How to check the status of HDD and SSD hard drives on Windows computers

(Dan Tri) - Windows users can quickly check the status of the HDD or SSD with the built-in tool in the operating system, helping to early detect the risk of hard drive failure to promptly back up data.

The hard drive is where the operating system, software and all user data are stored. When the hard drive has a problem, the computer may operate slowly, experience errors or lose data if not backed up promptly.

With traditional hard drives using magnetic disks (HDD - Hard Disk Drive), users can recognize signs of damage through unusual rattling or knocking sounds, data access speed is clearly reduced, the machine often freezes or errors appear when copying data.

Unlike HDDs, SSDs have no mechanical parts so they operate almost silently. Therefore, it is difficult for users to recognize the status of the hard drive based only on external manifestations.

Most computer hard drives today (both HDD and SSD) have built-in S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) technology, allowing self-monitoring, analysis and reporting of hard drive errors. Based on this technology, users can check the health status of the hard drive and know whether it is time to replace the hard drive or not.

To check the current status of your computer's hard drive, help detect errors early and take measures to back up data, readers can follow the steps below. Readers can do this on any version of Windows.

- From the main Windows interface, press the key combination "Windows + R" on the keyboard. In particular, “Windows” is the key with the Windows window icon, located between the Ctrl and Alt buttons on the left side of the keyboard.

In the "Run" window that appears, type "Cmd" and click "OK".

- From the Command Prompt (CMD) window, type the command line: “wmic diskdrive get status”, then press the “Enter” button. This command line will immediately return the status of the hard drive being used on the computer.

If the returned result is "Status OK", it means the hard drive is still in a good state and is operating normally. In case the computer uses multiple hard drives at the same time, the command will return many different "Status" results and if all are in "OK" status, it means all hard drives are still operating normally and without any problems.

The command displays the status of multiple hard drives installed on the computer (Screenshot).

In case the command returns "Status Pred Fail", it means the hard drive is predicted to fail. If the result is “Error” which means there is an error, or “Degraded” which means the hard drive performance has been degraded.

Notify the hard drive is about to fail (Pred Fail) when checking with the command (Screenshot).

If you encounter hard drive status messages like this, users need to immediately back up data on the computer to a new hard drive or use cloud storage services to avoid data loss due to hard drive damage or unexpected shutdown.

Periodically checking the hard drive status takes less than a minute but helps users detect risks of failure early and proactively back up data. This is an operation that should be done regularly, especially with computers that have been used for many years or store a lot of important data.