Unable to install Lion - S.M.A.R.T. errors on my hard drive???

Unable to install Lion on a 27 inch 3.06 Intel Core 2 Duo iMac running OS 10.6.8. When I am presented with install options, my HD option is dimmed and there is a message: "This disk has S.M.A.R.T. errors. This disk has a hardware problem that can't be repaired. Back up as much of the data as possible and replace the disk."

I have not had ANY problems with this iMac since purchasing it and other than being unable to install Lion it seems to be working just fine, and yet now I'm told that my hard drive is unrepairable.

Is this a glitch in the Lion Installer or should I be more concerned?

Any info appreciated... now it seems I've paid $30 for a download I can't use. Grrrrrr....

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 2:09 PM

18 replies

Chamar

Level 4

2,201 points

Mar 22, 2012 7:43 AM in response to geoffallan

SMART errors are reported when the disk controller detects potential errors with your hard drive. Use either Apple's hardware diagnostics or an OEM program such as TechTool Pro to investigate further. SMART errors should not be ignored as they are indicative of imminent disk failure.

I have twice had SMART errors reported on my 27" iMac 1TB WD disks and had them replaced under Applecare warranty. The first time I left it too late and the disk failed. Fortunately I maintain daily and weekly backups of my hard drives. Apple will replace your HDD without question if it is under warranty and fails their test.

Having worked in IT support for many years looking after a network of several thousand Windows PCs I can say that SMART errors are more common than you would like to think.

Mar 22, 2012 8:17 AM in response to geoffallan

In fact the drive, which is used for backup, was fresh out the wrapper last week (Seagate 2TB)

Mar 22, 2012 8:31 AM in response to Chamar

So why can't this "imminant fail" be seen anymore?

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Unable to install Lion - S.M.A.R.T. errors on my hard drive???