Determing Remaining Life on HDD

[Karant]

Okay, I'm just wondering if there are any programs that determine what condition and how long your hard-drives will last. Thanks.

[linjy2]

speedfan sort of shows the life of the drive.

under the S.M.A.R.T. tab where it shows fitness and performance. but then again it could just mean how fragmented the drive is.

other than that im not to sure.

[defakto]

No, there's not, smart is only a guestimate based on certain factors. There is no way to accurately predicts a harddrives deaths, there are too many different ways it can die. Heat, mechanical failure, age related failure, bad power, bad electronics, bad ide controller, power outage, power surge, being kicked while running, system being dropped, excessive vibration....the list goes on.

[NulloModo]

No, there's not, smart is only a guestimate based on certain factors. There is no way to accurately predicts a harddrives deaths, there are too many different ways it can die. Heat, mechanical failure, age related failure, bad power, bad electronics, bad ide controller, power outage, power surge, being kicked while running, system being dropped, excessive vibration....the list goes on.

Plus there seems to be little rhyme or reason for when HDs go. I have a 2 gig Maxtor that has been running strong since '95 despite attempted booting while the drive was frozen (left it out in my car during winter), system being moved from dorm to home and back 4 times, and who knows what else. Yet others get brand new drives in boxes and they fail in weeks.