PassMark DiskCheckup allows the user to monitor the SMART attributes of a particular hard disk drive. SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) is a feature on a computer's hard disk for providing various monitoring indicators of disk reliability. If SMART is enabled on a hard disk, the system administrator can receive analytical information from the hard drive to determine a possible future failure of the hard drive.
SMART monitors elements of possible long term drive failure, such as 'Spin Up Time', the number of start/stops, the number of hours powered on and the hard disk temperature.
DiskCheckup displays the current values of the SMART attributes, along with the Threshold value for that attribute. If an attribute drops below its threshold, the drive cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet its specifications in the future.
Note that SMART attributes change slowly over time and are helpful attempts to diagnose the life span of a particular drive. DiskCheckup monitors these changes over a long period and predict the date (if available) of the Threshold Exceed Condition (TEC), which is displayed on the main window.
DiskCheckup can also execute built-in Disk Self-Test (DST) routines implemented by the vendor to detect drive failures. There are two main self-test routines: Short Test and Extended Test. The results of these tests are displayed in DiskCheckup.
DiskCheckup can detect and set the sizes of the Host Protected Area (HPA) and Device Configuration Overlay (DCO). The HPA/DCO are hidden areas of the hard disk that contain data not accessible by the user. These areas can be removed to reveal the data hidden within these areas.
DiskCheckup also displays device information, such as the drive geometry, serial number, model number, media rotation rate, and supported features. The real-time activity of the disk is also displayed and updated periodically.
E-mail Notifications when Threshold Exceed Condition Detected
DiskCheckup can be configured to send e-mail notifications when a SMART attribute has been detected to be less than the allowable threshold value. Such threshold values are determined by the hard disk manufacturer. For a drive to be considered "good", all the SMART attributes must be above these values. Different SMART attributes have different threshold values. For more configuration options, refer to the screen shot below.
