This is an update -- the last giveaway version I had was 5.50. The changelog for the GOTD, v. 5.61 is here: hdsentinel[.]com/revision561.php -- the current version is 5.70.2 .
After setting the update interval to 30 sec. to 1 min. [Configuration -> Advanced -> Detection frequency] I've found it useful to monitor the temps of hard disks running using a USB 3 drive dock. Otherwise, for just checking S.M.A.R.T. data, the free, portable, & simpler to use Crystal Disk Info is what I use & recommend. neowin[.]net/news/crystaldiskinfo-8120/
That's not a knock against Hard Disk Sentinel really -- it's just that if I didn't monitor the temps of hard disks running in a drive dock it's something I'd do without because why make things more complicated than they have to be? Hard Disk Sentinel adds a folder to C:\Users\ [UserName]\ AppData\ Roaming\ plus the programs folder, & I recorded:
The installation performed the following activity:
145 files added
56 files deleted
20 files updated
168 registry entries added
472 registry entries deleted
23 registry entries updated
S.M.A.R.T. data -- wikipedia[.]org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T. -- varies by make & model of hard disk, and is essentially a collection of hard disk metrics stored internally by the hard disk, e.g. current & highest temp recorded, reallocated sectors etc. Aside from the temp., which can indicate an immediate problem if too high, the S.M.A.R.T. data ***may*** hint at future problems. It's Not any sort of reliable means to predict hard disk failure, and the only value I see of starting an app like Hard Disk Sentinel with Windows is to monitor hard disk temps. That said, the free CPUID HWMonitor shows continually updated temp readings for the CPU, GPU, motherboard sensors, fan speeds, voltages etc. along with hard disk temps [it just doesn't do hard disk temps over USB].