SMART Functionality Not Available

[daryl]

I am running win98se and i want to run Western Dig online diag.When i try to run it it says Can not open Smart Drive.
I go to Microsoft and find problem at Q265854
It tells me to move the Smartvsd.vxd file.
I dont know how to do that.Plus there are no real directions on how to do it.Any help would be great.
Thanks Daryl

[GaryRouth]

. . . I'm not sure, but it's possible that you're talking about two different things: a program that runs from the computers BIOS on recent hard drives, often referred to as "S.M.A.R.T." technology (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) - that attempts to monitor the activity of your hard drive and send an alert to your OS when it detects that a failure may be imminent ---> and another, unrelated, Windows utility, "Smart Drive", that provides a performance enhancing buffer of sorts for older systems and older versions of Windows (I don't see it used much in Win98 systems).

If the Western Digital online diagnostics won't run, download the diagnostics program "DataLifeGuard" - there are versions that will create a bootable floppy. You boot your computer with that, and it tests your hard drive in DOS. There are excellent instructions on the Western Digital support site http://support.wdc.com/dlg/ . . . I think your best bet would be the floppy version of v.11.0
. . . Gary

[daryl]

I tried to download DataLife Guard..And that is when i got the message.So i went to the link and typed in the thread number provided by Western Dig.I will try the floppy and see what happens.
Thanks Daryl

[GaryRouth]

[. . . P.S. --> the S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics can be turned on or off in a menu item in your computer's BIOS, usually. (This all assumes you have a recent enough Western Digital that supports that feature). When you start your computer, watch for a banner message "Press F1 (or Del or F10, etc.) to Enter Setup", and press the key the message prompts for. The menu item will say something like "Enable S.M.A.R.T. monitoring"] . . . usually, S.M.A.R.T. isn't necessary for the floppy version of the DataLifeGuard. . .

[daryl]

I am just trying to move a file as it is printed in microsoft help pages.RE:Q265854.Smart is turned on in the bios.I wasnt trying to save it to a floppy,i was trying to open the file and it says Can not open smart drive.West Dig has a link for the problem.It says to move the file.I just dont know how to do it.
Thanks Daryl

[GaryRouth]

Seems like you shouldn't see the error if you use the bootable floppy, since that runs in Caldera-DOS, I believe. . .

To get that file, "Smartvsd.vxd", from C:\Windows\System to C:\Windows\System\Iosubsys [like the article mentions], just use Windows Explorer, locate the file in C:\Windows\System, right-click on it & select "Cut", then right-click on the Iosubsystem subfolder icon & select "Paste". Then reboot your system to have that S.M.A.R.T. program running in Windows. If it is necessary for the online diagnostics, then you should be all set.

Once again, though: with the version of the diagnostics that run from a bootable floppy, no such preparation is necessary. In fact, those diagnostics can run on a completely blank drive with nothing on it at all.

The diagnostics on the DataLifeGuard set are pretty basic: they help you determine if a drive is healthy mechanically. If you want benchmarks & such, to see if the performance side of life seems well-tuned, you could run tests from software such as SiSoft's Sandra utilities [there are free-for-personal-use versions available over at http://www.sisoftware.co.uk]

The newer "special edition" & SATA hard drives from Western Digital perform just like those race cars in Indianapolis = Vrooom!
. . . Gary

[p.s. ....my dad's folks started out in New Ross, just near Indianapolis. We still have extended family in Indianapolis. I always liked the rocking chairs on the front porches & the neighborliness...]

[daryl]

I will try the floppy first and see what happens.
P.S i have been to New Ross...If i remember there is a steakhouse or a catfish house there.
Thanks for your help.
Daryl