CNET Editors' review
Hard Disk Sentinel monitors and tests the health of your computer's hard disks. Although casual users may find some of the information helpful, this tool is better left to those already familiar with the metrics associated with PC performance.
The application monitors hard disk activity and performance. To do so, it integrates information from disks that use Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART), which measures mechanical failures during such processes as seeking and spin-up/spin-down. Hard Disk Sentinel also provides several tests to run through these processes. Errors are logged, and you can save or e-mail reports. Registered users ($23 to buy) can set thresholds for various criteria; when hit, the application can sound an alarm and back up or shut down the disk. Those who opt for the Professional version ($35) can have alerts sent by e-mail as well as schedule automated backups, among other features.
Although Hard Disk Sentinel will not win any design awards, its interface is easily understood. Numerous tooltips help acquaint you with the application, while an impressive Help file provides thorough and informative descriptions of virtually every aspect of the program. The application could use a bit of tightening here and there; when we ran tests, for example, they completed successfully, but the program offered no report or diagnosis. Hard Disk Sentinel provides a great deal of information--probably much more than most people will ever need or want to see. It is a great way to get a snapshot of the health of your hard disks and to estimate the chances of a future failure.
Publisher's Description
From H.D.S. Hungary:
Hard Disk Sentinel monitors hard disk status, health and performance including temperature and S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, built in most hard disks today) values for each hard disks. Also it measures the hard disk transfer speed in real time which can be used as a benchmark or to detect possible hard disk failures, performance degradations. Hard Disk Sentinel can be used to prevent serious damage or data loss.
It warns the user before a problem may occur and this gives opportunity to backup important and valuable data.
What's new in this version: Version 4.0 has added digital signatures to files and option to export transfer rate values after surface test.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 11 votes
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Current version:
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Results 1-10 of 10
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"Detailed information and excellent support"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 3.70
Pros
I couldn't get my external 3 TB disk drive to work on an older PC and emailed their support team. I received a prompt reply from Janos, one of the developers, advising me my HD enclosure's firmware needed to be updated--and he gave me the update link as well. That's reason enough to buy it.
Cons
Can't find anything.
Summary
Comprehensive product offering extremely detailed disk drive information and backed by excellent support.
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"Brilliant program"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 3.70
Pros
Picked up a failing backup drive, though it was late, but that was because I did not have sentinel installed.
Cons
Cannot fault, except some parts of it you have to pay to use.
Summary
One the best programs available, everyone should be using it.
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"great freebee"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 3.70
Pros
gives objective info about drive temperature, bad sectors that have been shut down and weakened sectors. Love estimated days of expected life left for hard drive
Cons
none really
Summary
can help you decide if it's time to replace a hard drive or not
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"Works Very Well, Not Very Elegant Looking Though"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 3.00
Pros
Can actively monitor hard drive temperature and shut down the computer if things get a bit hot.
It actually works with all of my pass-through drives in my raid array!Cons
Free version is missing a fair bit of functionality which is a bit of a tease because you can see the options, but not check them.
Summary
I agree with the editor's review, it will not win any beauty prizes but it get the job done. In the free version you can set the computer to shut down when it hits the caution (yellow) threshold but not the critical (red) threshold, take note though that you can change what temperatures these alerts occur so you can still choose to shut down you computer at your desired HDD temperature cut-off.
The free version a bit restrictive, and you can see all the cool looking options that are in the pro version but you cannot select them.
I have used several similar programs (I will not name them!) and they have turned out to be useless because they just monitor the temperature and watch your HDD's slowly cook while you're at work/school instead of shutting down your PC to protect your precious data. I nearly had a fit when my four new 1TB HDD's were nearly too hot to touch and the "SMART" monitoring program I was using was happily telling me my HDD's are roasting but not doing anything about it. This program excels in that respect because it not only monitors but it acts if something is wrong! (That is if you set it up properly)
In terms of functionality it leaves other similar programs for dead, it really is a stunner in that respect. In terms of looks it is very bland and sometimes the layout feels a bit messy. -
"Seems accurate"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 3.00
Pros
Seems accurate, good layout and gui, easy to find info. Seems to have the info you need to make an assement of a hard drive. Failry nag free -- has one link asking you to register. Paid versions have lots of extra features.
Cons
Perhaps too much info. The pay version has a clock sync for instance, but perhaps that is to ensure proper backups.
Summary
I've had this for 2 days and looked at 4 drives so far and it seems accurate -- one ready to fail, two healthy, one with a moved sector. Two of these were external drives. There are 4 versions free, standard, pro and enterprise. The price for standard or pro to auto backup might be justified. But if it's just to check a drive on the way out the free version would do. I don't know how well this compares with others as this is the first I tried.
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"Dangerous software?"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 2
Pros
It seems to have caused serious hard drive problems.
Cons
I suspect that the annoying screen pop-up saying 'Windows no disk' might be caused by HDsentinel in my computer. Also my hard drive was showing absolutely full when it couldn't have been. The problems disappeared when I removed HDsentinel. Suspect.
Summary
I'm very suspicious that it was this software which was causing my HD problem and 'Windows no disk' screen popup/
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"great program, easy to use, reliable"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 2
Cons
no free version
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"The concept of backing up your hard drive before it fails has a major advantage."
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 2
Pros
Warning the user before a problem may occur and this gives opportunity to backup important and valuable data. The Professional version has options to backup data this feature should be included in all versions of this product.
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"It's very usefull"
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 2
Cons
It isn't work with raid
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"Nice piece of ware.. mainly for advanced users.."
Version: Hard Disk Sentinel 1.05
Pros
it has a detailed set of measures as well as a simple view of the important ones.. hence it serves the advanced as well as the home users..
Small size.. Fast and easy installation.. takes about 8 MB of RAM under normal conditions.. hence very light and easy for slow systems.
The splash screen which comes up in the beginning does not come in the way at all.. so download and enjoy!!
Results 1-10 of 10
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