Overview

This guide provides WebVault technicians and customers with step-by-step instructions for using smartctl (smartmontools) on Windows to diagnose disk health, identify failing drives, and perform deeper analysis beyond standard tools.

smartctl works at the physical disk level, not drive letters (C:, D:), so proper identification is critical.

1. Download and Install smartmontools

1. Navigate to:
   https://www.smartmontools.org

2. Download the latest Windows build.

3. Install using default options.

4. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

2. List All Detected Disks

Run:

smartctl --scan

Example output:

/dev/sda -d ata
/dev/sdb -d ata
/dev/sdc -d nvme
/dev/sdd -d scsi

Device Types

• ata → Direct SATA disks

• nvme → NVMe drives

• scsi → Drives behind RAID controllers (Adaptec, LSI, etc.)

3. Identify the Correct Disk

To determine which disk is which, query each device:

smartctl -i /dev/sdX

Example:

smartctl -i /dev/sda

Look for:

• Device Model

• Serial Number

• Firmware Version

Match this information to:

• Physical labels

• RAID controller logs

• Disk management tools

4. Run Full SMART Health Report

Once the correct disk is identified:

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

Example:

smartctl -a /dev/sda

Key Fields to Check

Health Result

Look for:

SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

Note: A "PASSED" result does not guarantee RAID reliability.

5. Running Disk Self-Tests

Short Test (Quick Check)

smartctl -t short /dev/sdX

• Duration: ~2–5 minutes

Long Test (Full Surface Read)

smartctl -t long /dev/sdX

• Duration: Several hours (8TB ≈ 12–15 hours)

Check Test Progress / Results

smartctl -a /dev/sdX

Look under:

• "Self-test execution status"

• "SMART Self-test log"

6. Handling RAID Controllers (Adaptec, etc.)

If disks are behind a controller, SMART may require a device type flag:

smartctl -a -d scsi /dev/sdX

If limited data is returned, try:

smartctl -a -d sat /dev/sdX

Note:

• Some controllers block SMART passthrough

• In these cases, use vendor tools (e.g. arcconf, maxView)

7. Advanced Output (Recommended)

For full detail including logs and error history:

smartctl -x /dev/sdX

This includes:

• Extended SMART attributes

• Error logs

• SCT data

8. Interpreting Results for RAID Use

Safe to Reuse Disk

• No pending sectors

• No uncorrectable sectors

• No increasing reallocated sectors

• Self-tests pass clean

Do NOT Reuse Disk

• Any pending sectors present

• Any uncorrectable errors

• Increasing reallocation count

• Self-test failures

9. Important Notes

• SMART is not a perfect predictor of failure

• RAID controllers may drop healthy disks due to timeouts

• Always combine SMART with:

  • Surface testing

  • Write testing (overwrite/zero fill)

10. Recommended Workflow for Faulty Disks

1. Identify disk using smartctl -i

2. Run full SMART report smartctl -a

3. Run long test smartctl -t long

4. Validate results

5. Perform full overwrite using vendor tools (e.g. WD Kitfox)

6. Re-check SMART

7. Reinsert into RAID only if all checks pass