If your computer reports a SMART error on your hard drive, it’s a serious warning sign that your drive may be failing soon. SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is a monitoring system built into modern hard drives and SSDs to detect and report various indicators of drive health.
What Causes a SMART Error?
A SMART error is triggered when one or more of the drive’s internal health parameters exceeds a specified threshold. Some common causes of SMART errors include:
Excessive bad sectors or read errors
High drive temperature
Slow spin-up time
Excessive reallocated sectors
Pending sectors
Seek errors
When a SMART error occurs, it’s a near-term prediction of drive failure. The drive may still appear to be functioning normally, but it’s important to take action quickly to avoid data loss.
Can a SMART Error Be Fixed?
In most cases, a SMART error cannot be directly fixed. The underlying hardware issue that triggered the error cannot be repaired. However, there are a few things you can try:
Improve ventilation: If the SMART error is due to excessive temperature, improving airflow around the drive may help. Make sure the drive has adequate cooling and that any fans are working properly.
Run a drive diagnostic: Use the manufacturer’s diagnostic tool (e.g., SeaTools for Seagate drives) to further test the drive’s health. If the diagnostic passes, the SMART error may have been a false positive.
Disable SMART in BIOS: If the SMART error persists and you’re unable to replace the drive immediately, you can try disabling SMART monitoring in your computer’s BIOS. This will prevent the error from appearing but won’t fix the underlying issue.
However, the best course of action is to assume the drive will fail soon and take steps to protect your data:
Back up your data immediately to an external drive or cloud storage.
Replace the drive as soon as possible, especially if it’s under warranty.
Maintain regular backups going forward to prevent data loss from future drive failures.
While a SMART error can’t be fixed, acting quickly to back up your data and replace the drive can help you avoid the consequences of a complete hard drive failure. Be proactive about drive health and backups to protect your important files.