Read out hard disk S.M.A.R.T. - this is how it works

In order to prevent any data loss, modern hard disks have the option of having S.M.A.R.T. read them out. To do this, the values are monitored and logged during runtime so that measures can be taken in good time.

How to have your hard drive S.M.A.R.T. read

To prevent you and your PC from experiencing a nasty surprise in the form of a head crash, resulting in data loss, there is S.M.A.R.T. This abbreviation stands for "Self Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology". Here the values of your hard disk are always logged, so that threshold values are not exceeded. A head crash is caused by wear and tear, for example, when smaller particles of the hard disk come loose and hit the magnetic strips. S.M.A.R.T. checks the values in the background and logs them in a separate program that cannot be changed. It also issues warnings when threshold values are exceeded, but does not intervene in a controlling manner. Thus, the speed of the hard disk is not slowed down and you can work at your usual pace.

1. The most commonly used program for such self-monitoring is "CrystalDiskInfo". There you can read out many values to learn more about the condition of your hard drive.
2. So you can find information about the overall condition of the HDD or SSD, the current temperature as well as the operating hours, but also many other values can be read out with this program.
3. In the graphical representation you can see directly by the colors whether everything is ok or whether there is a problem. (Blue and green= everything ok, yellow= there is a problem present, red=a serious error is present)
4. In addition, limit values are stored in this program, which should not be exceeded or even fallen short of. If the values approach such a limit, then you should create a backup as a precaution.