Buzz
The Hard Disk Sentinel application provides users with two primary functions. Firstly, it monitors specific information about the hard drive on your computer, and secondly, it checks for errors and performance issues related to the hard drive.
To utilize the software, follow the instructions for installing Hard Disk Sentinel available here.
GUIDE TO CHECK HARD DRIVE STATUS WITH HARD DISK SENTINEL
During usage, the software interface will display information using red/green/yellow colors to indicate the severity of the issue.
1. Monitoring Hard Drive Status
Upon opening the software, the main interface of Hard Disk Sentinel has already presented information about the hard drive such as: Health status and Temperature.
If you still see these 2 indicators in blue, especially the Health status remains at 100%, it means your hard drive is still operating in a stable state and has not encountered any errors.
Next is the right panel of the software's main interface, where you'll find tabs providing detailed information about the hard drive.
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- Temperature Tab: Allows users to monitor the hard drive's temperature throughout the day (including maximum, minimum, average temperatures, and temperature fluctuation chart).
- The S.M.A.R.T Tab and Information: Reveals comprehensive details about the hard drive and the S.M.A.R.T technology it utilizes (such as manufacturer, connection standard, total capacity, supported features, etc).
- The Log Tab: Records the activity log of the hard drive.
- The Disk Performance Tab: Displays information regarding read/write speed, data exchange, and the current operational status of the hard drive...
- The Alert Tab: Enables the delivery of notifications to users if the hard drive encounters any issues or obstacles (such as data read errors, unusually high temperatures, etc).
2. How to Check Disk Performance and Errors
Using this method, the software allows you to examine errors and performance on the hard drive to detect issues promptly, helping you prevent severe hard drive failures and data loss.
To use it, hover your mouse over the software's toolbar to see additional functions as shown in the image below:
- Short Self-test: Selecting this function, the software will assess the ability to read and write data on the hard drive. This feature helps you detect any bad sectors (if any) on the hard drive.
- Extended Self-test: Choosing this function will prompt the software to assess the hard drive's health, as mentioned earlier. However, it will conduct a more thorough examination to provide the most accurate results possible. Please note that you need to activate the license key to utilize this function.
- Random Seek Test: This feature allows you to perform a test on the speed of data retrieval on random tracks of the hard drive. Simultaneously, it evaluates the level of noise generated by the hard drive when operating at high efficiency.
To proceed, select the test duration under Random Seek Test (fast, normal, or slow) and then press the Start Test button to commence.
- Surface Test: This is the most important and useful testing feature that Hard Disk Sentinel provides to users.
