Some say SMART's failing, others do not...

[cambookpro]

Hi.
Recently I've been having clicking noises with my Toshiba 500GB HD in my MBP.

I've downloaded two programmes (plus there's Disk Utility) and they say:

Disk Utility: Verified

SMART Utility (http://www.volitans-software.com/smart_utility.php): Failing

SMARTReporter (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/smartreporter.html): Passed

Interestingly, I ran the same programmes on a different computer with the same drive and got the same results. Can anyone shed light on this?
Thanks.

 

[S.B.G]

SMART is a great idea on paper, but has never been reliable as a status reporting tool. The inventors of it never gave it the robustness it needed to accomplish it's goal. Here is a very infomative podcast about Hard Drive Unreliability (<<MP3 link) and SMART.

If you're getting clicking from the HDD, you better make sure it's backed up with Time Machine and get a replacement HDD ASAP.

 

[cambookpro]

SMART is a great idea on paper, but has never been reliable as a status reporting tool. The inventors of it never gave it the robustness it needed to accomplish it's goal. Here is a very infomative podcast about Hard Drive Unreliability (<<MP3 link) and SMART.

If you're getting clicking from the HDD, you better make sure it's backed up with Time Machine and get a replacement HDD ASAP.

Thanks. Is it normal (well not normal lol) for the clicking to be intermittent?
Sometimes I get it once a fortnight, others three times a day. A couple of times I've been forced to do a force restart as it starts clicking and never stops.

 

[S.B.G]

Thanks. Is it normal (well not normal lol) for the clicking to be intermittent?
Sometimes I get it once a fortnight, others three times a day. A couple of times I've been forced to do a force restart as it starts clicking and never stops.

HDD clicking is ALWAYS bad, whether consistent or intermittent. Don't take any chances with your data, back it up and get a new one as soon as you can. That clicking HDD could last another month, year or 3 minutes, you can never know when it's going to go. But at least the clicking is giving you a warning sign.

 

[TheFarmer]

HDD clicking is ALWAYS bad, whether consistent or intermittent. Don't take any chances with your data, back it up and get a new one as soon as you can. That clicking HDD could last another month, year or 3 minutes, you can never know when it's going to go. But at least the clicking is giving you a warning sign.

FWIW (For what it's worth), my HP1000z (bestbuy version so it was HP1550suck etneral "f" "u" "z") whatever clicked hardcore for many years. I don't care to share whatever was in it as far as HD was (Seagate) but I still use it today as a backup drive via external enclosure Store my deepest darkest secret on a 2GB non SDHC card though lol. But I will share with you all that my deekest darkest secret is I wish I had a Powerbook 2400c.

 

[NickZac]

SMART is actually kind of dumb. With that said, when it does indicate failure, it usually does fail in the relatively short-term, but IIRC SMART only has successful failure detection of about 50%.

 

[cambookpro]

Thanks. Luckily I have a backup on a time capsule and lots of important files on dropbox. Looks like a new HD then.
Do you know if they'll replace it for free (it's under warranty) even if it hasn't died completely?

 

[S.B.G]

Thanks. Luckily I have a backup on a time capsule and lots of important files on dropbox. Looks like a new HD then.
Do you know if they'll replace it for free (it's under warranty) even if it hasn't died completely?

Oh yeah, if your computer is under warranty, bring it in and they should replace it without any hassle.

 

[cambookpro]

Oh yeah, if your computer is under warranty, bring it in and they should replace it without any hassle.

My drive's under warranty, as it was bought separately after I bought the computer. My computer, as I didn't get AppleCare, is not.

 

[NickZac]

Hard drives can be replaced, but data can't so given you have it backed up is gooooood.

Did you call Toshiba about the drive? More than likely they will help you out and while waiting for a replacement, you can boot your computer off of an external hard drive.

 

[cambookpro]

Hard drives can be replaced, but data can't so given you have it backed up is gooooood.

Did you call Toshiba about the drive? More than likely they will help you out and while waiting for a replacement, you can boot your computer off of an external hard drive.

My data is backed up. The disk is still fine, not dead. Would they still replace it?

 

[S.B.G]

My data is backed up. The disk is still fine, not dead. Would they still replace it?

Yes, they should replace it if it's under warranty. They'll know about the clicking and should take appropriate action to replace it.

 

[NickZac]

My data is backed up. The disk is still fine, not dead. Would they still replace it?

If its clickity clacking, it could mean a lot of things, none which are good. It seems clicking is frequent in regards to head crashes on magnetic HDDs. If it's making noise, I think they well. You've already done the most important part though. You would be AMAZED as to how many people don't back their data up...it's kinda frightening.