Hard drives use S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) to assess reliability and determine if they are about to fail. You can view the hard drive’s S.M.A.R.T data for information.
Unfortunately, Windows does not have an easy-to-use built-in tool that displays hard disk SMART data. We will need a third-party tool to view this information, although there is a way to check the SMART status from the command prompt.
Currently, there are many software that can help you to check the status of the hard drive, but in this article, I only ask for the software that I use and can run directly on Windows. , simple interface.
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1. Use CrystalDiskInfo
CrystalDiskInfo is an easy-to-use, open-source program that can quickly display the SMART status that your hard drive reports in Windows. You can download CrystalDiskInfo for free here. However, remember to uncheck the browser widget when installing it.
Once installed, simply launch the CrystalDiskInfo application to view the SMART status of the hard drive. If all went well, you should see a Good status display
CrystalDiskInfo also displays other information about your hard drive, including current temperatures and various hardware specifications. If something goes wrong, you can determine exactly what the ‘hard’ drive is.
You can enable the options so that CrystalDiskInfo always runs in the background (Function> Resident to keep CrystalDiskInfo running in the system tray, Function> Startup so that CrystalDiskInfo automatically starts with the computer). If your S.M.A.R.T status changes, CrystalDiskInfo will automatically appear and alert you.
2. Check S.M.A.R.T without third-party tools
For quick S.M.A.R.T testing without installing any third party software, you can use some commands in Windows. First, open a Command Prompt window (press Windows key> type Command Prompt> press Enter).
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands (press Enter after each command):
wmic
diskdrive get status
If everything looks good, you’ll see an OK status. Otherwise, other states may retrieve SMART information that indicates a problem or error.
3. What to do when my hard drive is about to “die”!
If you’ve used one of the two tools – or a reputable program – and found to have errors, this does not mean that your hard drive will immediately fail. However, if you have an S.M.A.R.T error, you should assume that your hard drive is in the process of failing. The failure may come in a few minutes, a few months, or a few years.
Make sure you have up-to-date backups of all files stored on other disks, such as external hard drives or CDs / DVDs. With properly backed up files, you should consider replacing your hard drive as soon as possible.
With a simple and lightweight software, you can carefully check your hard drive, I recommend using CrystalDiskInfo software to see the most detailed information .. !!
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