Generic hdd_ssd Error Code S.M.A.R.T. Failure

What does S.M.A.R.T. Failure mean?

Drive's built-in health monitoring system is reporting one or more critical failure indicators.

Common causes

• Reallocated sectors (01) - physical HDD damage
• Pending sectors (05) - unreadable sectors
• Uncorrectable errors (C6)
• High temperature exposure
• Near end of TBW (SSD write endurance)

Diagnostic & testing steps

1. 1. Run CrystalDiskInfo - note attributes with yellow/red status
2. 2. Critical attributes: 01 (Reallocated Sectors), 05 (Reallocated Sector Count), C5, C6, BC (Erase Fail Count for SSD)
3. 3. Run manufacturer diagnostic tool (SeaTools for Seagate, Data Lifeguard for WD)
4. 4. Immediately clone drive to new drive with Macrium Reflect or Clonezilla
5. 5. Replace drive before it fails completely

Tools required

• CrystalDiskInfo
• Macrium Reflect
• External drive enclosure

OEM parts & part numbers

SSD (SATA or NVMe), HDD

Safety warning

⚠️ DATA LOSS IMMINENT: Clone or backup data IMMEDIATELY. Do not turn off computer until backup is complete.