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Hello,

I downloaded HDD Health to monitor the condition of my hard drive and just recently I noticed that the seek time performance is showing in red.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Shore

I have 7 columns

first column is ID which = 08

second column is name which = seek time performance

third column is T.E.C. which shows a date of 12/21/2007

forth column is value and that = 241

fifth column is threshold and that = 187

sixth column is worst which = 235

the seventh and final column is inc and that = a -5

Here is some additional info on my computer spec's if that helps at all

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) Dell Computer Corporation Dimension XPS Gen 2
System Service Tag: xxxxxxxxx (support for this PC)
Chassis Serial Number: xxxxxxx
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.00 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Computer Corp. 0U2424
Serial Number: ..CN481113A300OE.
Bus Clock: 800 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Computer Corporation A06 09/27/2004
Drives Memory Modules c,d
79.95 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
49.39 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8162B [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

Maxtor 6Y080L0 [Hard drive] (80.00 GB) -- drive 0, s/n Y26XD4GE, rev YAR41BW0, SMART Status: Healthy 1536 Megabytes Installed Memory

c: (on drive 0) 79.95 GB 49.39 GB free
Network Drives

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Dani AI

Generated

reported that HDD Health flagged the SMART "seek time" attribute in red. That is an early-warning indicator, not a detailed diagnosis: it usually means the drive's normalized seek metric has dropped below the vendor threshold, which can stem from mechanical wear, firmware/controller issues, or transient electronics/cable problems. Immediate priority is protecting data.

Recommended troubleshooting sequence (in order of safety and usefulness):

  • Back up all important files to another disk or external media right away.
  • Run the drive maker's full diagnostics (bootable long/extended/self-test) to get an authoritative result. If the drive is Maxtor/Seagate, use the vendor tool and the extended test.
  • Collect a full SMART readout with a second utility (CrystalDiskInfo, smartctl, or similar) and compare the raw attributes for trends such as reallocated sector count, current pending sector count, or increasing error counts.
  • Check the basics: reseat or swap the data/power cable and try a different SATA/IDE port or machine to rule out cable/controller faults. Monitor drive temperature and listen for unusual noises.

Useful commands (Windows XP / Linux examples):

chkdsk C: /r

wmic diskdrive get model,status

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

Cautions and decisions:

  • Do not rely on surface-repair tools before backing up; repairs can stress a failing mechanics.
  • A single SMART attribute in red can be a warning or a false positive; persistent or worsening SMART failures, bad-sector reports from diagnostics, or audible symptoms justify immediate replacement.
  • If the drive is under warranty, contact the vendor for RMA after backing up and documenting test results.

This approach preserves data, verifies whether the problem is the disk or the host, and gives a clear path to replace a failing unit if diagnostics confirm a hardware issue.

Member Avatar for ShoreCountry

Here is a screen pic of what I'm talking about if this helps anyone

seek_time_performance.JPG 68.28 KB
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