Is My Hard Drive Failing?
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A SMART FAIL or SMART error predicts that the drive will fail soon, even while it still works normally, and no one can say when. Seagate does not publish SMART thresholds, so a raw number in a third-party program is not a verdict on its own.
Check your situation
Safe steps
These actions can lose data. Do none of them until a copy exists elsewhere:
- Waiting. A drive with a SMART FAIL usually still works normally, and there is no way to predict when it will fail.
- A SeaTools low-level format erases all data on the drive.
- Seagate's last fix for bad sectors, a full zero fill, erases all data on the drive's partitions.
- A drive can often swap a bad sector for a built-in spare, but data written to the bad sector is usually lost.
- Synology's extended performance test does not guarantee data integrity. Run it only on a drive that holds no important data.
- Back up the data first, and keep backing it up while you decide.[2]
- Note where the warning came from: the start-up check, a third-party program, the maker's test or a NAS drive status.
- Test the drive with the maker's diagnostic. For a Seagate drive that is SeaTools.[1]
- On a Synology NAS, open Storage Manager > HDD/SSD > Health Info > S.M.A.R.T. and run the Extended Test.[5]
- Before you buy a replacement, check whether the drive is still under warranty.[1]
What to buy, if anything
Answer the questions under "Check your situation" and this section narrows to what your case calls for. Until then every table is shown, each with the case it is for.
Replacement NAS drives by price per TB
Why this is here: A replacement for a drive that has failed the maker's diagnostic or shows a SMART status of FAIL, bought after the data is backed up and after checking whether the failed drive is still under warranty. New 3.5-inch NAS and enterprise hard drives whose maker confirms CMR recording, sorted by price per TB on Amazon.com.
Frequently asked questions
What SMART value means a drive is failing?
Neither Seagate nor Synology gives a number. Seagate does not publish attributes and thresholds as a matter of policy, and it judges a drive by the overall SMART status, pass or fail.
Does a high MTBF or low AFR rating mean my drive is fine?
No. Seagate's SkyHawk manual calls AFR and MTBF a population statistic that does not apply to individual units, so a rating cannot tell you whether one drive is failing.
Can a drive with a SMART error be repaired?
A temperature warning can sometimes clear once ventilation improves. Otherwise Seagate says there is no method to repair the underlying problem.
Sources
- Seagate: How do I interpret SMART diagnostic utilities results? checked 2026-10-14
- Seagate: My system reported a S.M.A.R.T. error on the drive checked 2026-10-14
- Seagate: SMART errors reported by the BIOS and third-party utilities after SeaTools passes all tests checked 2026-10-14
- Seagate: What do I do if my drive reports bad sectors? checked 2026-10-14
- Synology: DSM 7 Storage Manager help, HDD/SSD checked 2026-10-14
Facts on this page were reviewed on October 14, 2026. Prices and stock are from Amazon.com as of October 14, 2026.