In this article, we will discuss several methods for checking the health and status of your computer’s hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). Knowing how to monitor your drives can help identify potential problems before they lead to data loss or drive failure.
Check basic drive information
As a first step, you’ll want to confirm basic information about your HDD or SSD. This includes the manufacturer, model number, capacity, and interface type (SATA, NVMe, etc.). On Windows, you can find this in the Device Manager under Disk Drives. On Mac, use the System Information app.
This will let you verify you’re looking at the correct drive and know its overall specifications. If anything looks incorrect or missing here, that could indicate an issue with how the drive is connected or recognized by the system.
View drive health status
Most HDDs and SSDs today support a technology called S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) that monitors drive health. S.M.A.R.T. looks at factors like drive temperature, errors, bad sectors, time in use, and more to predict the likelihood of failure.
You can use free tools to check your S.M.A.R.T. status:
- On Windows, try using the app CrystalDiskInfo.
- On Mac, Disk Utility has built-in S.M.A.R.T. monitoring.
- On Linux, installations of smartmontools such as gnome-disks or smartctl.
The overall S.M.A.R.T. status will be shown as either healthy or unhealthy. If unhealthy, your drive may be experiencing issues and should be backed up immediately and potentially replaced.
Check for bad sectors
Drives can sometimes develop bad sectors – areas that are inaccessible and unusable due to physical damage on the disk. Bad sectors often indicate an HDD or SSD is failing.
You can scan for bad sectors using:
- On Windows, chkdsk in Command Prompt.
- On Mac, Disk Utility’s First Aid verification.
- On Linux, fsck command.
If any bad sectors are detected, stop using the drive immediately and back up your data if possible before complete failure. The presence of bad sectors means the drive needs to be replaced.
Check SSD wear
SSDs have a limited lifespan and can wear out after extensive read/write operations. The drive’s health is measured by wear leveling – the distribution of writes across memory cells to extend longevity. A simple way to view wear level is with the SSD’s SMART attributes.
On Windows, Mac, and Linux, you can use free tools like smartmontools to see the percentage of life remaining based on manufacturer specs. A lower wear level indicates the SSD is nearing its end of life. Consumer SSDs typically last 3-5 years under normal use before replacement is needed.
Monitor drive errors
S.M.A.R.T. data also tracks drive errors like read/write failures that can signal issues. The “Current Pending Sector Count” indicates how many bad sectors are waiting to be remapped. Rising error rates show the drive is having trouble operating properly.
On Windows, use CrystalDiskInfo to see error counts and values. On Mac and Linux, smartctl displays this info. If errors are increasing, back up your data immediately.
Check drive temperature
HDDs and SSDs are designed to operate at certain temperatures safely. If the drive overheats, it can lead to damage and reduced lifespan.
Apps like CrystalDiskInfo, gnome-disks, and smartmontools show current drive temperature. Ensure temperatures remain around 30-40°C for HDDs and under 70°C for SSDs under typical load. If the temperature is too high, check for adequate airflow and cooling in your computer case.
Perform drive benchmark
Running drive benchmarks tests the read and write performance to check for issues. Benchmark values much lower than the drive’s stated specs could mean problems. Two good benchmark utilities are:
- On Windows, CrystalDiskMark
- On Mac and Linux, DiskMark
Compare results against benchmarks for your specific drive model online to see if performance is as expected. Drastically low results may point to a dying HDD/SSD in need of replacement.
Check for unusual noises from HDD
Unusual new noises coming from an HDD, such as clicking, grinding, buzzing or screeching could indicate a mechanical problem. The drive uses moving parts that can sometimes fail. Noises signaling a hardware issue typically mean the drive has failed or will very soon.
SSDs have no moving parts, so noise is not a concern. But with an HDD, any strange noises mean an imminent failure. Turn off the computer immediately and replace the HDD to recover your data.
Monitor HDD health with software
Special HDD monitoring software like SpeedFan or Hard Disk Sentinel can perform drive checks and give overall health evaluations based on all the aforementioned criteria combined.
This software runs automatic background drive monitoring and predictions to warn of potential failure before it happens. Look for high danger warnings, unusually high temperatures, or low performance results.
Conclusion
Checking your hard disk or solid state drive for signs of potential failure can prevent losing irreplaceable data. Use the above tools and methods to monitor drive health based on temperature, errors, performance, bad sectors, noise, and S.M.A.R.T. status.
At the first signs of trouble, immediately back up your data and replace the drive. Taking a proactive approach allows you to swap out a faulty drive before it outright fails and avoids data loss disasters.
With proper care and maintenance, HDDs and SSDs can provide many years of reliable high-speed storage. But all drives will eventually fail. So be prepared by routinely checking your drive health.
| Method | What it Checks | How to Check |
|---|---|---|
| S.M.A.R.T. status | Overall drive health based on many factors | CrystalDiskInfo, Disk Utility, smartctl |
| Bad sector scan | Scans for damaged areas on disk | chkdsk, Disk Utility First Aid, fsck |
| SSD wear level | Remaining lifespan of SSD | smartmontools, CrystalDiskInfo |
| Drive errors | Read/write failure counts | CrystalDiskInfo, smartctl |
| Temperature | Current drive temperature | CrystalDiskInfo, gnome-disks, smartmontools |
| Drive benchmark | Read/write performance | CrystalDiskMark, DiskMark |
| Noises | Unusual mechanical sounds from HDD | Listen for clicks, buzzing, grinding |