BIOS SMART HDD Error

A **BIOS SMART HDD Error** (often seen as *“SMART Status Bad,” “SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk,” or “SMART Error Detected”*) means your **hard drive is reporting signs of imminent failure**.

SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is built into HDDs and SSDs to track drive health.

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### ⚠️ What the Error Means

When the BIOS detects a SMART error during boot, it usually indicates:

* **Bad sectors are growing**

* **Reallocated sector count** is high

* **Uncorrectable errors** or **pending sectors** exist

* Or other failure signs like high temperature or spin retries

In short, **your drive is at risk of failing very soon**—if it hasn’t already.

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### 🔒 What You Should Do Immediately

#### ✅ 1. **Backup Your Data ASAP**

If the system still boots or the drive is accessible:

> 🚨 Copy **important files now** to another drive or cloud storage.

If not, try:

* Booting into **Safe Mode**

* Using a **bootable USB (like Hiren’s BootCD or Ubuntu Live)** to recover files

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#### 🧪 2. **Check SMART Status in Windows/Linux**

If the drive is still operational:

* Use [**CrystalDiskInfo**](https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/)

* Or run from CMD (Windows):

```bash

wmic diskdrive get status

```

* Or use Linux tool:

```bash

sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX

```

Look for:

* **Reallocated\_Sector\_Count**

* **Current\_Pending\_Sector**

* **Uncorrectable\_Sector\_Count**

Non-zero values = drive is degraded

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#### ⚙️ 3. **Disable SMART Warning Temporarily**

To boot normally without interruption (not a fix):

* Go to **BIOS setup**

* Look for `SMART Monitoring`, `SMART Check`, or `SMART Reporting`

* **Disable it**

⚠️ **Only do this after backing up data**—this just suppresses the warning, not the problem.

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### 🛠️ Recovery & Repair Options

| Action | When to Try |

| ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |

| **`chkdsk /r`** (Windows) | If drive is slow but accessible |

| **Drive clone (Macrium Reflect, ddrescue)** | To create a copy before full failure |

| **Professional recovery** | If drive is inaccessible or clicking |

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### 🧾 Replace the Drive

SMART errors mean the drive is unreliable—even if you clear the error or it works today.

✅ **Replace it ASAP** with a new drive (SSD or HDD).

* If it’s a **WD drive**, check warranty: [WD Warranty Check](https://support.wdc.com/warranty/)

* You may be eligible for an **RMA replacement**

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### 🧠 Summary

| Step | Why It Matters |

| ------------------------------- | --------------------------- |

| Backup data NOW | Drive could fail any moment |

| Confirm SMART status with tools | Know how bad the issue is |

| Replace drive | Long-term fix |

| RMA if under warranty | Get a replacement |

| Disable SMART only if necessary | Temporary boot workaround |

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If you'd like, I can help interpret your SMART report or walk you through cloning the drive safely before replacement. Just let me know your system and drive model.