I got a rude awakening recently. When I first looked at my laptop one morning, I saw the message below on my screen. My laptop is truly a secondary machine for me and I don’t keep much data on it. The data it does have could be lost and I wouldn’t be missing much. While I didn’t use the link shown to backup, I did immediately copy all of the important data to a secure backup so nothing would be lost.

You may be wondering how the computer knows the hard drive is nearing failure. Within most newer drives is a technology named SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology). Basically the hard drive tells the computer that it isn’t feeling well and gives users a heads-up to protect their data.

As I’m working with an HP laptop, I found a support page on their site describing the next steps you should take in order to find the true depth of the error. I followed those instructions and ran the suggested test. Unfortunately the drive failed and the only true solution is to replace the drive.

For now, the laptop is working without any other errors. So I’ll go order a replacement drive from Amazon and get it installed soon after it arrives. Then I’ll have to get the computer all set up again.