Enhancing SMART Graphs & More Frequent Updates & Relative Changes

[livitan]

Hello!

First of all, I want to thank you for your amazing product.

I have tried several different programs, but I chose yours. I really like it, and the fact that this forum has been around since 2008 only confirms that you are a true expert with invaluable experience in this field.

I have been using the program for almost a month now, and I am trying to minimize the Load/Unload Cycle Count on my WD Blue HDD.

What I Would Like to Suggest

1. More Frequent SMART Graph Updates
I would like the graphs in the SMART tab to update at every polling interval (e.g., every 5 minutes, as I have set in my settings) instead of once every 24 hours. This could work similarly to how the Temperature graph updates.

It would be great to have an option (such as a checkbox) to switch the SMART graph from a 24-hour interval to a 5-minute interval, or alternatively, an additional graph next to the 24-hour one.

My Load/Unload Cycle Count is increasing too quickly, and I would like to analyze how often it grows. Currently, I can only track daily changes, which is not detailed enough.
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Daily SMART graph

2025-03-05_142344.jpg (105.48 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

Temperature graph

Temp 2025 03 05.jpg (214.91 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

Summary: I would like the SMART graphs to have detailed intervals, similar to the Temperature graph, so I can analyze activity at each polling interval rather than just daily changes. While the current graph provides a general overview, it lacks precise values after each check.

2. Displaying Relative Changes in SMART Graphs
I would also like the SMART graphs to show relative changes in addition to absolute values. For example, if the value was 200 yesterday and 210 today, it could display (+10) next to it.

This could be displayed in brackets, at the bottom of the graph, or in any other convenient place.

I have been trying to minimize the Load/Unload Cycle Count on my HDD for about a week now. While manually calculating the changes is not difficult, it is inconvenient. A visual representation of daily differences would help me quickly understand whether my actions are effective in reducing the count.
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Example of implementation

2025-03-05_155530.jpg (105.22 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

3. Auto-Reset for Performance Graph Scaling
The Performance tab’s Transfer Rate graph currently uses the historical maximum speed as the highest value on the Y-axis.

It would be much more useful if the maximum scale reset every 3–5 minutes to better reflect the current state.

For example, in the screenshot below, the historical max speed was 385 MB/s, but my disk usually operates at 1–2 MB/s. As a result, the actual values remain at the very bottom of the graph, making it difficult to assess current performance.
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Performance graph

2025-03-05_155757.jpg (45.16 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

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Final Thoughts
I also want to thank you once again for this incredible software.

Thanks to HDD Sentinel, I remembered that I had an old Toshiba 500GB 2.5” USB drive, bought in 2015 and rarely used. Running an Extended Self-Test revealed its terrible condition—14% health, 82 bad sectors, and 664 weak sectors.
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SMART graph with red warnings

2025-03-04_171737.jpg (123.65 KiB) Viewed 2711 times

However, after repairing (Reinitialise disk surface) the drive, its health returned to 95% and then 100%, and all errors disappeared—it became as good as new!
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So, thank you once again for your outstanding product.
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By the way, if you ever need help with translations, feel free to let me know. I would be happy to volunteer for translating into Ukrainian and Russian.
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[hdsentinel]

Thanks for your message and the tips, suggestions!

Generally (as you may see) the graph on the S.M.A.R.T. page designed to keep track and show one value (the most recent value) for each days, exactly to allow us to check possible trend / difference over longer period (weeks/months or so). By default, Hard Disk Sentinel selects different days to show and if you double click on the graph, it will toggle to display ALL days where data detected and collected.

Thanks for the suggestion about saving/showing even more updates for each day, eg. to show the change similarly as the Temperature page.
I'll check the possibilities about both the S.M.A.R.T. graph and also the real-time performance graph, thanks for increasing attention to that.

Thanks for your kind words and support, really appreciated
As a return, I made a quick script which (independently from the S.M.A.R.T. graph) can help you to check the load/unload cycle count, verify/keep track and log the change of this attribute.

Please check this page:

https://www.hdsentinel.com/add-on-smart-attribute-log.php

(not 100% final yet, but you may start using as I'm sure it can help to check the change of the value).

A side note: personally I completely understand and agree that it is better to minimise the load/unload cycle count.
There are options in Hard Disk Sentinel to help in this area, please check this topic:

https://www.hdsentinel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14251

as it gives different solutions (adjust Advanced power management setting if supported by the drive and also use the "Do not allow spin down of disks" option) to keep this value low. Not sure, but may help too.

[livitan]

Thanks for your response!

Your script https://www.hdsentinel.com/add-on-smart-attribute-log.php is exactly what I needed.

I also really appreciate your outstanding support.

I genuinely believe that Hard Disk Sentinel is a must-have for every PC user who values their data. The pricing is very reasonable, and the results speak for themselves.

It seems to me that many people simply aren’t aware of Hard Disk Sentinel and what it can do. You might want to consider creating a TikTok account and posting short, informative content about HDD and SSD drives, maybe once a week. Topics could include monitoring, recovery, analysis, and general tips.

Right now, TikTok is the #1 free platform for reaching potential customers, and it could help more people discover your incredible software.