Which scenario indicates immediate replacement for the disk?

• A. SMART status shows a recoverable warning.
• B. SMART health status shows FAILED.
• C. A single UDMA error occurred.
• D. The drive temperature is high.

Answer: (B)

When evaluating disk health, the most decisive signal for immediate replacement is a SMART health status that shows a failure. This indicates the drive has reached a point where its reliability is no longer guaranteed, and continuing to use it risks sudden data loss or unexpected downtime, so swapping it out right away is the prudent course.

A recoverable warning suggests there may be developing issues, but the drive is still functioning and data access can be maintained for now while planning a replacement. A single UDMA error points to a data-transfer hiccup that could be caused by cables, connectors, or interfaces, and it isn’t definitive proof the disk has failed. Elevated temperature signals thermal stress and should be addressed to prevent damage, but it doesn’t by itself prove the disk has failed.

So the immediate replacement is warranted only when SMART indicates a FAILED status.