Disk Drive S.M.A.R.T. Events/Monitoring/Alerts

[Guest]

I can't find anything in Windows XP Help about what happens when the disk
drive's S.M.A.R.T. function detects error conditions. Does Windows XP do any
logging or notifying when such events occur?

There is an article on Microsoft's web site that suggests using third party
software to monitor for these events and alert the user. What level of
support for this is provided in Windows XP, without adding third party
software?

If it's necessary to go to third party software to get this function, which
third party software is recommended?

 

[Clayton]

Third party software is designed for this, whatever drive you have, goto
their website and run their software. It would be much better than what
Windows XP would report if any

 

[Pennywise]

I can't find anything in Windows XP Help about what happens when the disk
drive's S.M.A.R.T. function detects error conditions. Does Windows XP do any
logging or notifying when such events occur?

There is an article on Microsoft's web site that suggests using third party
software to monitor for these events and alert the user. What level of
support for this is provided in Windows XP, without adding third party
software?

If it's necessary to go to third party software to get this function, which
third party software is recommended?

I know of two (non manufacture) programs for reading SMART info
Everest http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html
HD Health http://www.panterasoft.com/

Both recommended, Everest generates lots more info about your system.

 

[Richard Urban]

There is nothing within Windows that has any interaction with S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. was introduced after Windows XP was released. You need a third
party utility to see what is going on.

You can use Belarc Advisor, HDTune, Everest Home Edition 1.51 (still
available from download sites) and similar utilities to see the S.M.A.R.T.
status of your drives.

Otherwise, you have to depend upon what you see during the P.O.S.T.
sequence of booting your computer.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Bob I]

Actually it predates Windows XP, but is a hardware system and reports
itself in the POST if enabled.

 

[Richard Urban]

Yes, it was there before XP, but in many/most cases one had to use a disk
utility supplied by the hardware manufacturer to turn on the capabilities in
the drive. I know that I did.

It wasn't until about 3-4 years ago that most drives came with it already
enabled.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Would not the BIOS POST screen display a warning message about SMART test
failing?

 

[Richard Urban]

Yes! It should. Unfortunately with the splash screens that many computer
companies implement these days the bios post screen is hidden. Most people
do not know how to turn this screen off to see the information during the
post.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

I was looking for something more timely than messages that appear during
POST. A few years ago, I had a hard disk crash on my own IBM computer, and
the software reported the SMART information when error conditions first
occurred. So, I was able to move my data from the failing hard drive before
it crashed completely.

Recently, a friend had a hard drive crash in a Sony computer, and something
I was puzzled about was why he didn't know the hard drive was failing, as I
did a few years ago. He didn't know the drive was failing until it was too
late. It turned out that The Sony computer's BIOS was set up with SMART
disabled, and I was puzzled that Sony would do that -- it seemed such a
stupid thing to me. My apparently faulty recollection was that it was Windows
that reported the SMART information and saved the day for me.

Now I realize that it was not Windows, but some third party software that
IBM had preloaded. And my friend's Sony computer had SMART turned off because
it didn't have the third party software preloaded. Probably saved a few
nickels.

Now the thing that puzzles me is why this is not included in Windows --
Windows handles all sorts of device unique dependencies, so why it isn't more
helpful with regard to SMART?

 

[Andy]

I was looking for something more timely than messages that appear during
POST. A few years ago, I had a hard disk crash on my own IBM computer, and
the software reported the SMART information when error conditions first
occurred. So, I was able to move my data from the failing hard drive before
it crashed completely.

IBM used to have a Windows utility called SMARTDefender, which was
developed for them by ONTRACK Data International.

Recently, a friend had a hard drive crash in a Sony computer, and something
I was puzzled about was why he didn't know the hard drive was failing, as I
did a few years ago. He didn't know the drive was failing until it was too
late. It turned out that The Sony computer's BIOS was set up with SMART
disabled, and I was puzzled that Sony would do that -- it seemed such a
stupid thing to me. My apparently faulty recollection was that it was Windows
that reported the SMART information and saved the day for me.

The default settings for BIOSes seem to disable SMART on all of the
motherboards I've dealt with.

 

[... et al.]

There is nothing within Windows that has any interaction with S.M.A.R.T.

SMARTVSD Virtual Device (Version 4.0)
FileVersion 4.10.2222
(C) (1988-1999) Microsoft Corp.
OriginalFilename SMARTVSD.VXD
ProductName Windows Operating System

S.M.A.R.T. was introduced after Windows XP was released. You need a third
party utility to see what is going on.

You can use Belarc Advisor, HDTune, Everest Home Edition 1.51 (still
available from download sites) and similar utilities to see the S.M.A.R.T.
status of your drives.

DiskCheckup (PassMark Software),
<http://www.passmark.com/products/diskcheckup.htm>,
makes us of a version of the above VxD when run under Windows, but
manages without (or uses som other binary) under WinNT 5.x.