UPDATE: Experts are urging computer users to urgently check their drives’ SMART data to prevent potential data loss. New reports reveal that misinterpretation of this Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology can lead to costly mistakes in diagnosing drive health.
Just announced: Many users are at risk of prematurely discarding their hard drives or solid state drives due to misreadings. With storage devices being integral to personal and professional data management, ensuring their reliability is critical now more than ever.
SMART data offers insights into the health of your drives, but it’s not foolproof. Users must perform a thorough sanity check on key parameters before making any decisions. Here are the six crucial areas to investigate:
1. **Read/Write Data**: Before trusting a “Failed” SMART reading, verify the read/write values. A 512GB SSD reporting terabytes of data written may indicate system issues rather than drive failure. Insufficient RAM can cause excessive read/write cycles, skewing SMART reports.
2. **Retired NAND Blocks/Reallocated Sectors**: Monitor the number of retired NAND blocks on SSDs and reallocated sectors on HDDs. While some wear is expected, a sudden increase could signal impending failure. Users should consult first-party diagnostic tools for accurate readings.
3. **Command Timeout**: Particularly relevant for HDDs, a Command Timeout value above zero indicates aborted operations. This is a critical warning sign of possible drive failure. If detected, users should consider replacing the drive immediately.
4. **Unsafe Shutdown/Unexpected Power Loss**: Repeated unexpected shutdowns can damage drives over time. High instances of power loss could indicate issues with power supplies or connections, prompting users to check their system’s stability.
5. **Temperature**: NVMe M.2 SSDs should stay below **70°C** under load and **50°C** at idle. Consistently high temperatures could threaten drive integrity. Users should examine their cooling systems and consider installing a heat sink.
6. **Spin Retry Count**: A high spin retry count, which indicates delays in boot-up, is a potential red flag for HDDs. Users experiencing long startup times should investigate further, as this could indicate mechanical issues or drive failure.
In light of these findings, users are strongly advised to utilize first-party diagnostic tools from their SSD or HDD manufacturers for the most accurate health assessments. Relying solely on third-party software may lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary data loss.
Additionally, maintaining a robust backup strategy is essential. Experts recommend a 3-2-1 backup setup: three total copies of your data, two local but on different devices, and one copy off-site, such as in the cloud. This ensures that if a drive fails, your data remains safe and accessible.
What happens next? Stay vigilant and proactive about monitoring your drive’s health. With technology evolving rapidly, understanding and acting on these key SMART data parameters can save you from significant data loss and costly replacements. Act now—check your drives today!
