All data is stored on the hard drive, so if it breaks down, all information may be lost. The HDD has a limited service life, and sooner or later it will fail. Therefore, you need to monitor the status of the hard drive. Using the program to scan the hard disk for errors, you can check the reliability of the storage device and will have enough time to backup important files.
Using SMART technology to check the status of your hard drive
SMART is an integrated monitoring system that is implemented in most modern hard drives and solid state drives. With its help, you can effectively track the frequency of read and write errors, the time of spin up disks, the frequency of search errors, temperature and other important characteristics.
SMART specifications vary by device manufacturer and model. Here are some of them:
- The number of reassigned sectors. If the disk finds a badly working or damaged area, it overwrites all the data in it to other parts of the disk. The appearance of too many bad sectors indicates the imminent failure of the entire device.
- Usage and number of ECC errors. The number of errors that the drive encounters, even if they are corrected internally, often signals problems with the drive. The trend in some cases is more important than the actual number of errors.
- Promotion time. Changing the spin-up time may indicate a drive problem.
- Temperature. An increase in drive temperature often indicates a problem with the motor of the device.
- Data throughput. A decrease in transmission speed may signal internal problems.
However, programs for scanning a hard disk for errors do not guarantee the integrity of your files. It’s a good idea to run the utility to check hard disk sectors at least once a month to make sure your disk is not damaged and your data is not lost.
HD tune
This is one of the most common and useful programs for testing hard disk performance. You can download both the free and the Pro version of this application from the manufacturer’s website. Its free version includes a useful test, as well as a surface scanner that works well with both external and internal storage devices. Its paid version is used as a program for scanning hard disk space.
This utility for scanning a hard disk has a graphical interface for displaying information about the state of the hard disk and data on bad sectors in the form of a diagram.
The free version of this program for scanning an external hard drive can be made portable. To do this, copy the HDTune.exe file to a flash drive to transfer to another computer. Unfortunately, the free version is no longer updated, so you will have to purchase a paid Pro version to expand the functionality of the application in question.
In the paid version, you can run advanced testing to find out how much space each folder takes, delete data without the possibility of their recovery, get information about the state of an external drive and get other useful information.
PassMark DiskCheckup
This app is completely free for personal use. You can get it by downloading a small file of 2 MB in size. Installation is very simple and should not cause problems even for a novice user.
After starting the program, on the SMART Info tab, you can see the current characteristics of the hard disk. For example, spin-up time, read error rate, fatal errors, device temperature, and much more.
The SMART history tab contains data monitored by the application, which you can use to obtain an estimate of when a device might fail.
DiskCheckup also can perform two types of tests: short (5 minutes) and advanced (up to 45 minutes).
Victoria HDD
The Victoria program for scanning a hard disk is launched separately from the operating system, since there is no installation file for the application for Windows.
This utility, in addition to the standard functions of checking the disk and fixing errors, has a number of additional tasks. For example, a built-in special file manager. Using this utility you can evaluate the performance of the HDD. In addition, there is a function to search for unreliable contacts in the connection cable. The application works with both IDE and SATA drives, and with SSD.
Samsung HUTIL
Samsung HUTIL Hard Disk Scan Tool is a free magnetic disk diagnostic tool released by Samsung. It comes in the form of an ISO image for burning to a CD or flash drive. To write the utility to an external drive, you need a working hard drive and an operating system. To use this tool does not require an operating system, which increases the accuracy of testing. It should be remembered that this application will only scan hard drives from Samsung.
Seagate SeaTool
Seagate SeaTool is a free program to scan your hard drive. There are two versions of this tool for Windows and for Dos. You can use this software product for both basic and advanced testing of any drive (both internal and external) from any manufacturer. Seagate Technology currently owns the Maxtor brand, so the tool we are considering is part of the PowerMax programs from Maxtor, SeaTools Desktop, and SeaTools Online.
This hard drive health scan tool is great for professional computer services testing magnetic disks. However, it is also simple enough for use by ordinary users.
CrystalDiskInfo
This is a convenient free program that can control SMART parameters and display information about the hard drive and its temperature. It has support for multiple languages. The installer may come with a lot of software.
The utility uses a simple interface that displays information about the status of your storage device, specification of equipment and temperature.
Bart's stuff test
This utility is intended for stress testing of a hard drive running under the Windows operating system. This tool is a good addition to your arsenal of utilities used to test your hard drive, and it is most useful if you want something more than the default built-in utility in Windows.
The application can scan any disk. It is portable and you do not need to install it. It will work with all versions of Windows, starting from 95 and ending with the most modern 10. The utility is ideal for testing read-write speed and reliability of any hard drive.
Gsmartcontrol
This software package can perform many different hard drive tests and allows you to get a general assessment of the status of your disk and detailed test results. You can check SMART parameter values, such as the number of calibration retries, error rate, number of power-up cycles, and many others.
The utility can perform three types of testing designed to detect disk failures:
1. Quick check. It takes two minutes. The main purpose of testing is to detect a completely damaged hard drive.
2. Extended verification. It takes 70 minutes. During testing, the entire surface of the drive is checked.
3. Transport inspection. It takes five minutes. Designed to detect damage that occurred during transportation of the drive.
Fujitsu Diagnostic Tool
This free tool is designed to scan and fix Fujitsu hard drive errors. It is available both in the Windows version and as a boot option. When using the second type, a bootloader is created on an external storage device, for example, on a flash drive, which includes the Fujitsu Diagnostic Tool. For testing, you must first boot from an external storage device and then run the testing program.
It should be remembered that the utility in question is intended only for working with Fujitsu hard drives and will not work with other magnetic disks. The application in question can be launched in two modes: quick testing (lasts about three minutes) and comprehensive verification.
This program works with all OS versions from Windows 10 to Windows 2000.
HDDScan
HDDScan utility is designed to support all types of hard drives, regardless of their manufacturer. This tool is portable, and after downloading you can run it without pre-installation. He can directly check the SMART status of your hard drive, or you can take the opportunity to work with a huge number of tests and functions built into the application. It supports RAID volumes and allows you to perform surface tests for them.
Windows Drive Fitness Test (WinDFT)
Windows Drive Fitness Test (WinDFT) is a free hard drive diagnostic utility that can be used to test most hard drives that currently exist. Unfortunately, with this tool you will not be able to scan the storage device on which Windows is installed. Only when booting from USB or other hard drives does it become possible to scan the system drive.
If the connected storage device is not compatible with WinDFT, a message about this will appear at startup and the disk will not appear in the list of devices available for verification. Using this tool, you can start scanning several hard drives, it is easy to use and allows you to permanently erase all information recorded on the device. A portable version of this utility is also available.
Ariolic Disk Scanner
The utility is used to check for bad sectors. Its interface is minimal because it has only one button. If there are bad sectors on the hard drive, this tool will show all the files in which a read error occurred.
Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic (DLGDIAG)
Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic (DLGDIAG) is a free hard drive utility designed to test Western Digital hard drives. It can be downloaded either in the form of an application that does not require installation of the Windows operating system, or as a bootable ISO-file.
The utility is easy to use and has a clear interface. It supports both internal and external storage devices and displays basic information about hard drives. It can also work as a simple tool to delete data.
Free EASIS Drive Check
This hard disk tester has two main built-in functions: surface testing and reading SMART data. SMART test can display more than 40 parameters of the hard drive. Reports on all tests can be read directly from the application interface, and you can also configure them so that the results are sent to the user by e-mail or printed. The utility in question is easy to use. It supports all types of magnetic storage devices: both external and internal. It works best under Windows 10 and Windows 8.
Macrorit Disk Scanner
This simple hard disk sector scanning program checks the hard drive for bad sectors and is very easy to use. It is very easy and quick to install, and it is also available as a portable utility. While the application is running, the screen displays information about the progress of the scan, as well as the time required to complete the full scan.
To check the hard drive, any of the tools described will do. If you do not need additional details, then you can use the tool built into the Windows operating system. To get more features, you will need a third-party tool to check the hard drive. However, despite a thorough check, the drive may fail at any time. In order to be sure of the safety of your data, you need to periodically make backups.