URGENT UPDATE: Users of SSDs and HDDs are being warned to double-check their drives’ SMART data immediately to prevent potential data loss. This critical monitoring tool, known as Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, can mislead users into thinking their drives are failing when they might not be.
The implications are profound: misdiagnosing a drive could lead to unnecessary replacements and the risk of losing valuable data. Experts emphasize that before deciding to recycle your old drive, perform a thorough sanity check on these six critical parameters.
READ/WRITE DATA: Before panicking over a “Failed” SMART reading, scrutinize the read/write values of your drive. For instance, if a 512GB SSD shows it has read and written several terabytes, investigate further. Insufficient RAM can cause excessive data movement between RAM and storage, inflating these figures. Always verify Read/Write Error Rates using the original manufacturer’s diagnostic tool to ensure you’re within acceptable limits.
RETIRED NAND BLOCKS/REALLOCATED SECTORS: SMART data tracks the health of NAND blocks in your SSD. When these blocks fail, they become “retired”. A small number of retired blocks is normal, but a rapid increase signals potential drive failure. Use first-party diagnostic tools alongside third-party options like CyrstalDiskInfo for accurate results.
COMMAND TIMEOUT: This figure, predominantly relevant for HDDs, indicates how many operations were aborted due to timeouts. A value of zero is ideal; anything above one suggests immediate replacement may be necessary. If your HDD shows signs of command timeout failure, ensure you have backups ready.
UNSAFE SHUTDOWN/UNEXPECTED POWER LOSS: Repeated unexpected shutdowns can harm your drives over time, leading to data corruption. If your device logs a high number of unexpected power losses, it could indicate issues with your power supply or connections, and it’s crucial to check your drive’s health.
TEMPERATURE: For NVMe M.2 SSDs, optimal temperatures should not exceed 50 ̊C when idle or 70 ̊C under load. Consistently high temperatures can damage your drive, so check your PC’s cooling and ventilation systems if temperatures spike.
SPIN RETRY COUNT: A high spin retry count can indicate mechanical failure in HDDs. If your drive takes longer to boot, this could be a sign of trouble. Always use the manufacturer’s tools to verify data accuracy.
Experts recommend maintaining a 3-2-1 backup strategy—three total copies of your data, two local but on different devices, and one copy in the cloud. This method ensures that even if your drive fails, your precious data remains secure.
In summary, don’t let misleading SMART data lead to unnecessary panic. Conduct these sanity checks to ensure your drive’s integrity and safeguard your data. As technology evolves, staying informed and proactive is your best defense against data loss.