CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)Hardware and Network TroubleshootingMedium
A technician runs diagnostic software on a workstation and sees a S.M.A.R.T. warning indicating the hard drive's reallocated sector count has increased dramatically over the past week. What should the technician recommend to the user?
- ADefragment the drive to consolidate the reallocated sectors
- BBack up all data immediately and plan to replace the drive
- CIgnore the warning since S.M.A.R.T. alerts are frequently inaccurate
- DRun CHKDSK with the /f switch to repair the sectors permanently
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Back up all data immediately and plan to replace the drive
A rising reallocated sector count is a strong S.M.A.R.T. indicator of an imminent drive failure. The correct response is to back up data immediately and replace the drive before it fails completely, since reallocated sectors typically indicate degrading physical media, not something fixable by software.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Defragmenting does not repair failing hardware and could accelerate failure.
- C. S.M.A.R.T. warnings, especially reallocated sector trends, are generally reliable predictors of failure.
- D. CHKDSK can mark bad sectors but cannot reverse ongoing physical drive degradation.
S.M.A.R.T. Reallocated Sectors
A S.M.A.R.T. attribute tracking sectors remapped due to physical defects; a rising count signals impending drive failure.
- S.M.A.R.T. = Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology
- Rising reallocated sectors predict failure
- Best response: back up data and replace drive
Memory trick: S.M.A.R.T. drives whisper before they die — listen and back up!