added SSL support for sending mails, allows the use of Gmail accounts
or other accounts requires SSL authentication
added support for dual-disk USB enclosures including
Western Digital MyBook Premium II and SilverStone SST-DS221
improved support for Adaptec, Promise, ITE hard disk controllers
added option to hide/show labels on S.M.A.R.T. graphs
displaying logical drives and labels on disk buttons
completely new real time performance monitoring engine
completely new network engine
improved speed of detection on slower disk controllers
detects and monitors up to 100 hard disks
"Mail test" sends test mail with the external module also (to
prevent firewall issues) if one or more project(s) configured
added FINNISH language files (thanks to Jarkko Mäkineva for translation)
added RUSSIAN complete help (thanks to Andrey Nikolaev for translation)
user interface fixes and improved speed under Vista, Win7
user interface fixes with large fonts
fixed anti-aliased tray icons
fixed configuration window closing issue
fixed display of "unregistered version" label
fixed display of partition labels
improved display of USB VID/PID information
user interface improvements
improved compatibility
3.00
30/10/2009
(*) disk surface test functions (accessible from File menu or by quick button)
to test hard disk and solid state disk surface with different read and write test methods.
Destructive and non-destructive tests are possible and many settings are available including complete simple
read tests, disk re-initialisation (**), data area refresh (**), industry standard data-destruction (**) and so to help
disk diagnostics and repair. Temperature and data transfer speed is measured and displayed during the test to analyse disk operation and slowly accessible regions
(*) verify results online: compare details of a drive with reports received online, to check if the drive is better or worse than average ("globe" with HDD icon)
displaying highest temperature ever found in the entire lifespan of the disk, option to reset measured highest/lowest temperatures
configurable tray icon font (Configuration -> Thresholds/tray icon)
option to prevent disks from spin down (Configuration -> Disk control)
(*) Hard Disk Sentinel API: 3rd party software can get disk information from the software for further processing
many user interface fixes and improvements
150+ new hard disks in database
various minor bug fixes and improvements
fixed: random seek time test resulted errors on some disks over 1 TB
improved support for ARECA RAID controllers with STORPORT drivers
added Bulgarian language support - thanks for Georgi Nenov for the translation
added Greek language support - thanks for dancer_69 for the translation
added Swedish language support - thanks for Ulf for the translation
added Russian language support - thanks for Andrey Nikolaev for the translation
(*): available only in registered Hard Disk Sentinel and Hard Disk Sentinel Professional (**): available only in registered Hard Disk Sentinel Professional
2.90
26/6/2009
random seek test function (File menu or by quick button or from Acoustic Management window)
to test hard disk noise, seek performance and temperature during long test and excessive usage
added hints when mouse is moved over list of drives
+/- icon symbol, if one or more attribute offset is enabled and they affect the displayed information
many user interface fixes and improvements
improved and more flexible projects (ignore files in use, allow file-masks in e-mail/FTP projects, etc.)
improved reports
500+ new hard disks in database
fixed: copy alerts to clipboard was not working properly
fixed: disk log attribute issues
various minor bug fixes
2.81
24/2/2009
minor fix with displaying S.M.A.R.T. details
2.80
20/2/2009
compatible with Windows 7 32/64 bit (including service mode, auto-start, gadget, etc.)
improved Vista compatibility and user interface
improved hard disk details for newer disk drives
improved detection and display of USB devices
added support of 3ware 7xxx controllers (detecting and displaying details about drives in RAID arrays)
added support of Samsung, Intel SSD devices
improved tray icon handling
improved disk power on time calculation and display from the first launch
better detection of Seagate FreeAgent and Maxtor external disks
displaying more details in the text description, based on disk and controller type, health
reports contain CPU, physical and virtual memory usage
improved temperature graphs
showing maximum and minimum temperature ever measured for all disks
improved speed, lower CPU usage
various other improvements (tray icons, disk health and temperature meters, etc.)
fixed project schedule under Vista and newer OS
fixed Sidebar gadget under Vista x64
fixed the error displayed during connection with server, improved connection stability
fixed minor issues when Fahrenheit temperature unit is selected
user interface fixes (configuration and main window)
2.70
6/11/2008
Added support for newer NVidia chipsets and different previously unsupported controllers
Added 300+ new hard disks to database
Properly support Dutch language (thanks to Geert Pirens)
Properly support Ukrainian language (thanks to Alexey Lugin)
Improved speed and responsiveness of the software
Detecting and displaying hard disk controller and location information
Detecting and displaying new disk features (free-fall control, NV cache size, etc.)
Detecting and displaying more version and transport details
Menu and report changes, improvements
A new icon showing the real-time disk usage is automatically displayed after installing or upgrading to this version:
The icon shows the actual disk usage for read (upper light blue bar) and write (lower orange bar) operations on all hard disks. It is empty (no bars, just a hard disk icon) if the disk usage is very low or zero. Total data read and written in the current session and actual data transfer rates are displayed in the hint of the icons.
If you want to disable this feature, please do the following:
- right click on the tray icon and select "Configuration"
- in the window, please select "Hard Disk Drives" page (it is the default)
- uncheck "Display total disk usage on a single tray icon" option (last one)
After pressing "OK", the icon will disappear.
2.60b
31/7/2008
Added support for 3Ware ATA RAID controllers: displaying full hard disk information about all hard disks in the array(s). It is possible to modify acoustic configuration and test hard disks individually also. Tested with 3ware 8006-2LP PCI64 SATA1 RAID controller, 3ware 9550SX-4LP PCI-X SATA2 RAID controller
Added support for SunPlusIT USB-bridge chips
Added support for Initio USB-bridge chips
Added support for Prolific USB-bridge chips
Configuration -> Hard Disk Drives: Added option to display hard disk usage (activity) indicators on tray icons: these show the actual disk usage for read (upper light blue bar) and write (lower orange bar) operations. Total data read and written in the current session and actual data transfer rates are displayed in the hint of the icons.
Note: the unregistered version can only display one combined icon for all disks (but not individual icons for each hard disks)
Detection of power status of hard disks, keep sleeping disks in sleeping status (except when started). Displaying sleeping status on disk usage (activity) indicators (3rd icon on the above image, "zz" in a bubble).
For example on the above picture: copying from disk #0 to disk #2 while disk #1 is in sleep mode. Disk usage (activity) of disk #0 is high (3 light blue "leds") but it still wait to disk #2 which is writing at full disk usage (4 orange "leds") so the bottleneck is disk #2. Usually all "leds" are visible under defragmentation.
Added option to display only part of S.M.A.R.T. attribute raw data (High/Middle/Low word) on the attribute graph and in the attribute tables (only if decimal attribute values are selected)
Improved detection and health display on older Maxtor hard disks
Minor fixes (sound alert, tray icons, performance counters)
PRO Version:
Adding unicode processing method, correctly handling files with unicode characters in their name
Added "Backup Control" page to configure backup operations and control synchronize options, specify filters
Added one-way and two-way synchronization options for backup operations
Added easy configuration of source and target folders (select folders quickly with checkboxes)
Added option to Pause and Continue execution of archiving projects
2.50
20/5/2008
improved compatibility with Vista and UAC: does not ask for privileges after installation and startup
added lowest hard disk health [XX %] to the subject of e-mails
improved report sending (test report window fixed and uses less memory compared to previous version)
window and user interface fixes, more improvements under Vista
compatibility problem fixed with motherboards with VIA chipset, Samsung HD161HJ hard disks, some CF cards and microdrives
improved detection routines (faster and more stable detection), improved acoustic management
minor fixes and additions (better Dynamic DNS update, project execution, hot keys, reports)
added 800+ hard disks to hard disk database (now contains 2652)
2.40
27/3/2008
detecting and displaying all information (health, temperature, etc.) and option
to set acoustic level and start hard disk self tests on different USB hard disks.
These are (for example):
- WD MyBook Essential / Home / Pro
- VP-9208 + VP-9054 (Smart cable and enclosure)
- Seagate FreeAgent Desktop
- USB-to-IDE/SATA adapter (cable with connectors)
More external hard disks are possible with same controller (USB bridge) chips
from various vendors. The list on the hardware page will contain all known supported
external hard disks. If you use ANY USB hard disk, please send report with the new version
if Hard Disk Sentinel does or does not detect and display detailed information
(health, temperature, etc.) about it.
improved detection routines (faster and more stable detection), improved compatibility with card readers
added MTron SSD support: displaying health value of MTron SSD
added multi language installer
added option to disable all USB and SCSI detection (Configuration, Disk Control)
added option to disable tray icon bubbles (Configuration, Alerts)
added "send report to developer" to main window main menu and toolbar. Hard Disk Sentinel now sends report directly to the server (better and faster)
added more functions to main menu (set acoustic level and test hard disk)
added quick menus to select report format when "save report" or "send report" buttons used on main window
added "check new version" option to main menu. Checking updates internally, updater starts only when new version needs to be downloaded
added option to specify disk space and partition space units for display, alert, reports
(Configuration, Preferences)
added option to send report with CC (Carbon copy) / BCC (Blind carbon copy)
display "estimated" after power on time and added hint text during the test of power on time (while it is grey)
display remote path for network drives when the drive is selected
added "Alert" log page for each hard disks. All alerts created in response of an event
(for example high temperature, low health, etc.) are listed here
added "Cancel" and "Help" buttons into Configuration window
option to send disk test window into background, option to start hard disk test on two or more drives at the same time. Saves and displays the duration of last disk tests also
PRO version: added "Test hard disk(s)" project. It is possible to start hard disk test on one or more hard disks at specified time(s) or upon an event (for example when the health is low). The results of the tests with the list of new problems found can be sent in e-mail when the project finished
added option to clear hard disk log
added option to automatically update DNS information for IP by DynDNS, No-IP and custom dynamic DNS service
added Vista Sidebar support: option to display hard disk temperature and health on Sidebar.
SideBar look and displayed information can be configured by the "Status window" settings.
Option to display hard disk usage (real time graph) on SideBar. This later option can cause high CPU load if two or more hard disks are used in the system.
improved Vista compatibility, added Vista manifest, fixed Vista service issues
hard disk database now contains 1797 hard disks
fixed bug when using Fahrenheit temperature unit or switching between units
better detection of mail accounts
window and user interface fixes, improvements, menu improvements
2.10
1/10/2007
minor fixes and improvements
2.08b
7/9/2007
Standard and Professional versions:
added option to automatically create and update XML file with the current results and configuration (Configuration, Advanced Options) (*)
added option to start short hardware S.M.A.R.T. self-test on IDE/S-ATA hard disks (Main window, Disk Information panel)
added option to start extended and conveyance S.M.A.R.T. self-tests on IDE/ATA hard disks (if supported) (Main window, Disk Information panel) (*)
(extended HARDWARE self-test: verifies all hard disk components and scan the surface for errors. Unlike software tests, the hardware test verifies weak and not perfect sectors and reallocates them to the spare area).
date and results of last S.M.A.R.T. self tests are automatically saved, displayed and included in reports.
Notes about self-tests:
when an error is found, the element causing the error (electrical, servo, etc.) is displayed
it is possible to use the disk during the self test. Usually the HDD LED is dark during the test but it may be audible that the disk is working
the test can slow down regular disk operations (and disk operations slow down the test). It is not recommended to perform too much disk operations during the test
"estimated test time" values are provided by the hard disk itself. The actual test may take much more time to complete
HTTP server (WebStatus) option (Configuration, Integration) (*)
If enabled, it is possible to examine disk status from a remote computer/phone/PDA by using a web browser. Optionally password can be used to prevent unauthorized access.
Possible queries:
http://server:port/status : displays status window (as configured) and it is automatically updated (by default in every 5 minutes). The window has no margins/borders and it is ideal to insert into any IFRAME of a webpage.
http://server:port/statuswin.bmp : status window, but only the image (not updated automatically)
http://server:port/report : detailed HTML report
http://server:port/xml : complete XML report (see above)
For example: if the option is enabled on the local computer and the default settings are used, enter
http://localhost:61220/status into a browser to examine hard disk information
It is possible to combine the status windows of different computers into a single webpage and use it to remotely verify the status of hard disk(s) in such computers.
Notes: requests other than the above returns "403 Forbidden", all requests are logged with IP and date to "NetLog.txt" file. No file or other information can be retrieved by this function.
displays message to download the proper version (standard/PRO) when a registration code used which was designed to register the other version
disk space alert: low disk space threshold can be specified by in units of megabytes, not just %
password confirmation is required (Configuration, Integration)
it is possible to show/hide SMART attribute descriptions and comments (by default, they are hidden). Comments are displayed as a hint when mouse is over an attribute.
it is possible to switch between dec/hex display of SMART attribute raw values (Main window, right click on SMART table)
it is possible to modify the size of SMART attribute list and graph
added option to specify items to include in detailed text/HTML report (Configuration, Message settings) (*)
multiple e-mail recipients can be specified, separated by comma (,)
option to backup current configuration and registration details (Configuration, Update) (*)
option to restore previously saved configuration and registration details
hard disk temperature icon: background/foreground can be transparent (specify custom color RED=254, GREEN=254, BLUE=255 color for transparent background/foreground)
application/service automatically stopped before uninstall
minimize button displayed on status window is changed to close (red X)
report contains network adapters, report elements (CPU, BIOS, device list under Vista) are modified and fixed
report contains optical drive information (drive name, firmware version and read/write capabilities)
hard disk database updated
displays warning when the temperature sensor detects impossible high value
displaying new IDE/ATA hard disk features
displays warning on Win98/ME if the S.M.A.R.T. driver is missing
fixed: HTML report
fixed: weekly update was not working in all cases
fixed: main window size/position was not perfectly saved
fixed: main window when using large fonts/120 DPI
fixed: total transfer rate counters
fixed: does not (incorrectly) display S.M.A.R.T. values on some RAID arrays
fixed: compatibility problem with slow memory card readers
fixed: compatibility problem with EPSON Stylus R300
fixed: S-ATA hard disk performance value, health value on Fujitsu hard disks
(*): available only in registered version
Professional version:
send files/folders by e-mail (*) it is possible to configure any number of files or folders to send in mail(s)
there are options to
send all files in a single e-mail
send all files in separate e-mails (one file per mail)
send e-mails with minimum size limit
transfer files/folders by FTP (*)
options to configure address/port/user/password and passive mode if neccessary
option to keep last X backups on FTP server (automatically deletes older backups)
option to export registry keys/sections to file (*)
power ON computer(s) remotely on network (Wake on lan) (*) it is possible to wait until the computer(s) are ready (respond to PING)
power OFF or restart computer(s), switch PC to standby or hibernate state (*)
fixed: previous version did not remove old backups on Win98/ME
shorter e-mail subjects used when sending project report/status information
(*): available only in registered version
2.05
21/4/2007
added service and EXE descriptions
added Czech language file (thanks for Mr. Bohuslav Bradac)
added Vista style hard disk icons
added detailed driver information to raw reports
updating real time disk transfer rate graphs when the main window is not visible
it is possible to uninstall the service when stopping with shortcut from Hard Disk Sentinel program group
displaying warning before entering service mode under Vista
major user interface fixes and improvements (graphs, graph controls, SCSI S.M.A.R.T. list, window position, size and minimize command)
S.M.A.R.T. list background image removed to improve speed and reduce memory usage
fixed problem when displaying log
2.02 beta
5/03/2007
detecting temperature, health and S.M.A.R.T. information about hard disks in USB enclosures using Cypress AT2+ USB/ATA chip
added acoustic management configuration for hard disks in USB enclosures using Cypress AT2+ USB/ATA chip
added Integration panel to Configuration window
added option to protect configuration and main window with password
added option to run Hard Disk Sentinel as NT service instead of plain application (EXPERIMENTAL)
added Hard Disk Sentinel service control shortcuts (start, stop service)
fixed "power on time" detection for Maxtor, Seagate, WDC hard disks
automatically re-test and correctly display "power on time" values and added option to "Re-test" any time
displaying much more detailed information about ATA hard disks (security, S-ATA features, physical information, etc) and saving these information into report files
added hard disk database to display more details about any type of hard disks (the database is under construction, we constantly add new hard disk details)
(PRO) fixed problem when too much project configured
improved S.M.A.R.T. detection, works faster and more reliable (especially on VIA chipsets)
added average hard disk usage (%) and average hard disk transfer rate display to "Disk Performance" panel
fixed temperature icons in 16/24 bit display modes
fixed physical disk numbers when using hard disks without partitions
added NVIDIA GPU temperature to reports (for GeForce 6200 and above)
2.00
23/01/2007
added option to use transparent background for status window
menu color and icon fixes
1.80b
12/01/2007
improved detection routine for IDE, SCSI and S-ATA/S-ATA II hard disks
added detection for S-ATA Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
added detection of full SCSI S.M.A.R.T. information
HTML and text report fixes and improvements, added transfer rate information
automatically re-send daily e-mail report later if the e-mail cannot be sent
supports large fonts and non 96 DPI desktops
option to display information directly on desktop
option to sending mouse clicks to window under the status window
fixed: drive icons restored after exiting HD Sentinel
1.71b
4/12/2006
improved detection engine for both IDE, S-ATA and SCSI hard disks
added option to test sound alert
improved remaining lifetime calculation for new hard disks
user interface fixes and improvements (status window, graphs, tray icons)
added option to create shortcut to the desktop for a project
added new folder archiving options
added projects to automatically use Ahead (TM) NERO to burn files to optical disk
added projects to automatically use RarSoft (TM) WINRAR and free 7-ZIP to compress files
minor fixes and improvements.
1.70b
15/11/2006
added full context sensitive help (English and Hungarian). Press F1 any time to display the help.
verifies ATA checksum and control byte.
several fixes and improvements.
1.65b
11/10/2006
fixed problem when removing USB hard disks/pendrives.
improved speed and detection algorythm for all type of hard disks.
added function to test NET SEND connection and repeat sending network message in case of a network problem or if the target computer is not accessible.
option to use the PC speaker instead of sound card and option to repeat sound alerts until they are confirmed by the "disable sound alerts" button. Added a new sound alert (HDsirena.mp3) also.
added option to re-enable alerts for all problems. All alerts are automatically re-enabled after midnight.
added power on time, remaining lifetime and hard disk details to reports.
added Portuguese-Br language support (thanks to Rossini Reis).
some minor improvements and changes.
added option to specify minimum amount of data to backup and to make alert if there is not enough data to backup. Added sound alert (can be repetitive) upon backup problem.
1.40
28/7/2006
added "message settings" panel to configure message options
added option to dial up and close default internet connection before and after sending e-mail
added option to send network message
added option to display problem on the screen (and also option to display custom message)
added option to make alert when condition is too low (under a threshold)
measuring HDD usage time and display power on time based on the measure
optimized code to take less memory
added condition % values to all status and alert e-mails
option to save average and max. temperature statistics to JPG or BMP image
saves Ultra ATA CRC errors to disk problem log
interface changes, improvements
fixed problem with low disk space email
fixed problem with drive icon restore on Windows shutdown
1.33
22/6/2006
added power on time display and estimated lifetime display
