The S.M.A.R.T. warning means
that your hard drive is about to *physically* fail. I would keep your
computer off, *not standby*, until you get a new hard drive. Until you're
ready to copy your hard drive (that's a different matter), DO NOT use your
computer unless its absolutely necessary, because that means that your hard
drive could fail at any minute. So if your not using your computer right
now for any thing that is absolutely necessary, SHUT IT OFF RIGHT NOW, go
out, get a new hard drive, and copy your data over to the new hard drive.

"Kevin" <romurphy@fuse.net> wrote in message
news:03ba01c34bfa$0d315570$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> I have Windows ME and I am getting a SMART failure message
> about my hard drive. I have a new hard drive and I want
> to upgrade to XP without loading ME. Can I do it and save
> $100 and any upgrade headaches that might occur. If I
> load windows XP on the new hard drive will it see ME on my
> old drive and be happy. I have had no problems with old
> drive just a warning on startup.