Before you replace your HD, you may like to try retrieve its temperature history. I understand that HDAT2 provides an SCT menu option for this purpose, if supported by your drive:
http://www.hdat2.com/
The following excerpts are taken from the ATA-8 standard:
Working Draft AT Attachment 8 - ATA/ATAPI Command Set (ATA8-ACS):
http://www.t13.org/Documents/UploadedDocuments/doc
s2008/D1699r6a-ATA8-ACS.pdf
Table 80 — Format of SCT status response (page 355 of 502)
HDA Temp ... Current device HDA temperature in degrees Celsius.
Min Temp ... Minimum HDA temperature in degrees Celsius seen this power cycle.
Max Temp ... Maximum HDA temperature in degrees Celsius seen this power cycle.
Life Min Temp ... Minimum HDA temperature in degrees Celsius seen for the life of the device.
Life Max Temp ... Maximum HDA temperature in degrees Celsius seen for the life of the device.
Over Limit Count ... Number of temperature recording Intervals since the last power-on reset where the recorded temperature was greater than Max Op Limit.
Under Limit Count ... Number of temperature recording Intervals since the last power-on reset where the recorded temperature was less than Min Op Limit.
Table 95 — Absolute HDA Temperature (page 369 of 502)
Sampling Period ... Absolute HDA Temperature sampling period in minutes.
Interval ... The timer interval between entries in the history queue.
Max Op Limit ... Maximum recommended continuous operating temperature.
Over Limit ... Maximum temperature limit.
Min Op Limit ... Minimum recommended continuous operating limit.
Under Limit ... Minimum temperature limit.
CB ... This is a circular buffer of absolute HDA Temperature values.
Message Edited by fzabkar on 22-10-2009 09:28 AM
