Can one tell if SMART data has been reset on a Hard Drive

[GeezerMan]

I have read that there are ways to clear the SMART data on a drive. There is some chat that perhaps some sellers of new surplus drives are really selling used drives with wiped data.

Is there a way of seeing the real data on a drive, even if it has been reset, things such as power on time?

Thanks

 

[UsandThem]

I'm not sure there's a sure way to prove they reset it, but from my understanding it is a fairly common thing from sellers who label them as "pulls" and such:

https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...ing-smart-data-selling-used-hdds-as-new.4507/

There's another thread in this sub-forum where the same thing happened from a huge seller of drives on eBay. I'll find it later and link to it when I'm on a computer instead of mobile.

Edit, found it:

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...oid-about-a-hdd-being-shipped-poorly.2484433/

 

[GeezerMan]

I remember reading a review of a drive on Amazon where a reviewer was pretty much in the know on SMART data ins and outs.
Hard drives are a science all their own. Anyway, he had a way of checking the real hours, even if SMART data had been reset.

 

[UsandThem]

I remember reading a review of a drive on Amazon where a reviewer was pretty much in the know on SMART data ins and outs.
Hard drives are a science all their own. Anyway, he had a way of checking the real hours, even if SMART data had been reset.

There very well might be a way/utility to tell you that sort of thing, I just haven't come across it and I just linked to what I am aware of. Hopefully somebody here who has more experience in buying used hard drives might know of a way.