Why check SMART after replacing cables?

• A. To verify wire gauge.
• B. To confirm CRC errors stop increasing.
• C. To check for new power spikes.
• D. To update firmware.

Answer: (B)

When you repair or replace the physical connection to a drive, you want to verify that the data path is now stable and not causing ongoing errors. SMART provides ongoing health and reliability signals from the drive, so after replacing cables you look to see that the indicators associated with data integrity aren’t worsening. If there were CRC (cyclic redundancy check) errors caused by the faulty cable, those errors would tend to stop increasing once the cable is replaced. Seeing the SMART status remain stable or improve indicates the link issue has been resolved and the drive isn’t producing new reliability problems.

The other options don’t fit this purpose. SMART isn’t used to verify wire gauge, it doesn’t monitor power supply spikes, and it isn’t for updating firmware.