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How to check SSD health on a Windows PCs
A storage drive, be it a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD), is one of the most important components of a PC. They're just as crucial as the CPU or the GPU as they're constantly in use and contain things like your PC's operating system and all your critical data.
SSDs, in particular, demand less attention and maintenance than some other major components of a PC, but it's important to keep tabs on them to ensure smooth performance and avert data loss. If you haven't checked your SSD's health in a while and are wondering how to do it, then here are a few ways you can keep tabs on it.
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Using third-party utilities to check SMART
SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is essentially a monitoring system that's built into SSDs. It keeps tabs on the internal information of the drives and works independently of other areas like the operating system, monitoring software, and more. This means you should be able to check the SMART data on any OS device as long as you use the right software.
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There are plenty of utility programs out there that can read the SMART info and return vital information about your storage drive. I recommend using CrystalDiskMark as it's among the safest and the most reliable tools out there that can deliver all the useful information about your disk. Here's how to check your SSD's health with CrystalDiskMark.
- Download and install CrystalDiskMark.
- Open it, and it will show you the status of your SSD along with all vital information.
The CrystalDiskInfor Official website with a red arrow pointing to the CrystalDiskInfo download button© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot of what the CrystalDiskMark screen looks like. The health of the drive is 100% good
As you can see, there are various details, but if you just want a top-down view, CrystalDiskMark will show you your PC's temperature and give your drive's overall health a score.
Alternatively, you can also use other utility programs like HWiNFO and AIDA64 Extreme to check the status of your SSD. They all use the SMART technology to relay all the vital information about your SSD in a presentable form to help you keep tabs on it.
Using SSD manufacturer tools
This particular method involves downloading the tool specific to your SSD from its manufacturer. The XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite SSD installed on my PC, for instance, speaks to the ADATA SSD toolbox program, but you may have to download a different tool depending on the make and model of your SSD. So if you are using, say, a Samsung 990 Pro or a Seagate BarraCuda 515 SSD, then you'll have to download either the Samsung Magician or SeaTools. The utility program that's specific to your SSD is just a Google search away, so you should be able to get it up and running in no time.
Most of these tools will relay the SSD health immediately on the main screen as soon as you download and install them. You will see information like its health, operating temperature, the number of power cycles, data written, and more.
Using the Command Prompt in Windows 11
Consider this a bonus method if you're using Windows 11 and don't want to install a separate application on your PC to keep tabs on your SSD health. Here's how you can use the built-in analysis tool in Windows 11 to check the health of your SSD.
- Hit the Start button and search for Command Prompt. Select it to open.
- Type WMIC and press enter.
A screenshot showing CMD in Start Menu.A screenshot showing the CMD terminal in Windows 11 with the wmic command.
- Type diskdrive get status, and hit enter.
A screenshot showing the CMD in Windows 11 with the drive status command.
You'll now see one of the two results in the command prompt. If the window returns "OK," then your SSD is working properly, but if it returns "Pred Fail," then it's malfunctioning, and it's time to back up your data. This method, however, isn't going to give you detailed information, so keep that in mind.
Now you can keep tabs on your SSD
Even the best SSDs out there will experience issues at some point, so it's important to keep tabs on their health. You don't necessarily have to run a health check every day, but it's good practice to check up on it regularly to ensure the smooth performance of your PC.
It's worth noting that not all SSDs support SMART to show you all the relevant information. If you don't see information about the health of your SSD when following some of the steps above, then there's a good chance that you're using a relatively old unit. It may be worth upgrading if you're using an old SSD, specifically to one of the best M.2 SSDs to get the best performance out of your PC.
