How to Do with "SMART Status Bad, Backup and Replace" | Guide
Overview for S.M.A.R.T Status BAD error
The S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) system is a built-in monitoring tool that resides within most modern hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). Its primary function is to continuously monitor the disk's condition, identify potential issues, and provide warnings to prevent data loss or system crashes.
In most of the cases, if the SMART fails, the hard drive will not last very long before the data on it fail completely. More specifically:
- If you encounter a message indicating that the Primary Master Hard Disk's S.M.A.R.T. status is BAD, it's a clear indication that the hard drive is failing or has already failed. This message serves as a warning to backup your data and replace the hard drive as soon as possible.
- If you encounter a message indicating that the Secondary Master Hard Disk's S.M.A.R.T. status is BAD, it's a clear indication that the secondary hard drive (data disk) is failing or has already failed. This message serves as a warning to backup your data and replace the hard drive as soon as possible.
Receiving a message indicating that the Secondary Master Hard Disk's S.M.
Backup failing hard drive before replacing it
If you receive an error message indicating that the SMART status of the secondary hard drive is bad, you can use a backup utility to save the data on the failing drive. If the primary drive's SMART status is failing, you won't be able to load Windows, so you'll need to use a bootable media to access the drive and perform a backup.
Qiling Disk Master Standard is a freeware tool that allows you to backup and restore your hard drive, even if the SMART status is bad. This tool is capable of backing up the primary (Pri) or secondary (Sec) master disk, and can also create a bootable media on a USB flash drive or writable DVD.
Download and run Qiling Disk Master to have a try:
How to back up hard drive when smart status bad error arises
If your hard drive is showing a SMART status bad error, it's essential to act quickly to prevent data loss. The exact timing of the hard drive's complete failure is uncertain, but taking immediate action can help ensure your data's safety.
1. Launch the software, choose Backup tab and you will be given several options: Disk Backup, Partition Backup, System Backup and File Backup. If you want to back up everything on the hard drive, then choose Disk Backup.
2. At the next screen, click Disks to choose the hard drive with S.M.A.R.T Status BAD error as the backup source, and then choose the target path to receive the backup image.
When it comes to backing up your data, choosing the right storage is crucial. You have several options to consider, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
3. To run the backup, simply click the Proceed button. The program will automatically omit any bad sectors, ensuring that your backup image is complete and free from errors.
✎More options to use in daily data protection:
To schedule a backup, you can create an automated backup task that runs at a frequency that suits your needs. This can be daily, weekly, monthly, or even at specific times of the day.
To ensure that your backups are efficient and effective, you can choose a backup method that suits your needs. This can be a full backup, incremental backup, or differential backup.
What if your primary drive failed to boot with smart status bad message
If the message occurs on your primary boot disk, and you already failed to boot into Windows, then the solution may be a little different.
1. You can install Qiling Disk Master on any other working computer with Windows installed, and go to Tools -> Create Bootable Media.
2. Follow the wizard to create a Windows PE disc, and choose your target storage media accordingly.
3. After the creation is done, you can then connect the bootable media to the PC that contains the failing hard drive. Start the PC and enter BIOS via the specific key (depends on computer make and model) to set the media as the first boot option.
Then, Qiling Disk Master will launch automatically in WinPE, and you can choose the backup option as you like.
How to restore the data to new hard drive
When replacing a failing hard drive with a new one, restoring data to the new drive is a crucial step. There are two primary scenarios to consider:
1. If you have installed Windows on the new drive: Then the remain task is rather simple. Just install Qiling Disk Master on it, choose Restore -> Select Task / Select Image File to locate the backup image and follow the wizard to perform the disk or data recovery accordingly.
2. If your new drive has no system installed: Then you can perform a disk restore or system restore via the created bootable media as well. Boot your computer into WinPE via the media, can then select your backup image in the pop-up Qiling Disk Master interface. The remain steps are all the same.
Conclusion
If you've received a SMART Status BAD error on your hard drive, it's essential to back up the data as soon as possible to prevent data loss. Qiling Disk Master is a powerful tool that can help you create a bootable media and perform a disk restore or system restore, even if the drive is failing.
If you're experiencing issues with a failing hard drive, Qiling Disk Master is a powerful tool that can help you back up the data, even if the drive is no longer bootable. Whether it's your primary boot disk or a secondary data disk, Qiling Disk Master can assist you in creating a backup.
Related Articles
- 2 Ways to Fix Hard Disk Failure is Imminent in Windows 11, 10, 7
What does hard disk failure imminent mean? Is the drive really dying? What should I do? Do I need a new disk at this point? Scroll down to get clear ideas and minimize your data loss. - Fix The Request Failed Due to a Fatal Device Hardware Error
"The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error" occurs on external hard drive, SSD or SD card? Anyway, you will get the causes and corresponding solutions below. - Fix SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk 0, 2 or 4 Error
Learn how to fix SMART failure predicted on hard disk 0, 2 or 4 error in Windows 7, 8 and 10. Although SMART failure predicted is not an actual failure, you have to pay attention to. - Best NAS Backup and Disaster Recovery Solution in Windows 10/8/7
NAS drive isn't 100% safe. To ensure the data security, an efficient NAS backup and disaster recovery solution is required. If unluckily, you lost some data without any backup, you may need data recovery software to retrieve deleted files.