Updated Guide for Quickly Checking Hard Drive Errors with SMART on Windows 10/11 [2024]

On this page, you can learn about the signs of hard drive failure and the two ways to check its SMART status:

If SMART predicts that a hard drive is about to fail, you can order a replacement and transfer your data before it dies. Thus, in this article, you'll find how to check hard drive health using SMART.

What are the signs of a failing hard drive?

Before using SMART, it's good to know the signs of a failing hard drive. Here are some symptoms that your hard drive might be failing:

• Overheating
• Bad sectors
• Unusual noises
• Slow computer performance
• Sudden disappearance of files
• Blue/Black screen issues
• Frequent system crashes
• Inability to boot the operating system
• Slow opening of files or requiring multiple attempts

If these symptoms persist after you reinstall the operating system or in Windows Safe Mode, it could be a sign that your hard drive is failing.

So, if you see any of these signs, remember to check the hard drive for failure using SMART. You can learn more about SMART status from the link below.

What Does SMART Status Mean? All You Need to Know

SMART stands for "Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology", which is a monitoring system commonly found in computer solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs).

How to Use SMART to Check for Hard Drive Failure – 2 Methods

We will continue to use SMART to check for failed hard drives. Here are two methods:

Method 1: Check SMART Status with Partition Master Tool - Easy and Straightforward

The Disk Health tool in tools Partition Master supports SMART technology that can check the health status, temperature, performance, and other factors of your hard drive.

The Tools section of Partition Master includes features such as “Disk Health and Surface Test.” The Disk Health module can scan your hard drive's temperature and display S.M.A.R.T. indicators. Details include critical warnings, unsafe shutdowns, media integrity, and more.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and click the blue arrow to activate the “Disk Health” feature under “Discovery”.

Step 2. Select the target disk and click “Refresh”. Then, you can view the status of the hard drive.

Select the target disk and click "Check Now".

Features of MiniTool Partition Wizard:

As a professional disk management tool, it can offer much more help besides checking the SMART status, such as:

• Test for "Slow SSD Write Speed" issue
• Check SSD Health on Windows 10
• Copy Partition to Another Hard Drive
• Speed Up Hard Drive/Computer Performance
• Erase/Format/Resize/Divide/Merge Partitions
• Repair Bad Sectors on External/ Internal Hard Drive

Now that you've read and understood the features of the app and the role of SMART in checking hard drives, you can download Partition Master and start checking your hard disk.

Method 2: Check SMART Status via CMD - Difficult

Alternatively, you can use the Command Prompt to check the SMART status and see if there are any hardware issues with your hard drive. Here's how:

Step 1: Type "CMD" in the Windows Start menu, right-click on the result, and select "Run as administrator" from the context menu. Click "Yes" in the User Account Control window.

Step 2: Copy and paste the following command, then press Enter:

This text in English is:
• Use the WMIC command
• Query disk drive status

Step 3: Verify that the results in the Status column read OK. Note that any internal drives installed in the system should also show OK.

If all steps were completed successfully, the status should read “OK.” If the status reads “Bad,” “Unknown,” or “Caution,” or if the command can't get a status from the drive firmware, the hard drive is likely to fail soon.

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Also, keep in mind that you can use GParted, as it's easy to use and requires no commands. Plus, it will show more detailed SMART status information.

For a more direct reference, here's a video with important information and five simple ways to check your hard drive's health.

Conclusions

After checking the common signs of hard drive failure above, you may be able to tell if your hard drive is failing. Partition Master also allows you to find bad sectors or check the health status of the drive.

If the SMART status shows errors, your hard drive isn't guaranteed to fail immediately. However, if there are SMART errors, it's wise to assume that your hard drive is about to fail. If it does, replace it with a solid-state drive or use a professional disk partition tool to repair bad sectors. Hopefully, this article helped you solve your problem!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Using SMART to Check for Hard Drive Failure

Here are some common questions and answers about using SMART to diagnose hard drive issues. If you have more queries on this topic, you'll likely find the answers here.

**1. What is a SMART status test for a hard drive?**

SMART, or Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, monitors your hard drive for signs of failure and rising temperatures. You can check its status manually on Windows or Mac. Most of the time, it will report any problems it finds to you.

2. What does a “failed” SMART test on my hard drive mean?

A SMART failure may indicate that a hard drive is about to fail. It's important to understand that a hard drive can appear to be operating normally with a few failing diagnostic tests. SMART errors suggest that tests which previously passed may soon fail.

3. Can CHKDSK fix SMART errors?

Bad sectors on the hard drive could be the root cause of the SMART status issue. In this case, you can try using chkdsk to repair the corrupted file system and bad sectors, thus resolving the SMART hard drive problem.