Greetings --
From whatis.com (
http://whatis.techtarget.com/):
"Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) is
an interface between a computer's start-up program or BIOS (basic
input/output system) and the computer hard disk. It is a feature of
the Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) technology that
controls access to the hard drive. If S.M.A.R.T is enabled when a
computer is set up, the BIOS can receive analytical information from
the hard drive and determine whether to send the user a warning
message about possible future failure of the hard drive. "
As you can see, this is purely a function of the PC's
hardware/firmware and the hard drive; it has nothing to do with WinXP,
or any other operating system.
Having seen the same error, I can only say: "Back up your data
daily until you replace that drive."
On those machines I on which I've seen those S.M.A.R.T. warnings,
catastrophic hard drive failures invariably followed. Some hard
drives lasted for a few days after the warnings first appeared, one
lasted months, and some lasted only minutes. I suppose the one that
lasted months could be considered a false alarm, as months hardly
translate to "imminent," but, on the whole, I'd suggest you take the
warnings seriously.
Bruce Chambers
--
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