The hard disk drive is one of the most critical components of a Windows 11 PC or laptop, storing all our important data and information. We cannot store data and other media files without a hard drive. Windows 11 has a built-in option that allows you to check the current status of the hard drive’s health. By reviewing this information, you can easily identify the condition of the hard drive.
It is essential to regularly check and verify the hard drive’s health on a Windows 11 PC because it stores valuable information and data that we do not want to lose. In this guide, we will show you effective methods to check the health of your hard drive on Windows 11. By following the step-by-step instructions, you will easily be able to assess the current condition of your hard disk drive. Let’s get started!
How to Check Hard Drive Health in Windows 11
Whether your Windows 11 computer has a dedicated HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), it is crucial to regularly check the health status of the drive to ensure it is functioning properly.
By checking the HDD or SSD on your Windows computer, you can assess the current condition of the drive.
If you find that the hard disk drive of your Windows 11 PC or laptop is unhealthy, you should immediately take the necessary steps to prevent the loss of your data and other important information.
Below, we have listed the best ways to check the health of your hard drive on Windows 11. Be sure to review these methods to assess your drive’s current health status.
1. Using Windows Settings App
The easiest way to check the current hard disk drive health on your Windows 11 PC or laptop is by using the Windows Settings app. Windows settings stores the vital data and information for the specific program or applications. It stores the hard drive health of your computer as well, where you may identify the current health status quickly.
Therefore, if you want to check your hard disk drive health on your Windows 11 PC, check out the steps below:
1. Press the Windows key on your PC’s keyboard to open Start Menu.
2. In the search bar, type Settings and then click Open.
3. Click on the System tab located on the left pane and choose Storage option on the right side.
4. Scroll down and click on the Advanced storage settings option.
5. In the drop-down menu, choose the Disks & volumes option.
6. Under the Disks & volumes window, you will find the HDD or SSD disk drive volumes in detail.
7. Click on the Properties option next to your hard disk drive.
8. Under the Status and Drive health, you can check the information of the hard disk drive including overall health, available space percentage, estimated life, and temperature.
These were the easiest steps to check the hard drive health via Settings app on your Windows 11 PC. Luckily, you can check the hard drive health on Windows 11 by using the other methods.
2. Using the WMIC Command
Another easy way to check the health of your hard drive is by using the built-in WMIC on your Windows 11 PC or laptop. WMIC stands for Windows Management Instrumentation Command Line. This command line tool allows your Windows operating system to check the health of your hard disk drive.
This feature works with modern HDDs or SSDs, which come with a self-monitoring system that provides accurate status information about the hard disk drive without the need for third-party programs. S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is a useful feature in Windows 11 that allows you to check the current health of your hard drive.
To check the health of your hard drive on Windows 11 using the WMIC command, follow the steps below:
1. Press the Windows key on the keyboard to open the Start Menu.
2. In the Windows Search bar, type in cmd and then click on the Run as Administrator option.
3. Under the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, click Yes to proceed further.
4. Type the below following command prompt and hit Enter.
wmic
5. This will activate the WMIC interface in the Command Prompt.
6. Next, enter or copy-paste the below following command and hit Enter.
diskdrive get status
7. After hitting the Enter button, you’ll see the current health status of your hard drive on the Command Prompt window.
If the WMIC tool shows the OK status on the Command Prompt window, it means that your hard drive health is good. On the other hand, if the WMIC tools show the Pred Fail status then it means that your hard drive health is at huge risk. In such a case, you should immediately take action or consider backing up your hard drive.
3. Using the CHKDSK Utility
CHKDSK, commonly known as Check Disk, is a basic Windows hard drive diagnostic command, similar to WMIC. This utility is especially useful for repairing or fixing corrupted files on your Windows 11 PC. At times, the hard drive on your computer may encounter file system issues.
Therefore, you can use the CHKDSK utility tool to detect and repair file system issues on your HDD or SSD, helping to prevent hard disk failure. This tool can effectively detect and repair corrupted sectors on your hard drive in Windows 11.
To check and improve the health of your hard drive on Windows 11 using the CHKDSK utility, follow these steps:
1. Press Windows key on the keyboard to launch the Start Menu, type cmd, and click Run as administrator.
2. Under the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, click Yes to proceed further.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type the below following command and hit Enter.
chkdsk C: /F /R /X
4. Now, the CHKDSK utility will ask you whether you want to run the hard disk scan after the next reboot.
5. Then, type in Y letter and press Enter on the keyboard.
6. Close all the programs and then restart your Windows 11 PC.
Once you restart your computer, the chkdsk tool automatically runs on your computer, showing you the information about your HDD or SSD drive health. Remember that, by running this utility on your computer, it will only detect and repair the corrupted system files in your hard drive.
4. Using Hard Drive Manufacturer’s Tool
Most hard drive manufacturers provide dedicated software that allows you to check the health of their products. By using this software, you can easily check the health of your hard drive on Windows 11. However, before you begin, you need to find the exact model number of your hard drive, whether it is an HDD or SSD.
Windows includes a built-in tool called Device Manager that lets you access individual components of the computer, including the hard drive. You will need to navigate to the Device Manager to identify the exact model number of your hard drive.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Press Windows key on the keyboard to launch Start Menu on the screen.
2. In the Windows search bar, type Device Manager and click Open.
3. Under the Device Manager window, expand the Disk drives section by clicking on the arrow next to it.
4. Right-click on your hard drive and click on the Properties option from the drop-down menu.
5. Now, you will see the model number of your Disk drive.
6. In the General section, you will see the model number. Ensure to note down it.
Once you have noted the model number of the disk drive on Windows 11, open the Chrome browser and search for the model number to identify the manufacturer.
After finding the correct manufacturer, visit their website and download the hard drive diagnostics tool. Then, install the tool on your Windows 11 PC and launch it to check the health status of your hard drive.
Conclusion
That’s it! This is how you can check the health of your hard drive on Windows 11 by following any of the outlined methods. As mentioned earlier, the hard drive is a crucial component of a Windows 11 PC, storing our vital information and data. Therefore, regularly checking the health of the hard drive is essential to determine whether the HDD or SSD is functioning properly or if there is an issue.
If you don’t want to risk losing your data on Windows 11 due to drive failure, make sure to check the health status of your hard drive from time to time. This will help you avoid losing important data, files, apps, and other information stored on it.
