11 ways to test computer hard drive on Windows 10 latest

11 ways to test computer hard drive on Windows 10 latest Picture 1

The hard drive is an essential component of your PC, where all your most important data is stored. Although every PC component can be replaced, we still want the hard drive to operate stably, without damage that causes data loss. Therefore, it is very important to regularly check the hard drive.

There are many different ways to check the health of your hard drive - from built-in methods in Windows to hard drive manufacturer diagnostic tools, and below TipsMake  will share the best hard drive testing methods you should try.

Optimize and Defragment in Windows 10

Traditional SATA drives are gradually giving way to SSD drives with superior speed, but they are still very popular and used by many people because of their low price, suitable for storing data such as images, videos. If you use SSD, you will never need to worry about disk fragmentation. But if you use HDD, sometimes you will need to optimize to prevent hard drive fragmentation.

If you feel like your HDD is slow, then you should check the fragmentation level using the Defragmenter tool built into Windows 10.

Step 1 : Type "defrag" into the Windows search box, then select Defragment and Optimise Drives.

Step 2 : select the drive to check and click Analyze.

Step 3 : If fragmentation is detected, click Optimise (for previous versions of Windows it is Defrag).

You can also optimize your SSD on Windows 10's defragment and optimize tool, although Windows 10 will handle this process automatically.

Use the manufacturer's hard drive test tool

Most major hard drive manufacturers provide powerful free tools for monitoring the health and performance of your hard drive. The first step is to check which manufacturer your hard drive is made by.

If you know what manufacturer your hard drive is, you can skip this step. If you don't know, click on the Windows icon, type "Device Manager" to launch the device manager.

Step 1 : In Device Manager, unlock the " Disk drives " option and note down the model number of your hard drive. Next, type the model number into Google to search for detailed information about your hard drive.

Step 2 : Go to the manufacturer's support page and search for their hard drive utility. To save you some time searching, here are links to the download repositories for some popular hard drive manufacturers:

Western Digital

Seagate

Samsung

Adata

Each tool will have a different interface, but they all basically have diagnostic features that allow you to check the health of your hard drive.

Windows CHKDSK Tool

Windows CHKDSK Tool is a free tool built into Windows that helps you scan your hard drive for system errors and bad sectors. The software will show you if there are any problems with your hard drive.

It will both scan and fix the problems it can fix and will let you know if there are bigger problems it can't fix.

To use CHKDSK, right-click on the drive you want to check for errors and select "Properties". Then click on the "Tools" tab and click Check now.

A dialog box will open with two options to fix errors and scan for bad sectors. You can select these options if you want to fix errors and bad sectors; otherwise, you can just click Start to get a basic report of your hard drive problems.

Using WMIC

WMIC is a command-line interface that allows you to perform many administrative tasks, including checking the health of your hard drives. It uses the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) feature of hard drives to check the hard drive and report its status.

To check hard disk with WMIC, press Win R key combination to open Run dialog box. Type cmd and click OK to open Windows command promt.

Type wmic and press Enter. Once the WMI interface is ready, type diskdrive get status and press Enter again. You will see the status of your hard drive after the system finishes running.

This is a basic command that provides little information, the returned results are usually very simple like "OK", "Pred Fail", etc. The advantage of this method is that it helps you check quickly without having to install any additional software.

Use CrystalDiskInfo software to check hard drive health

You can test your computer hard drive using third-party software to get detailed information about the health of your hard drive. One of the most popular software to do this is CrystalDiskInfo. It is a free tool that is extremely lightweight and provides all the necessary information, such as temperature, health status, type and features of the hard drive and other attributes like read/write speed and spin-up time, etc.

The free version of CrystalDiskInfo contains ads in the installer, so make sure when installing, you choose the Custom install and uncheck the side tools (ads). After installation, all you need to do is launch the program and you will see all the information about your hard drives in the main interface. The tool will also check the health of your hard drives every 10 minutes (by default) and notify you if there are any problems.

There are also other third-party hard disk health monitoring tools like Hard Disk Sentinel and HDDScan. They are much more advanced with a ton of additional features, but for a basic user, CrystalDiskInfo should be enough.

HDD Scan Tool

HDD Scan is a free tool that can check many aspects of your hard drive, from health to performance. Here's how to use HDD Scan:

1. Step 1: Download and Install: Go to the official website of HDD Scan and download the latest version. Then, install the software by following the on-screen instructions.
2. Step 2: Open the software: Start HDD Scan after installation is complete.
3. Step 3: Select hard drive: In the main interface, select the hard drive you want to check from the list of connected drives.
4. Step 4: Select test type: You can choose from a variety of test types, including surface test, temperature test, and SMART test.
5. Step 5: Start the test: Click the Start button to begin the test process. This process may take some time depending on the size and condition of the hard drive.

Advantages and disadvantages

1. Advantages: Diverse and detailed, providing many different types of tests, helping you to comprehensively evaluate the health of your hard drive.
2. Cons: Can be complicated for beginners, interface and options can be a bit confusing for less experienced users.

Using HD Tune

HD Tune is another third-party tool that provides health checks and performance evaluations for hard drives. Here are instructions on how to use HD Tune:

1. Step 1: Select hard drive: In the main interface, select the hard drive you want to check from the list of connected drives.
2. Step 2: Check Health: Go to the Health tab to see detailed information about the hard drive's SMART status.
3. Step 3: Check for errors: Go to the Error Scan tab and click Start to begin scanning your hard drive for errors.

Advantages and disadvantages

1. Pros: User friendly, easy to use interface and provides detailed information about hard drive health.
2. Cons: Free version has limited features, some features are only available in paid version.

Free EASIS Drive Check Tool

EASIS Drive Check provides a simple way to check your hard drive. Here are the steps to use this tool:

How to use EASIS Drive Check

1. Step 1: Download and Install: Go to the official website of EASIS Drive Check and download the latest version. Then, install the software by following the on-screen instructions.
2. Step 2: Open the software: Start EASIS Drive Check after installation is complete.
3. Step 3: Select hard drive: In the main interface, select the hard drive you want to check from the list of connected drives.
4. Step 4: Start the test: Click the Start button to begin the test process. The software will scan your hard drive for errors and potential problems.

Advantage

1. Simple and effective: User-friendly interface, easy to use, helps you quickly check the status of your hard drive.
2. Free for basic functions: Users can use basic features without paying any fee.

Disadvantages

Limited features in free version: The free version may limit some advanced features, requiring you to upgrade to the paid version to use the full functionality.

Not as detailed as other tools: Provides less detailed information than other in-depth diagnostic tools.

Ariolic Disk Scanner Tool

This tool scans your hard drive for bad sectors, helping you quickly detect and fix potential hard drive problems. Early detection of bad sectors can help prevent data loss and improve overall system performance. Here are detailed instructions on how to use this tool:

How to use EASIS Drive Check

1. Step 1: Select hard drive: In the main interface, select the hard drive you want to check from the list of connected drives.
2. Step 2: Start Scanning: Click the Start button to begin the scanning process. The tool will search for bad sectors on the hard drive.
3. Step 3: View Results: Once the scan is complete, view the results to see if any bad sectors were detected.

Advantages and disadvantages:

1. Advantages: Easy to use, does not require in-depth computer knowledge.
2. Disadvantages: Limited to only scanning and detecting bad sectors, cannot repair other hard drive problems.

Windows Defragment and Optimize Drive

Windows Defragment and Optimize Drives is a built-in tool in the Windows operating system that allows users to optimize hard drive performance by defragmenting files. The tool is easy to use and does not require users to download or install third-party software, making it a convenient option for maintaining hard drive performance.

How to do:

1. Step 1: Open the Defragment and Optimize Drives tool: Press Windows + S and type Defragment and Optimize Drives, then select the tool from the search results.
2. Step 2: Select the hard drive you want to optimize and click Optimize.
3. Step 3: Wait for the defragmentation and optimization process to complete.

Advantage:

1. Easy to use: Friendly and easy to operate interface, suitable for even new users.
2. Free: No third-party software download or installation required.

Disadvantages:

1. Limited in optimization: Does not offer advanced optimization options like third-party tools.
2. No Error Detection: The tool only optimizes performance, it does not detect or repair hard drive errors.

Check hard drive status in BIOS

Many BIOS settings provide a hard drive health check feature. Routine BIOS checks can help you quickly detect major hard drive problems before they cause serious system damage.

To check the hard drive in BIOS, follow these steps:

1. Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2 or Delete (depending on your computer brand) to enter BIOS.
2. Step 2: In the BIOS interface, find the Advanced or Main section.
3. Step 3: Find and select Hard Drive Self Test or Diagnostics.
4. Step 4: Run a hard drive health check.

Advantages and disadvantages:

1. Advantages: Bypasses the operating system, helps check hard drive even if Windows fails to boot.
2. Cons: Limited information and functionality, only provides basic checks and is not as detailed as third-party tools.

Samuel Daniel

Update 11 February 2025