can use of smartctl prevent disk probs?

[Hugo Vanwoerkom <hvw59601@care2.com>]

Hi,

Since failures with /dev/hdc I have been paying attention to smartctl.

It is a, how should one say it, interesting program that provides lots
of data.

But it is not clear to me how you can prevent disk failure other than
buying a disk with 5 year warranty, or something.

I wrote a program to combine smartctl output in a table that you can
page through to look at the data:
http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dodialogsmartctl4ge.jpg

Anybody who wants it can have the code, some hands-on required.

Did not get me closer to the answer.

H