news 28 Posted May 6, 2008 Volitans Software Announces SMART Utility 1.2 - Published on 05/05/08 Volitans software today announces SMART Utility 1.2, a significant update to the hard drive diagnostic scanning application. The new features include more readable attribute names, displaying the model family, sending additional information to the smartctl engine, and French localization. SMART Utility is an application to scan the internal hardware diagnostics system of hard drives. Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Volitans software today announces SMART Utility 1.2, a significant update to the hard drive diagnostic scanning application. The new features include more readable attribute names, displaying the model family, sending additional information to the smartctl engine, and French localization. Other smaller features and minor bug fixes are included as well. SMART Utility is an application to scan the internal hardware diagnostics system of hard drives SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is a system built into hard drives by their manufacturers to report on various measurements (called attributes) of a hard drive's operation. The attributes can be used to detect when a hard drive is having mechanical or electrical problems, and can indicate when the hard drive is failing. SMART Utility can read and display these attributes. This allows time to hopefully backup, and then replace the drive. SMART Utility is different from other drive utilities, such as Disk Utility, which only read the overall SMART Status. SMART Utility not only displays the individual attributes to see their status and information, but it also uses an internal algorithm based on those attributes to detect drives failing before SMART indicates it has failed. This pre-fail detection can save precious data before SMART has determined that the drive has failed. And, while the raw information can be viewed on the command line with smartmontools (which is what SMART Utility is based on), SMART Utility presents it in an easy to read format, as well as running its internal pre-fail algorithm. Release notes for Version 1.2: * Added support for localization (French currently - thanks to Ronald Leroux, others wanted) * Added support for model family in Drive Information window * Added "Enter smartctl options" to send extra options to the smartctl engine for debugging * Added message for empty log when sending log, with option to enable debug messages, rescan, and send log * Added text box to enter message when sending log * Added error message if there was a problem sending the log * Added support for Unsanity's Smart Crash Reports (completely optional) * Attribute names are now more human readable * Fixed some more memory leaks * Fixed some spelling mistakes * Fixed a small bug in outputting MIN/MAX temperature to log * Fixed a few interface inconsistencies and errors * Updated smartctl engine to 5.38 final providing more fixes and recognizes drives Features: * Displays all supported drives and their partitions * Displays easy to read overall SMART status with color coded text * Displays important information in the main window, such as drive model, capacity, power on hours, temperature, bad sector counts, and error counts and types * Displays more detailed information in separate windows, including capabilities, all available attributes, and the past five errors * Supports scanning individual RAID drives in addition to non-RAIDed drives * Supports logging all information to a log file for verifying SMART data * Supports Mac OS X 10.4 or later (including Server) and both PowerPC and Intel Macs Pricing and Availability: SMART Utility is available in two licenses: a 10 copy license for $20, and a 50 copy license for $100 USD. It can be purchased online or in an innovative way: within SMART Utility itself through its embedded web store. Volitans Software Website: http://www.volitans-software.com/ SMART Utility Website: http://www.volitans-software.com/SMART_Utility.html SMART Utility Download LInk: http://www.volitans-software.com/downloads/smartutility120.zip Purchase Link: http://store.esellerate.net/volitans-soft/store Screenshot: http://www.volitans-software.com/SMART_Utility_files/screenshotmain_1.jpg App Icon: http://www.volitans-software.com/SMART_Utility_files/Green%20128.png Volitans Software was founded on February 22, 2007, by Matthew Butch, to sell SMART Utility. The name Volitans comes from the scientific name of the Red Lionfish. Matthew is an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician, an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, and an Apple Certified System Administrator. He conceived of the idea of SMART Utility because he wanted a better way to test hard drives in his job as an on-site Macintosh Technician. ### Matthew Butch President/Owner 717-314-4789 mbutch ( -at -) volitans-software.com ******* ******* ******* Share this post Link to post
