S.M.A.R.T. status failing, but things seem ok...

[red milk]

i've recently puschased airport base with itunes and i ran the install disk when i realised i didn't need to but couldn't stop that anymore, so i restarted my system once it was done.

i have not been turning my powerbook off much at all, just kept it on sleep, because the system would load pretty slow.
when i was restaring now, as usual after installing new software, it was taking a really really long time, so i forced restarted two more times and then it finally loaded. things seemed to work a little slower, so i went to disk utility to possibly repair permissions. but my HD was highlighted in red and when i clicked on it i got a warning: disk utility encountered a fatal error. if things are still running, back up and replace with a working drive.
since that's my second drive already, i tried disk warrior. it rebuilt the drive, but when i tested the S.M.A.R.T. status again, it still indicated a possible failure (within disk warrior app).

i doubt installing the aiport software did anything. i haven't gone to the disk utility in a while, so i don't know how long my drive has been failing for...
my question is: should i really worry? my system is still running ok, with minor hiccups. how reliable is that S.M.A.R.T. indicator?
i can't really afford a new HD right now.
thanks for whatever help you may have for me.

 

[cwa107]

SMART is a set of hardware-based diagnostics. In my experience, it is usually an accurate indicator of impending failure. I'm not sure if it detects problems with the mechanism itself or surface errors (i.e. bad blocks), but I'd recommend keeping your important data backed up for now, until you can afford a new drive.

 

[red milk]

yeah, i back up all the time anyway.
what brand powerbook hard drive do you recommend? i have fujitsu now, orignally my pb came with something else, i think toshiba. they both died, well one is supposedly about to... links to online stores in the states are welcome. thanks

 

[cwa107]

yeah, i back up all the time anyway.
what brand powerbook hard drive do you recommend? i have fujitsu now, orignally my pb came with something else, i think toshiba. they both died, well one is supposedly about to... links to online stores in the states are welcome. thanks

I've had very good luck with Seagate drives lately, also they have a 5 year warranty. YMMV with other manufacturers, but I would stay far, far, far away from Hitachi. We see more failed Hitachi drives at work regardless of the machine they're in (laptop, desktop, etc). In fact, we refer to them as Hitachi "Deathstars" instead of "Travelstar". Powermax.com and Otherworldcomputing.com are good sources for drives. You may be able to find them cheaper elsewhere, but there may be some fitment problems since the case is so slimlined in the Powerbook.

 

[red milk]

can someone please tell me the exact hard drive model i need for 15'' aluminium g4 powerbook
thanks

 

[Aptmunich]

Any 2,5" PATA (or just 'ata' - NOT Sata/S-ATA) drive should do the trick.

Yours came with a 5400rpm drive, but 4200 or 7200rpm drives would also work.

 

[cwa107]

Any 2,5" PATA (or just 'ata' - NOT Sata/S-ATA) drive should do the trick.

Yours came with a 5400rpm drive, but 4200 or 7200rpm drives would also work.

Also keep in mind that the drive must be 9.5mm in height. What capacity are you looking for?

 

[coach_z]

also remember that a faster HD...aka 7200RPM will use your battery more than a regular 4200 or 5400rmp drive....

i have 5 western digital drives and never had a failure with them. also check out the warantee info on the drive you purchased.

re: smart. it is a very good indicator that your HD will self destruct, i'd save as much money as possible to get a new one asap
-chris

 

[red milk]

unfortunately, when i replaced my original hd the first time, it only came with 3 months warranty (lousy service here).

originally the machine came with 4200 rpm but i opted for the 5400 rpm upgrade upon purchase. i did toy with the idea of getting a 7200 rpm hd but i do not want to strain the machine more than necessary and for it to heat up more than it already does.

i am looking for an offer that comes with a long warranty. i live in holland, i have an opportunity to buy in the US through someone, but that would probably leave me with (limited) 1 year world wide warranty.

thanks for all your help.