Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 31, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
“Typically, a hard disk is subject to natural wear. If no exceptional event such as a lightning strike or overvoltage occurs that leads to immediate failure, the service life can be reliably predicted,” says Jürgen Keller, Head of Product Development Productivity & Utilities at Zonelink. To do this, the software evaluates the SMART data (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) that every modern hard drive collects about itself.
“On the basis of the data, the condition of the hard disk can be determined precisely,” explains Keller. Depending on the hard drive, SMART measures around 40 individual values, including, for example, the current temperature, the previous operating hours and the rate of errors that have already occurred when reading and writing on the disk. HDD Life Pro constantly keeps an eye on and evaluates the SMART information of all hard drives in the PC. The software now shows the user directly on the Windows desktop which hard drive is healthy and on which disk a total loss of data threatens. The familiar warning symbols from the Windows XP Security Center are used for this.
The service life of hard drives is not specified by manufacturers. It is generally assumed that, depending on use, it is between ten and 30 years. HDD Life Pro warns the computer owner when the hard disk is in a critical condition and points to a backup copy or a hard-drive replacement. Depending on the setting, the program switches the computer into hibernation as soon as, for example, the temperature of the hard drive becomes problematically high. This is intended to prevent a hardware crash – statistically number one among data losses – from surprising the unprepared user. When used in office environments or in servers, the software also informs the administrator about the condition of the hard drives by mail.
The software is available from specialist retailers at a price of 19.99 euros.
Further Links:
- Zonelinke
