Your storage drive can fail without warning, and the first clue may arrive when important files will not open. A traditional hard drive might announce trouble with clicking or grinding sounds, while an SSD has no moving parts to make a fuss.
Drive problems can also appear as corrupted files, slow access, read or write errors, crashes, or a drive that disappears from Windows. The good news is that Windows includes built-in ways to check drive health, and free utilities can read SMART data for a closer look.
Watch for the Signs Before Checking the Drive
Mechanical sounds deserve attention. A traditional hard drive that clicks or grinds may be warning that its hardware is in trouble, but an SSD cannot provide those sounds because it has no moving parts.
Other symptoms can affect both types of storage. Corrupted files, slow access, read or write errors, crashes, and disappearance from Windows can all point to drive problems. These signs do not prove that a drive will fail, but they create a clear reason to check its condition.
If issues are already occurring, back up important files before starting further troubleshooting. A health check can provide useful information, but it cannot protect data that has not been copied elsewhere.
Use Windows to Check Drive Health
Windows provides built-in health information, though the details vary based on the hardware. In Windows 11, open Settings, navigate to Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes, select your drive, and choose Properties.
For supported NVMe SSDs, Windows can display estimated remaining life, spare capacity, and temperature. Windows can also alert you when spare capacity is low, reliability has decreased, or the drive has entered read-only mode.
There is an important limit: Windows health monitoring does not cover SATA SSDs or traditional hard drives. If Windows provides little or no health information, that does not mean the drive is healthy. The system may simply lack health monitoring for that type of hardware.
You can also check drive health through PowerShell. Use the Get-PhysicalDisk command, then check the HealthStatus column for the drive.
Older advice suggested using wmic diskdrive get status, but that command is deprecated. Supported alternatives include PowerShell commands. A Healthy status combined with normal PC operation is a good sign, but backing up data remains recommended because a healthy status does not guarantee that the drive will not fail in the future.
Read SMART Data for a Deeper Look
Free utilities can read SMART data from storage drives, giving you information that Windows may not show. CrystalDiskInfo is a free utility that reports drive health with four possible results: Good, Caution, Bad, or Unknown.
CrystalDiskInfo can trigger a Caution status based on SMART attributes such as reallocated sectors, pending sectors, and uncorrectable sectors. SMART data can include all three of these measures, which can reveal warning signs that are not visible through normal PC use.
A Caution or Bad result means backing up data should become the priority. Persistent warnings, an Unhealthy result, or mechanical symptoms suggest that you should stop trusting the drive and consider replacement.
Manufacturer diagnostic software can verify issues as well. Seagate’s SeaTools and Samsung Magician are examples of manufacturer diagnostic software that can help check drives.
What CHKDSK Can—and Cannot—Fix
Windows also includes CHKDSK, a tool that checks a volume’s file system and metadata for errors. The /f option fixes errors, while the /r option locates bad sectors.
CHKDSK can correct file-system errors, but it cannot fix hardware issues. That difference matters because a drive may have a damaged file system, failing hardware, or both. Fixing the file system does not restore a drive that has begun to fail.
Drive health checks work best as an early warning system rather than a promise of safety. Windows may show useful information for supported NVMe SSDs, PowerShell may report a health status, and SMART tools may identify warning attributes, but every healthy result has limits.
Check for symptoms, protect important files, and compare Windows information with SMART data or manufacturer diagnostics when needed. If warnings continue or the drive shows mechanical symptoms, replacement becomes the safer path for your data.
