Hey there, let's walk through what's happening with your drive and the steps you should take next—this is a common scenario with aging drives, so let's break it down clearly.

Why the Drive Still Works Despite Failure Warnings #

First off, it's totally normal (but risky) that your drive still functions even with the "likely to fail" alert. SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is designed to predict failures before they happen, not just report immediate death. Your drive probably has some early-stage hardware issues—like reallocated bad sectors, degraded read/write heads, or firmware anomalies—that haven't yet rendered it completely unreadable. But make no mistake: this is a ticking time bomb.

Why SMART Self-Tests Fail & CHKDSK Didn't Help #

• SMART Self-Test Failure: When you can't run a self-test or it reports "last self-test failed," that's usually a sign the drive's hardware is too compromised to complete diagnostic checks. Maybe the magnetic heads can't properly scan certain areas, or there are too many unreadable sectors blocking the test. This is a strong indicator that the drive's health is rapidly declining.
• CHKDSK Ineffectiveness: CHKDSK fixes file system errors (like corrupted metadata or lost clusters), but it can't repair physical hardware damage. Your issue is rooted in the drive's internal components, not just how data is organized on it—so CHKDSK was never going to resolve the SMART warning.

Critical Next Steps #

Don't delay on these—data loss can happen without warning:

• Prioritize Full Backup: Use a tool like ddrescue (for Linux) or Clonezilla to create a full disk image of your drive, even if it's showing errors. This will capture as much data as possible before the drive dies completely. Run it with:

  sudo ddrescue /dev/sdX /path/to/backup.img /path/to/logfile.log
  

  Replace /dev/sdX with your drive's actual device name (check with lsblk first to avoid targeting the wrong drive).
• Stop Using the Drive Immediately: Every time you write to the drive, you're putting more stress on its failing components. Even if it seems fine, a sudden crash could leave you with irrecoverable data.
• Replace the Drive: There's no "fix" for a drive that's triggering SMART failure warnings. Aging drives like your MK6465GSXN (which is well past its expected lifespan) have already worn out critical internal parts—invest in a new SSD or HDD to avoid future data loss headaches.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者M. Venales