S.M.A.R.T. command failure. BIOS issue after security update

[Fred]

Yesterday, via the windows installer, I downloaded and
installed security update KB832483. Upon doing the
required re-boot, I immediately had a bios error:
Pri Master hard disk: S.M.A.R.T. command failed. Press F4
to resume.
Pressing F4 does continue the boot, and all seems to work
okay, but I'd like to get rid of this 'problem'. The only
system change was the installation of security patch. Had
rebooted the computer several times earlier in the day- no
problem until the patch. Any help?

System basics: Intel MB D865PESV, P4 2.4, Primary HDD
Maxtor 51024U2, Windows XP pro SP1.
Thanks

 

[Guest]

Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T) lets you know when the hard drive is getting close to failure. It is not part of the operating system. I would back up your drive as soon as possible, then check Maxtor's site for diagnostic tools that can confirm the drive is close to failure

Craig Landis [MSFT
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Bruce Chambers]

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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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Fred]

Thanks. Good advice, and I'll do those backups now. Odd
that this occurred immediately after the patch
installation. I realized that the error message was being
generated between the HDD and BIOS, but it wouldn't be the
first time I've seen software updates change the MBR or
BIOS settings. I'm new to XP tho, and not quite sure what
to expect with it's updates.

I've run the latest Maxtor Diagnostics and it reports no
errors on the drive. But I'll contact Maxtor as well.
Was 'hoping' somebody else might have experienced this
upon install of the patch and it wasn't *just* my system
bombing

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

I think it was just coincidental. I've never seen a patch cause a
hardware failure, although there are some viruses that can affect the
BIOS (although not in this manner).


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH