One of the most common ways that business users lose data is when a hard disk goes bad. What IT pros often don't realize is that there are <A HREF="http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com/download.aspx?docid=173177?tag=tr.dl.zdn&tag=nl.e530">ways to see if a hard disk is going to fail</A> before the failure occurs, which can provide enough time to back up needed data. This sample hack from O'Reilly's PC Hacks shows how to use S.M.A.R.T. technology to get notification before potential failures.