Odd Disk Utility Result
David Stone
G5 iMac by FireWire. Checking the iBook's drive status using Disk
Utility on the G5 indicated that SMART was "not supported". However,
running Disk Utility on the iBook itself in normal mode shows its
drive's SMART status as "verified".
Is it normal for Disk Utility to NOT be able to determine SMART
status on external drives like this? Both macs are running Disk
Utility version 10.5.6 (198.12) and OS 10.4.11
Mike Rosenberg
> Is it normal for Disk Utility to NOT be able to determine SMART
> status on external drives like this?
Yes.
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David Empson
That is perfectly normal. Accessing the SMART status requires sending a
special command directly to the ATA or SATA drive, and this command
cannot be sent to a drive connected via USB or Firewire.
This means you can only monitor the SMART status of internal drives.
--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz
spamme0
If your usb/disk bridge supports it, and your software knows
what to do, it's possible to read SMART data off a USB-connected drive.
CrystalDiskInfo is a HDD/SSD utility which supports S.M.A.R.T.
Supports a part of external USB/IEEE 1394 disks
Monitoring health status and temperature
Graph of S.M.A.R.T. information
Control AAM/APM settings
But this is for a PC.
nospam
<spa...@netscape.net> wrote:
> > That is perfectly normal. Accessing the SMART status requires sending a
> > special command directly to the ATA or SATA drive, and this command
> > cannot be sent to a drive connected via USB or Firewire.
> >
> > This means you can only monitor the SMART status of internal drives.
>
> fwiw,
> If your usb/disk bridge supports it, and your software knows
> what to do, it's possible to read SMART data off a USB-connected drive.
not really. it's only a couple of chipsets and it's very limited in
what can be done.
granite digital had a firewire bridge that supported smart on external
drives nearly a decade ago. the drive enclosure itself could report
the status and even do a drive test without a computer attached and
display the results on its lcd screen. the info could also be read
using their own smart monitoring tool.
> CrystalDiskInfo is a HDD/SSD utility which supports S.M.A.R.T.
for ata/sata/scsi it does, but it's highly limited on external drives,
assuming the bridge supports it at all which the vast majority do not.
spamme0
You haven't said much that I'd disagree with, but you miss the point.
I was reacting to the original post:
"This means you can only monitor the SMART status of internal drives"
This is NOT true.
I listed one program that disproves that.
The Bytecc BT-300 usb/ata Bridge DOES support
that function with the above program.
It's likely that the vast majority of bridges marketed since
the beginning of time don't support it...but that does not
mean that it can't be done.
nospam
<spa...@netscape.net> wrote:
> I was reacting to the original post:
> "This means you can only monitor the SMART status of internal drives"
>
> This is NOT true.
it's exactly true unless you happen to have one of the few bridges that
offers smart support and based on what i read, that support is very
limited.
the only bridge that did smart well was granite digital and that
product has not been sold for several years.
> I listed one program that disproves that.
> The Bytecc BT-300 usb/ata Bridge DOES support
> that function with the above program.
this one?
<http://www.byteccusa.com/product/adapter/BT-300/BT-300.htm>
that's not even an enclosure.
> It's likely that the vast majority of bridges marketed since
> the beginning of time don't support it...but that does not
> mean that it can't be done.
it does mean that the chances of the user having the correct chipset is
very low so they are not likely to be able to do it unless they go out
and buy something new.
spamme0
> In article <h2ro7r$64v$1...@news.eternal-september.org>, spamme0
> <spa...@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>> I was reacting to the original post:
>> "This means you can only monitor the SMART status of internal drives"
>>
>> This is NOT true.
>
> it's exactly true unless you happen to have one of the few bridges that
> offers smart support
All cars are painted black...unless you happen to have a RED one.
NONSESE logic.
and based on what i read, that support is very
> limited.
>
> the only bridge that did smart well was granite digital and that
> product has not been sold for several years.
>
>> I listed one program that disproves that.
>> The Bytecc BT-300 usb/ata Bridge DOES support
>> that function with the above program.
>
> this one?
> <http://www.byteccusa.com/product/adapter/BT-300/BT-300.htm>
>
yes.
Sounds like you just want to argue. Don't bother to stay on topic.
It IS possible to monitor the SMART status of external drives
connected by USB. PERIOD!!! Just because you or anybody else may or
may not have the required hardware and or software is irrelevant.
It IS possible. I do it regularly.
Go play (wordgames) with yourself.
nospam
<spa...@netscape.net> wrote:
> > this one?
> > <http://www.byteccusa.com/product/adapter/BT-300/BT-300.htm>
> >
> yes.
figures.
> Sounds like you just want to argue. Don't bother to stay on topic.
i'm exactly on topic.
> It IS possible to monitor the SMART status of external drives
> connected by USB. PERIOD!!! Just because you or anybody else may or
> may not have the required hardware and or software is irrelevant.
> It IS possible. I do it regularly.
you do it with a bridge that supports it. the vast majority of bridges
do *not* support it. and if the best example of such a bridge is a
cheap adapter that isn't even an enclosure, you only prove my point.