DriveDX, which I'm still trying to get a response from the support for over 2 weeks now. Is the product still legit?
It’s still available for download via their official website and functions properly on the latest version of macOS (v15.3.1). So, I would say: yes.
In fact, Binary Fruit allows a
trial period — ensure you also install the
SAT SMART driver:
“Trial Version” means a version of the Software to be used only to review, demonstrate and evaluate the Software for a limited time period. Our Software products is shareware. It means that You can download the Trial Version for evaluation, test compatibility with Your hardware and, if You like the product, order the license. I.e. You can try before You buy. The Trial Version of Software may be installed and used by You for the sole purpose of trying and evaluating this Software. The Trial Version of Software may be installed and used by You on any number of systems. Your distribution of a Trial Version of the Software to a third party will not entitle You to any compensation from Us. You are not permitted to use the Trial Version on any system where the Trial Version was previously Used and expired.
Many older enclosures (e.g., USB 2/3) don’t support passing SMART data.
By the way, this equally affects if
TechTool Pro can report and monitor external drive health.
Speaking oF TTP… I owned v13 through v17, primarily for monitoring drive health. It’s a nice and nifty software suite. However, I didn’t feel I was getting the utmost value because I didn’t utilize most of the features. So, I moved to DriveDx, but not solely. When I initially transitioned to DriveDx, like you, my focus was monitoring the health of a HDD I was using for backups. Because it was a HDD, I liked the option to defrag, at least occasionally, which TTP was certainly equipped to do. To make up for that feature loss, I rediscovered/dug up a tool from the past:
With SSDs, of course, defragging is not only useless but damaging. Furthermore, APFS doesn’t support manual defragmentation — put very simply, it’s because APFS is designed for SSDs. Therefore, I eventually abandoned iDefrag, again.
Suggestions for an alternative greatly appreciated. Need to know when a 10yr old external hd won't be able to work anymore....still working now but you never know and I'm getting paranoid...
Duration is only a single factor of many. For example, there’s also temperature (including but not limited to range and peak temperatures the drive has been subjected to), drive defects, general wear, mishandling damage (anything from physical handling to disconnection while the drive is in operation), unfortunate damage (e.g., power outage), and more.
Anyway...
In addition to the earlier mentions, you can routinely (or occasionally)
run Disk First Aid. Another good practice is performing a realistic test. If you’re using a cloning software for backup, open various files. If you’re using Time Machine,
restore (and open) various files. These actions should provide at least some assurance the file system hasn’t sustained any corruption and can be successfully accessed.
