Lately, I’ve been having trouble with my disk drive, it just loading forever and I can't access my files. Fortunately, I managed to clone the hard drive and secure my data (this was my first time doing so).

I discovered bad sectors and several S.M.A.R.T. warnings.
So, is this drive still usable, or is it time to retire it?

I wouldn't trust it. Get a new one.

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odzyskiwanie danych

But what if I want to use this drive not for daily use, but simply to store movies, installers, and other less critical things, is that possible?
do I need to format the drive if I want to use it again?

Thanks

Full format, check SMART. Or try to do a remap. But it's not worth it.

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odzyskiwanie danych