm To: [log in to unmask] I recently sent this in using my AOLmail before I remembered being told the list wasn't accepting AOLmail so I'm sorry if it gets double posted. Lately, when I start one of my pcs, I get this message; Pri Master Hard Disk:S.M.A.R.T. Status Bad Backup and Replace Press f1 to resume. I press f1 and continue with no problems. I have noticed in the past that there is an "enable/Disable" option in the "bios" settings but not knowing anything about S.M.A.R.T., I haven't messed with it. Is there a chance the warning could be wrong? I hope so since my Primary HD is a WD 10,000rpm which I can't afford to replace unless I do so with a cheaper drive. The 2nd drive is an older WD 60 gig that, since problem started, doesn't even show up in My Computer. I haven't experienced any major problems with this pc but lately while sitting idle, I've noticed an occasional sound similar to a thermal cut-off switch turning off and back on. I assumed it was the fan regulator changing speeds but this warning has me second-guessing that asumption. The only time this pc has been connected to the internet was when I first activated windows (xp home) and any software or other media I insert is checked first with AV software on another machine. I have the HD in a cooler box that fits a drive slot. It's a dual fan gizmo with LED read-out that alternates between CPU and HD temperatures which usually run about 83 and 88 degrees. I'm not sure which reading represents which component but these temps have been pretty consistant since it was built. The only major change I've made is to add a second HD for video and music files. I did that a couple months ago and the warning just started in the last few days. One other problem I've had (which I posted here but never really resolved) is an occasional freeze-up of movie DVDs which requires a reboot but even this hasn't happened in a month or two. The pc is using a Soyo mobo, P-4 3.2 hyper-thread and 2 gig ram. primary HD is sata and 2nd HD is on the ribbon cable with my dvd drive. Is there any hope for this HD or shall I play a durge and commit it to the briney deep? -Phil- PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download visit our download web page at: http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download visit our download web page at: http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download visit our download web page at: http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml Visit our website regularly for FAQs, articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more http://freepctech.com