How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

How, what, where and why - when using the software.
Clairvaux
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Joined: 2017.11.06. 17:04

How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

Post by Clairvaux »

It is blank on my setup, so I cannot see the raw values. Screenshot here :

https://imgur.com/a/CYM3rLZ

I loooked for a setting, but did not find any.
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hdsentinel
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Re: How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

Post by hdsentinel »

No, it is not blank: the Data column is displayed properly: as you configured, the numbers displayed as decimal numbers.
These are marked with BOLD on the image and aligned right in the Data column to allow easier reading/comparing.
Please notice the numbers (from top to down) 163, 3916, etc...

If you prefer to restore the default (recommended) hexadecimal display, please just right click on the S.M.A.R.T. table and uselect the enabled "Decimal data fields". This way the numbers in the Data field will be displayed in hexadecimal format.
Clairvaux
Posts: 16
Joined: 2017.11.06. 17:04

Re: How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

Post by Clairvaux »

Thank you. I really could not see them, because the way the interface is designed, I thought these figures were part of the Offset column.

Why do you recommend the hexadecimal display ? How can a human being make any sense of hex values ?
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hdsentinel
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Re: How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

Post by hdsentinel »

I always recommend the hexadecimal display because advanced users can easily spot on the possible different sections of the attribute. Depending on manufacturers and the hard disk / SSD model, some of the attributes may be split to different sections showing slightly different kind of information. If we convert the whole "big" hexadecimal value to decimal, it may cause confusion as we may get a high number.

Remember, the S.M.A.R.T. page (and the attributes) generally designed for advanced users as the Overview page designed to interpret the most important attributes, their meaning and describe the possible real error count (in decimal, without the need to convert anything of course).

If you search for the word "hexadecimal" in this form, you may find details (for example):

https://www.hdsentinel.com/forum/viewto ... MAL#p17484
Clairvaux
Posts: 16
Joined: 2017.11.06. 17:04

Re: How to display the Data column in SMART screen ?

Post by Clairvaux »

Thank you. The hex reading mode is definitely too advanced for me.

As an aside, I just used the Test + Repair feature for the first time (non-destructive), and the results are spectacular. It brought two 10-years old 500 GB Western Digitals used daily to near-mint condition (at least apparently). Two passes were needed. The disks had caused blue screens in the past.
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