HDD SMART Check alert

[ish4d0w]

Hi

I have a question about my hard drive - Samsung HM250JI. That's SATA 2.5" 5400RPM. Several years old, fine so far.
Lately it started to behave strange. It still works, but sometimes it makes loud click noises (it's like knocking on the table) Like it hit something but that makes no sense. Other times, there's a quiet sound that's like a beep - is there a beep speaker inside the hard drive?? Or it could be the motor too...

So far the drive works. But I'm worried so I'm making regular backups like several times a week.

Check out this screenshot. Do you think it's serious?

(I hope this drive can hold out)

 

[PBzeer]

It's not a question of will it fail, only a question of when.

 

[ish4d0w]

But should I be worried now? Is it worse than an average HDD? What about that blue line in the HDD Tester program above? The one marked "attention"?

 

[CKWD]

Hello ish4d0w!

It's a good call with the back ups, I would have advised you to make them otherwise.

The sounds you are hearing seem to be the sounds of a dying hard drive: high pitched beeping sounds, sharp clicks etc.

The CRC error on the SMART test screenshot means the count of errors during data transfer via the interface cable. Which would mean that too many errors have passed through and the drive endures damage. This could also be a case of the SATA cable going faulty.

The SMART is a very accurate test and shouldn't be ignored.

You could either RMA the drive if possible, or just find a replacement by yourself, or continue to use it but always have back ups, as it will sooner or later completely fail.

Good luck!

CK_WD

 

[ish4d0w]

Hello ish4d0w!

It's a good call with the back ups, I would have advised you to make them otherwise.

The sounds you are hearing seem to be the sounds of a dying hard drive: high pitched beeping sounds, sharp clicks etc.

The CRC error on the SMART test screenshot means the count of errors during data transfer via the interface cable. Which would mean that too many errors have passed through and the drive endures damage. This could also be a case of the SATA cable going faulty.

The SMART is a very accurate test and shouldn't be ignored.

You could either RMA the drive if possible, or just find a replacement by yourself, or continue to use it but always have back ups, as it will sooner or later completely fail.

Good luck!

CK_WD

Thank you very much for your reply! - Great answer!

The interface cable is tested to be OK, works fine with other drives. This is the only drive making these noises and producing this error.
How do I check if it's still under warranty?

 

[CKWD]

Thank you, glad I could help!

It depends. Since I am a WD representative and this is not a WD drive, I could only advise you to check with the manufacturer, online or on the phone.

CK_WD

 

[LMiller7]

A hard drive making unusual clicking sounds is always bad news. The drive is dying and needs to be replaced. Consider yourself lucky to have received such a warning. Many are not so fortunate.

The SMART warning is a secondary indication of trouble. Warnings here need to be considered but never rely on them. A SMART warning is like the check engine light in a car. They are a sign of potential trouble but the lack of such warnings does not mean all is well.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

You were smart (pardon the pun) to start keeping backups when your drive started throwing SMART errors. However, a drive can suddenly fail without any notice at all so it is wise to always maintain backups from the word go.

 

[ish4d0w]

Thank you everybody for your help