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Aliexpress 2.5 HDD: Altered Usage Hours & Health Indicators Explained

gamemaniaco1987 1752 26
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How can a used 2.5-inch HDD from AliExpress show very few power-on hours and good health in CrystalDiskInfo, and do sellers also change firmware features like power management or head parking?

They usually just reset the HDD’s SMART data to factory/default values—such as power-on hours, power-on count, pending sectors and similar attributes—so CrystalDiskInfo shows low usage and good health; deeper firmware changes to power management or head parking are generally not done because they are unnecessary and not economically worthwhile [#21331931][#21348469][#21361624][#21368954] AAM/APM may remain at their defaults, and the thread says individual energy-saving or head-parking parameters are not normally changed one by one [#21331931][#21361624] If the disk has mechanical wear or bad sectors, resetting SMART does not fix that [#21361624][#21368954] The practical advice is to run a full surface scan with MHDD or Victoria to check whether the drive is actually usable, because SMART reset only hides history, not real damage [#21331931][#21361624]
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  • #1 21331568
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    I bought a 2.5" HDD on Aliexpress, I know this drive is used but it shows few hours of use and good health in CrystalDiskInfo. What do the Chinese change in the HDD to mask hours of use and true health?

    Do they also change or remove important HDD functions such as head parking and drive power management?
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  • #2 21331931
    dt1
    Admin of Computers group  
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    Hi.
    Modern HDDs are equipped with SMART technology, which is responsible for monitoring and storing crucial drive parameters, including power-on time. Theoretically, these values are stored in a place not accessible to the user and cannot be erased or changed manually. So this should not be modified by the user, but there are ways to do this, and all values stored by SMART can be initialised to factory defaults (including power-on time, power-on count, pending sectors, g-sensor and everything else).

    This way, the disk is shown with excellent health in SMART reporting programs such as Crystal Disk Info.

    If you bought such a drive, you should definitely check its entire surface to see if this disk is usable at all. It may be a piece of junk, or it may be good; it's a lottery.

    AAM and APM parameters can be modified on some drives, but most likely they are kept default because there is no need to touch them when "factory" resetting SMART values.
  • #3 21332131
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
    Posts: 92
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    Do the Chinese from aliexpress only change the SMART or do they remove and change HDD 2.5" firmware functions such as power management and head parking?
  • #4 21332207
    Łukasz_W

    HDD and data recovery specialist  
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    One will dig deeper, the other will just reset SMART.
    This is a question for the Chinese, whether they modify the software to a greater extent or not.

    The solution is not to buy devices from questionable sources.

    Tell us better what you mean.
    What question should we answer exactly?
    Why are you so interested in head parking and power management?
    Until the disk receives the "sleep" command, it will wait for commands in the ready state - it will work.
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  • #5 21333495
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    From your experience with HDDs, do the Chinese modify or remove the HDD firmware functions such as power management and head parking in addition to SMART to show few hours of use and good health for used HDDs?

    What is the sleep command? Is it related to the Windows function of ejecting "safely remove hardware" and parked heads of 2.5" HDDs inside USB enclosure cases?
  • #6 21348166
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    up ???
  • #7 21348469
    dt1
    Admin of Computers group  
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    gamemaniaco1987 wrote:
    From your experience with HDDs, do the Chinese modify or remove the HDD firmware functions such as power management and head parking in addition to SMART to show few hours of use and good health for used HDDs?
    .
    From my the don't because it is economically unjustified and not needed for drive to spin up and get detected. If they sell scrap as refurbished disks or even new, they will not waste too much time per unit to make it appear ok, but, as said earlier:
    Łukasz_W wrote:
    This is a question for the Chinese, whether they modify the software to a greater extent or not.
    .

    gamemaniaco1987 wrote:
    What is the sleep command? Is it related to the Windows function of ejecting "safely remove hardware" and parked heads of 2.5" HDDs inside USB enclosure cases?

    I believe You had that question answered in one of Your other threads.
  • #8 21361418
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    alteredSMART ok

    Do they change or disable some system settings (such as power management) within the firmware and does this affect the parking system?

    my hdds Western Digital WDC WD10JPVX-08JC3T5, HGST APPLE HDD HTS541010A99E662 inside enclosure kesu 2530
  • #9 21361546
    dt1
    Admin of Computers group  
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    This is becoming boring. You got a bunch of answers to this question and you still ask the same. The answers are the same. Do You expect another answer if You post the same question a dozen times?
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  • #10 21361614
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    >>21361546 Thanks for the answers, friends. I just want to understand how this manipulation works. In the answers, I see that they change SMART, to show few hours of use and good health, but if they change SMART, at the same time, the energy settings within the firmware will also be changed, and this harms and disables or modifies the head parking system.
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  • #11 21361624
    Łukasz_W

    HDD and data recovery specialist  
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    Reset SMART clear all parameters, no one sets parameters individually, I have never encountered this.
    Similarly, I have never encountered anyone changing operating parameters related to energy saving or heads parking functions.
    If the disk has mechanical problems, this will not change anything.

    Do a full surface scan with MHDD or Victoria and you'll know if the drive has problems. And in the future, buy devices from trusted sources.
    Company Account:
    HEX SERWIS
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  • #12 21361626
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
    Posts: 92
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    >>21361624 I used HD Tune Full Scan surface no errors

    on the two 2.5" HDD models mentioned that I bought on Aliexpress. After I read and saw that they change usage hours and show good health on the crystal disk, I wondered if they would change important features of the 2.5" HDD such as power management and parking of the heads when ejecting in Windows.
  • #13 21361746
    Łukasz_W

    HDD and data recovery specialist  
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    gamemaniaco1987 wrote:
    I used HD Tune Full Scan surface no errors
    .
    You were recommended two programs that we recommend using for this purpose and HD Tune was not there. Why do you create topics if you neither follow the recommendations nor respect our answers?
    Company Account:
    HEX SERWIS
    Smołdzinska 2B/16, Kobysewo, 83-304 | Tel.: 530XXXXXX (Show) | Company Website: https://hex-serwis.pl
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  • #14 21361752
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
    Posts: 92
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    the test I carried out a few months ago before the answers were posted, the HDD Tune is not fine ok?

    on the two 2.5" HDD models mentioned that I bought on Aliexpress. After I read and saw that they change usage hours and show good health on the crystal disk, I wondered if they would change important features of the 2.5" HDD such as power management and parking of the heads when ejecting in Windows.
  • #15 21363127
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    >>21361746 Aliexpress sellers changing power management settings, parking and other features within the 2.5" HDD firmware is easy to manipulate like resetting SMART?
  • #16 21363514
    dt1
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    No, as said earlier this is not easy. Try to find how to do it and you will know.
  • #17 21363556
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
    Posts: 92
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    The Chinese from Aliexpress change SMART to show a few hours of use and good health in CrystalDiskInfo, all other parameters are also reset. Does this procedure access and modify within the firmware in the power management and parking system? Have any of you analysed a used 2.5" HDD from Aliexpress?
  • #18 21363569
    dt1
    Admin of Computers group  
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    You are asking the same again and again. All of Your questions that could be answered have already been answered. Read the whole thread again if You missed them and You will find these answers. What's the point of asking the same questions over and over again?
  • #19 21363605
    KOCUREK1970
    Network and Internet specialist  
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    @gamemaniaco1987
    You buy something from a Chinese and then ask us what they were tinkering with?
    Ask the Chinese what they did there!
  • #20 21364045
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    >>21363605 Chinese will never tell the truth
  • #21 21365971
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    Have any of you had access to a 2.5" HDD from AliExpress and analyzed the modifications made to its firmware?
  • #22 21366046
    Kolobos
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    Don't buy hard drives from Aliexpress and that's it. You've already got all the answers, you can close this thread.
  • #23 21366066
    KOCUREK1970
    Network and Internet specialist  
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    gamemaniaco1987 wrote:
    Chinese will never tell the truth
    .
    But did you find out about it now or did you know about it before?
    If you found out now, you have learned your lesson.
    And if you knew in advance and still knowingly left them money, it's your own fault.
  • #24 21368880
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    Does the Aliexpress seller have any influence on the HDD modifications? Example: I bought an external HDD from the KESU brand (enclosure case Kesu 2530 2.5" HDD models Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST APPLE HDD HTS541010A99E662) I wonder if all sellers buy the HDD from the same person and resell it with the brand's USB case.
  • #25 21368954
    Łukasz_W

    HDD and data recovery specialist  
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    Again - this is not a question for us.
    In what language should we write so that you understand that SMART is completely erased, no one sets individual working hours, just zeros its values and that interference in the software that you are talking about does not pay off for anyone.

    gamemaniaco1987 wrote:
    I wonder if all sellers buy the HDD from the same person and resell it with the brand's USB case.
    .
    I don't understand this at all - anyone can sell a drive in an external casing.
    The source of these devices can be good or bad, what do you expect from us?

    Tell us, what would be the point of modifying the head parking function that you are talking about all the time from the vendor's point of view?
    What would cause this?

    An HDD drive is a mechanical device, if it is degraded, both on the head side and on the surface, then changing the parking function does not change anything at all.
    Company Account:
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    Smołdzinska 2B/16, Kobysewo, 83-304 | Tel.: 530XXXXXX (Show) | Company Website: https://hex-serwis.pl
  • #26 21368966
    gamemaniaco1987
    Level 2  
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    >>21368954 I speak Portuguese

    but I use the translator

    yes I know they change SMART

    does the Chinese need to change the power management and parking system of the 2.5" HDD to hide errors and defects in the drive or force the purchase of another HDD??

    is the difficulty to reset SMART the same as to change, disable or remove original functions of the 2.5" HDD?
  • #27 21368989
    gulson
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    Report:
    If the author has any doubts, they should ask the seller. The questions asked here don't help others in any way, and we are not able to answer them with 100% certainty due to their nature - these are not strictly technical questions but merely presumed suspicions, which cannot be verified in any way anyway.
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around the concerns of users who purchased 2.5" HDDs from Aliexpress, questioning the integrity of the drives' reported usage hours and health status as shown in CrystalDiskInfo. Participants explain that while SMART technology typically prevents manual alteration of usage data, it can be reset to factory defaults, potentially masking true drive conditions. Users express skepticism about whether sellers modify firmware settings related to power management and head parking to further conceal defects. The consensus suggests that while SMART values can be reset, altering firmware settings is more complex and economically unjustified for sellers. Recommendations include performing thorough surface scans to assess drive health and avoiding purchases from unreliable sources.
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FAQ

TL;DR: For buyers of used 2.5-inch AliExpress HDDs, the thread’s answer is simple: SMART can be reset so 0 factory-like values reappear, and one expert states, "SMART is completely erased". That can make CrystalDiskInfo show low hours and good health, while the drive’s real wear remains unknown. [#21368954]

Why it matters: This FAQ helps you separate a cosmetic SMART reset from real mechanical condition before trusting a used laptop hard drive.

Topic SMART reset Firmware feature changes
Purpose in the thread Make health and hours look clean Rarely discussed as worthwhile
Effort described Done by resetting all SMART values Described as not easy and not economically justified
Effect on real damage Does not fix bad mechanics Also does not repair mechanical wear
Suggested response Verify with MHDD or Victoria Do not assume changes were made

Key insight: A reset SMART table can make a worn 2.5-inch HDD look healthy, but it does not repair the platter, heads, or other mechanical faults. The thread repeatedly recommends surface testing instead of trusting CrystalDiskInfo alone.

Quick Facts

  • The thread discusses 2.5-inch HDDs sold through AliExpress, including a KESU 2530 enclosure with Western Digital WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662 drives. [#21361418]
  • One technical reply says sellers can initialize SMART to factory defaults, including power-on time, power-on count, pending sectors, and G-sensor data. [#21331931]
  • Two forum replies recommend a full surface scan with MHDD or Victoria rather than relying on CrystalDiskInfo health alone. [#21361624]
  • The user reported a prior HD Tune Full Scan with 0 errors, but the forum still rejected HD Tune as the preferred validation method for a suspicious used drive. [#21361746]

How do sellers reset SMART on used 2.5" HDDs so CrystalDiskInfo shows very low power-on hours and good health?

They do it by resetting SMART to factory defaults instead of editing one value. The thread states that modern drives store SMART data outside normal user access, yet there are methods to initialize all SMART values again. After that reset, CrystalDiskInfo can show very low hours and excellent health even on a used 2.5-inch HDD. [#21331931]

What is SMART in a hard drive, and which parameters like power-on time, power-on count, pending sectors, and G-sensor data can be reset?

SMART is a monitoring system in a hard drive that stores operating and condition data, including usage and error-related values. In this thread, the resettable examples named explicitly are power-on time, power-on count, pending sectors, and G-sensor data. The same reply says all SMART-stored values can be initialized back to factory defaults at once. [#21331931]

What is the HDD sleep command, and how does it relate to Windows "Safely Remove Hardware" and head parking in USB enclosures?

The thread does not give a full technical explanation of the sleep command. It only states that, until a disk receives a "sleep" command, it stays ready and waits for commands. The discussion does not confirm a direct link to Windows "Safely Remove Hardware" or to head parking inside a USB enclosure such as the KESU 2530. [#21332207]

Why can a used Western Digital or HGST 2.5" HDD from AliExpress look healthy in CrystalDiskInfo even if its real history is unknown?

It can look healthy because a SMART reset can wipe old usage and warning values. The thread directly says this reset makes a disk appear in excellent health in CrystalDiskInfo, even when the real history is hidden. That is why a used Western Digital or HGST 2.5-inch HDD can show low hours despite unknown past wear. [#21331931]

What is the difference between resetting SMART values and modifying actual HDD firmware features such as APM, AAM, head parking, or power management?

Resetting SMART clears stored monitoring data, while changing APM, AAM, head parking, or power management alters drive behavior. The thread says SMART resets are used to make a drive look clean, but deeper firmware changes are usually not needed for a drive to spin up and be detected. It also says AAM and APM may be changeable on some drives, yet they are most likely left at default. [#21331931]

How can I properly test a used 2.5" HDD from AliExpress with MHDD or Victoria to check whether the surface is really good?

Use a full-surface check, not just SMART health. 1. Run MHDD or Victoria on the used 2.5-inch HDD. 2. Perform a complete surface scan of the entire drive. 3. Judge usability from that scan result, because the thread says only then will you know whether the disk has problems. [#21361624]

HD Tune Full Scan vs MHDD vs Victoria — which tool is better for checking a suspicious used laptop hard drive?

MHDD or Victoria is the forum’s preferred choice for a suspicious used drive. The user reported an HD Tune Full Scan with 0 errors, but a reply still rejected HD Tune as the recommended method. Another reply had already named MHDD and Victoria specifically for full-surface testing. [#21361746]

Why do forum users say altering head parking or power-management functions usually does not help hide mechanical HDD damage?

They say it does not help because mechanical damage remains mechanical damage. One reply states that if a disk is degraded on the heads or on the surface, changing the parking function changes nothing at all. Another says altering those functions is not economically justified when sellers can simply reset SMART. [#21368954]

What do APM and AAM mean on 2.5" hard drives, and how can these settings affect noise, power saving, and head behavior?

APM and AAM are drive behavior settings mentioned in the thread as parameters that can be modified on some HDDs. The posts tie them to power management and operating behavior, but they do not provide a deeper technical definition. The practical point is narrower: sellers resetting SMART usually do not need to change APM or AAM. [#21331931]

How should I evaluate an external KESU 2530 drive that contains a WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 or HGST HTS541010A99E662 bought from AliExpress?

Treat it as a used 2.5-inch HDD with unknown history until it passes stronger checks. The thread identifies the enclosure as KESU 2530 and names two installed models, WD10JPVX-08JC3T5 and HGST HTS541010A99E662. Forum advice is to ignore the attractive SMART story and verify the actual surface with MHDD or Victoria. [#21361418]

What signs suggest a refurbished or relabeled AliExpress HDD is still risky even after it passes a basic surface scan?

The main warning sign is a mismatch between clean SMART values and an unknown past. The thread repeatedly treats these drives as a lottery: they may be usable, or they may be junk. A basic scan helps, but it does not restore trust when sellers can erase SMART history and the real source of the drive remains unclear. [#21331931]

How difficult is it to change or disable original 2.5" HDD firmware functions compared with simply clearing SMART data?

Changing or disabling original firmware functions is described as harder than clearing SMART. One reply answers this directly: "No," it is not easy, and another says such deeper software interference does not pay off. By contrast, the thread repeatedly describes SMART clearing as the practical manipulation used to present a cleaner-looking drive. [#21363514]

Why might all SMART parameters return to factory-like values after a reset instead of sellers editing only selected attributes such as usage hours?

They return together because the reset discussed here clears the whole SMART table, not one selected field. A later reply states this plainly: SMART reset clears all parameters, and the writer had never seen anyone set them individually. That is why hours, counts, and health-related values can all look factory-like at the same time. [#21361624]

What follow-up checks should I run after CrystalDiskInfo reports excellent health on a suspicious used HDD from AliExpress?

Run a full surface scan with the tools the forum recommended. 1. Do not trust the excellent-health screen by itself. 2. Test the entire drive with MHDD or Victoria. 3. If the drive came from a questionable source, keep treating it cautiously even after a clean result. "Buy devices from trusted sources" is the thread’s clearest long-term advice. [#21361624]

How do sellers of external USB drives source used laptop HDDs, and what risks come from buying a re-cased drive from brands like KESU?

The thread does not confirm a sourcing chain, and forum users refuse to guess who supplied the bare drive. What it does confirm is the risk: anyone can place a used HDD into an external USB case, so the source can be good or bad. With brands like KESU, the enclosure alone tells you nothing about the disk’s true age or prior use. [#21368954]
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