Updated by Tracy King on Nov 23, 2023

Quick Navigation for Checking Disk Speed on Windows 10:

Goal: Check disk speed in Windows 10, analyze internal hard drive read and write speed
Who Needs It: All levels of Windows users
Tools: Windows 10, hard drive
Applicable Methods:

1. CMD - Free & Preinstalled

2. Disk Health Check Software - Efficient and Professional

Translation:
Objective: Test disk speed in Windows 10, analyze the read and write speed of the internal hard drive
Who Requires This: Users of all levels of Windows proficiency
Required Tools: Windows 10, hard drive
Applicable Methods:

1. Command Prompt (CMD) - Free & Pre-installed

2. Disk Health Check Software - Efficient and Professional

If you're concerned about keeping your data secure, it's essential to know how to track the health of your SSD. This article will guide you on how to check disk speed in Windows 10 using the Command Prompt. If you're looking for detailed instructions on this subject, this post is for you. Let's get started.

Check Disk Speed CMD

How to Check Disk Speed in Windows 10 Using CMD

  • ⏲Duration: 3-5 minutes or longer
  • ?Applied for: advanced Windows users
  • ?Supported Devices: HDDs, SSDs, and external hard drives, etc.
  • Duration: 3-5 minutes or more
  • Intended For: Advanced Windows users
  • Supported Devices: HDDs, SSDs, and external hard drives, etc.

For Windows users, CMD refers to Command Prompt, a command-line interface used for running programs. WinSAT, an acronym for "Windows System Assessment Tool," is a command-line utility that comes with Windows, assessing various aspects of the operating system and its components through benchmarking. It was introduced in Windows Vista and has remained a standard feature, including in Windows 10.

Guide to Check Disk Speed via CMD in Windows 10

Learn how to use CMD to check your SSD's status here. The specific steps are as follows:

Step 1. Open the Run window by pressing the Windows key + R, typing cmd, and pressing Enter.

Step 2. Type "wmic" in the Command Prompt window and then press "Enter".

Step 3. Type "winsat disk -drive c", and press Enter again.

Check hard dive speed

Step 4. The Command Prompt will display a list of drives and their current speed:

    These lines translate to English as:
  • Disk Sequential 64.0 Read means its reading speed
  • Disk Sequential 64.0 Write means its writing speed 

CMD can also be useful for detecting other types of disk speeds. This method can also apply to assist you:

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How to Check SSD Speed in CMD [Full Guide for Windows 11/10]

This article explains how to check SSD speed using the Command Prompt on Windows 11/10, along with a recommended tool for easy SSD speed testing.

Image showing how to check ssd speed in cmd

Although CMD can check the disk, it doesn't show all the aspects related to an SSD's health. Using CMD requires some computer knowledge. Therefore, if you want to quickly and comprehensively check your SSD's health status, tools like Partition Master are an excellent choice.

Pros and Cons of Using CMD to Check Disk Speed in Windows 10

In this section, let's examine the advantages and disadvantages of testing disk speed on Windows 10 using Command Prompt (CMD):

Pros✅ Cons❎
  • Straightforward process
  • Moderate complexity level
  • Pre-installed, no additional software installation required
  • Compatible with all Windows operating systems
  • Provides only brief test results
  • Not suitable for professional disk repair centers or gaming enthusiasts
  • Limited features for enhancing disk performance
  • Cannot export disk speed test results

Based on the advantages and disadvantages, it's evident that the CMD measurement solution has certain limitations that may not meet the requirements of most hard drive users in specific scenarios. For a comprehensive, free, and professional disk speed testing tool, we recommend seeking a CMD alternative software. To test and boost your drive's speed, the Partition Master tool stands out as an effective solution.

CMD Alternative Software to Check Disk Speed in Windows 10 If you're looking for alternative methods to check your disk speed using the Command Prompt in Windows 10, there are several third-party tools available that can provide comprehensive and accurate results. Here are a few popular options: 1. CrystalDiskMark: CrystalDiskMark is a free and lightweight benchmarking tool that allows you to measure the read and write speeds of your storage devices. It's easy to use and provides detailed performance data. Download: https://crystalmark.info/software/CrystalDiskMark/ 2. HD Tune Pro: HD Tune Pro is another reliable utility for testing hard drive and solid-state drive (SSD) performance. It offers various tests, including a benchmark test that shows the read speed, write speed, and access time. Download: https://www.hdtune.com/ 3. AS SSD Benchmark: AS SSD Benchmark is specifically designed for testing SSDs but can also be used for HDDs. It measures sequential and random read/write speeds, as well as providing an overall score for the drive's performance. Download: https://www.alex-develop.com/en/as-ssd/benchmark 4. ATTO Disk Benchmark: ATTO Disk Benchmark is a simple yet powerful tool that measures the speed of your storage devices by performing read and write tests at various block sizes. This can help you identify the optimal transfer speeds for different types of data. Download: https://www.attotech.com/products/disk-benchmark/ 5. IOMeter: IOMeter is a more advanced and customizable benchmarking tool, suitable for both casual users and professionals. It can simulate various workloads to test the performance of your disk under different scenarios. Download: https://sourceforge.net/projects/iometer/files/iometer-stable/ To use these tools, simply download and install them on your Windows 10 system, then follow the on-screen instructions to run a disk speed test. Remember to compare the results across multiple tools for a more accurate assessment of your disk's performance.

  • Software Defined: The ideal alternative to CMD for testing disk speed.
  • Supported Devices: HDDs, SSDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, and hybrid-HDDSSDs, etc.
  • Compatible Systems: Windows 10/11, older versions including Windows 8/7/XP/Vista, and Server systems.
  • Best For: All Windows novices, tech enthusiasts, hard drive manufacturers, and gaming enthusiasts.

tools Partition Master as an alternative to the CHKDSK command is a dependable utility for evaluating the health of a hard drive and SSD, etc. It operates seamlessly with Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP, and Vista. The Disk Benchmark feature is a complimentary tool that enables users to swiftly and conveniently measure and assess disc speed with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Thanks to this handy tool, you can now check the status of your SSD with just a few clicks.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click the download button to activate the “DiskMark” feature under the “Tools” tab.

Click the “Download” button of DiskMark. click the download button of diskmark

Step 2. Click the drop-down box to select the target drive, test data, and block size.

Select a drive

Step 3. Once everything is set up, click "Start" to initiate the disk test. You'll then see the Sequential or Random read/write speed, I/O, and Delay data.

Click Start.

When you find your hard drive speed is slower than its average speed, stay calm. Here, you can follow this tutorial guide for assistance:

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Why Choose Partition Master Over Command Prompt

So why should you choose Partition Master over CMD in Windows 10? Here's a comparison table that explains the reasons:

1. Chinese: Chinese 2. English: English 3. Spanish: Spanish 4. French: French 5. German: German 6. Japanese: Japanese 7. Korean: Korean 8. Russian: Russian 9. Arabic: Arabic 10. Italian: Italian 11. Portuguese: Portuguese 12. Indonesian: Indonesian 13. Thai: Thai 14. Vietnamese: Vietnamese 15. Turkish: Turkish 16. Greek: Greek 17. Dutch: Dutch 18. Swedish: Swedish 19. Danish: Danish 20. Norwegian: Norwegian 21. Filipino: Filipino 22. Hindi: Hindi 23. Persian (Farsi): Persian (Farsi) 24. Urdu: Urdu 25. Hebrew: Hebrew 26. Malay: Malay 27. Hungarian: Hungarian 28. Polish: Polish 29. Romanian: Romanian 30. Czech: Czech

Comparison Partition Master Tool Command Prompt (CMD)
Check Disk Read/Write Speed
Display Disk Speed Test Report
Free to Use
Optimize Disk Speed
Intended Users Professionals, Enthusiasts, & Beginners Professionals

In addition to checking disk speed, the Partition Master tool also offers a Disk Health feature to monitor the status of your HDD and SSD, including temperature, number of hours powered on, and total host writes and reads, all visible on your PC.

It also comes with some great features that you might like for better partition management and disk-performance optimization, such as:

    1. Improve SSD performance with 4k alignment. 2. Check and fix hard drive or SSD file system errors. 3. Erase all data to reset HDD or SSD. 4. Combine partitions. 5. Migrate OS from HDD to SSD. 6. Allocate hard drive space.

As you can see, the Partition Manager tool offers various HDD and SSD management options. So, get the trial version and give it a try.

When Do I Need to Check Disk Speed in Windows 10?

The hard drive's read and write speeds can affect your Windows computer's performance. You might conduct periodic speed tests to monitor your discs.

Determining whether a computer's hard drive is failing is essential. Damaged or corrupted sectors on a hard disk can lead to performance issues and problems with the operating system booting. To run a disk performance test in Windows 10 under any of the following circumstances:

    The computer is slow to transfer files.
    The computer takes a long time to start up or shut down.
    Here are the translations in American English: Chinese (Simplified): C drive is full or there's not enough disk space. Chinese (Traditional): C drive is full or there's insufficient disk space. Arabic: المساحة على محرك الأقراص C ممتلئة أو ليس هناك مساحة كافية على القرص. French: Drive C est plein ou il manque d'espace disque. Spanish: El disco C está lleno o hay poco espacio en disco. German: Das C-Festplattenlaufwerk ist voll oder es gibt wenig freien Speicherplatz. Russian: Диск C заполнен или недостаточно места на диске. Italian: La unità C è piena o lo spazio su disco è basso. Japanese: Cドライブは満杯又はディスクの空き容量が少ないです。 Korean: C 드라이브가 가득 차거나 디스크 공간이 부족합니다. Portuguese: O disco C está cheio ou há pouco espaço em disco.
    16. Danish: Windows 10 advarer om et problem med høj RAM- og CPU-brug 17. Norwegian: Windows 10 varsler om høy RAM- og CPU-forbruk 18. Finnish: Windows 10 varoittaa korkeasta RAM- ja CPU-käytöstä 19. Swedish (Swedish, Finland): Windows 10 varoittaa korkeasta RAM- ja CPU-käytöstä 20. Thai: Windows 10 แจ้งเตือนเกี่ยวกับปัญหาการใช้งาน RAM และ CPU ที่สูง
    The computer becomes slow or freezes while playing games.

To determine the disc speed in Windows 10, follow these instructions for accessing the Command Prompt (CMD) or refer to the alternative software options provided on this page for assistance.

Conclusion

This article focuses on checking disk speed in Windows 10 using the Command Prompt. It is essential to regularly monitor the status of your SSD on Windows 10 to guarantee the integrity of your data, privacy, and gaming experience.

While Partition Master can evaluate the health of an SSD, we recommend using Command Prompt instead because of its more user-friendly interface and additional robust features.

Frequently Asked Questions About Checking Disk Speed in Windows 10 Using CMD

Read these answers to avoid confusion.

1. How do I perform an SSD speed test in Windows 10 using the Command Prompt?

Regularly monitoring the disc provides crucial information for maintaining the device's security. Apart from the main query, there are additional questions regarding SSD health check using CMD in Windows 10. Trust that they will be helpful.

How can I access the Command Prompt on Windows 10 to run an SSD speed test?

  • Launch the Command Line Interface (as an Administrator, please!)
  • Fill in the blanks: The WinSAT disc was in Drive C. (where 'c' is the drive letter that you want to check)

Yes, of course. BlackMagic Disk Speed Test is a free and open-source application that can verify the integrity of hard drives. It supports operating systems including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista. However, it might be challenging for Windows users to find the genuine version of this tool online, and you might seek a reliable BlackMagic Disk Speed Test alternative for Windows software as an alternative solution.

3. How can I check my hard drive health in Command Prompt?

As before, type "cmd" into the search bar, but this time, instead of pressing Enter, right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator." Type "wmic" and hit Enter. Then, in the new Command Prompt window, type "wmic diskdrive get status" and press Enter to run it.