The hard drive is an extremely important piece of hardware in a PC. Therefore, the user may need to solve problems related to testing the hard drive for errors, as well as fixing them. What tools can be involved in this? What are the most common errors in the hard drive?

What problems with the hard drive can arise?

Before considering how to test HDD, let us examine what may be the reason for the implementation of the corresponding check. What problems can arise in his work?

To use the utility in question, you need to go to the "Computer" section, then right-click on the icon hard disk... There may be several of them, in this case it makes sense to check each one in turn. After right-clicking on the hard drive icon in the menu that opens, select the "Properties" option. In the window that appears, go to the "Service" tab. Then click on the "Check" button and follow the instructions.

In some Windows versions The utility in question is not configured to test logical drives that host OS system files. But in this case, the "Check Disk" program provides an option: initiation of testing the hard drive at the next boot operating system... You can select it and immediately restart Windows: during the startup process, the system itself must ask the user for permission to check the disk on which the system files are located.

So now we know how to test a hard drive using the popular built-in Windows tool, Chkdsk. This solution allows you to efficiently correct errors. file system... But what if the alleged failure of the hard drive is associated with the appearance of bad sectors on it? How to test a laptop or desktop hard drive for corresponding damage?

The widest range of solutions can be used for these purposes. The most popular of them include such programs as:

  • Data Liferguard Diagnistic.
  • HDD Scan.
  • Ashampoo HDD Control.
  • Victoria HDD.
  • AIDA64 (formerly Everest).
  • MHDD.

Let's study their features.

Testing the hard drive: Data Lifequard Diagnostic

This program is developed by the Western Digital brand, which is one of the world's most famous hard drive manufacturers. How do I test my hard drive for errors using this software?

The corresponding program works in several modes. The most informative from the point of view of reflecting information about errors on the disk is the Extended Test mode. In particular, it can be used to find damaged sectors on the surface of the hard disk platters. If they are found, the program will prompt the user to use an algorithm by means of which bad sectors will be excluded from those used by the hard drive to write and read files.

Testing the hard drive: HDD Scan

Another popular solution for checking disks is HDD Scan. How do I test my laptop or desktop hard drive with it?

The application in question also contains several tests. Among those that may be useful to us is the Surface Tests. It, like the previous solution, allows you to analyze the surface of the disk platters for damaged sectors. It is noteworthy that the program in question allows you to detect not only bad sectors, but also those on which there are problems with reading and writing. Thus, HDD Scan can reveal areas on the surface of hard disk platters, where the read speed can be tens of times lower than normal values. In practice, this can mean, as in the case of bad sectors, it is desirable to exclude the corresponding sections from those that are used by the hard drive to write files.

Disk Testing: Ashampoo

Another popular program is Ashampoo HDD Control, how can I test my hard drive for errors?

It is worth noting that the application in question contains a fairly large number of tools for checking the hard drive, as well as working with detected disk problems. Of these, you can use, for example, the option for testing the surface of the device's plates - Test Surface.

Following the results of the corresponding, it shows the sectors that have high read rates, as well as bad sectors.

Victoria HDD

The next popular solution for testing hard drives is Victoria HDD. It can be noted that this program allows you to both test the hard drive on Windows 7 (8 or any other), and check the hard drive through the DOS command line.

This feature increases the versatility of the considered solution. In addition, the corresponding software has very good functionality.

So, the program allows you to test the hard drive for broken sectors, reassign their use, classify areas of the hard drive surface into different categories depending on the speed of reading files from them.

If the English graphic version of the program in question is used, you must run it, then go to the Tests tab. On it there are tests of the surface of the hard disk platters. If necessary, you can configure the program's actions when bad sectors are detected:

  • ignoring the problem (with its subsequent reflection in the test results);
  • reassignment of sectors;
  • deleting sectors;
  • restoration of damaged areas of the disk.

If necessary, you can use each of the specified modes of the program in turn.

Hard Drive Testing: AIDA64 Program

Many users are interested in the question of how to test a hard disk. Old versions of the corresponding software are now available on various portals on the Internet. The fact is that in the latest modifications the program is named differently, its name sounds like AIDA64.

It should be noted that given type The software is one of the most functional solutions in terms of hardware performance testing. So, for example, using the program in question, you can test the speed of a hard disk, and not only. It can also measure performance. random access memory, processor, flash drives.

The functionality of the program includes various stress tests, involving the implementation of checks in the mode of maximum load on the corresponding type of tests can be carried out for the hard disk of the computer.

Checking Disk for Errors: MHDD Program

According to IT experts, the MHDD program is one of the most functional solutions for checking hard drives for errors. Considering which program to test the hard drive, experts can opt for the MHDD solution, because:

  • it includes a qualitative test of the surface of hard disk platters;
  • it can be launched in a bootable format - for example, from a USB flash drive, which allows testing the hard drive before installing any operating system on it;
  • the program includes a large number of useful tests, as well as disk repair tools;
  • the corresponding software is free.

Of course, the solution in question can also work from the operating system. How exactly it is better to use it depends on the nature of the problem with the disks, on the hardware configuration on a particular PC, on the specifics of the operating system used, if it is preinstalled on the computer.

MHDD program: testing the disk

Let's consider a number of practical nuances of using the corresponding popular program. Let's agree that the user has a need to use the bootable version of this software. To do this, you need to make a device with which the program will be launched, for example, a USB flash drive or CD.

After the device is ready, the BIOS must be configured to boot from it. By the way, many users are also asking the question of how to test a hard drive through BIOS. Computer manufacturers may well implement the necessary options in the corresponding software interfaces to check the performance of hard drives.

When working with the MHDD program, a nuance should be taken into account: the solution in question does not work with hard drives that are connected to the computer in Slave mode. If this is the case, the disks must be reconnected, and only then should they be tested.

After starting the program installed on a bootable USB flash drive or CD, you must select a specific drive that will be tested. Then enter the SCAN command in the command line, which initiates a media check. If you do not need to set any additional scanning parameters, you need to press F4 to start the corresponding test.

However, you may still need to specify additional parameters. For example, if we talk about the Start LBA option, it is used to indicate specific blocks on the hard drive from which the program should check the disk. In turn, the End LBA option is intended to indicate those blocks that are checked at the end of the disk test. However, by default, the program checks the entire surface of the hard drive platters.

How to test a hard disk for errors with subsequent reassignment of bad sectors using the MHDD program interfaces? Very simple: the Remap option is used for this. If you select the Erase Delays option, the program will ignore bad sectors, which will speed up the disk check if there are a lot of bad sectors on its surface.

The MHDD disk scanning program works quite informatively: the scanned sectors are displayed on the user's screen in real time. In a separate section of the interface of the corresponding software, the number of different blocks is counted.

Summary

You can check the status of the hard disk using the built-in Windows tools and using special programs. At the same time, the tools of the first type are designed mainly for correcting errors in the file system, the second ones for identifying and correcting bad sectors using available methods.

Specialized ones can be supplied in both graphical and console versions. Some of the corresponding solutions can be used in a bootable modification: it can be applied even if the operating system is not installed on the computer.

It can be noted that how to test an external hard drive practically does not differ from the procedure for testing a built-in hard drive. For this, the same solutions can be applied, the main thing is to correctly connect them to the PC. But this is possible only if the computer supports those communication interfaces through which an external hard drive is supposed to be connected.

Good day!

How many things could be corrected if we knew in advance what awaits us ...

And if in life it is almost impossible to predict some events, then in the case of a hard disk - some of the problems, nevertheless, can be predicted and foreseen!

To do this, there are special utilities that can find out and analyze the SMART * readings of the disk (show them to you, if necessary), and on the basis of these data assess the health of your disk, along the way calculating how many years it will still be able to serve.

The information is extremely useful, in addition, such utilities can monitor your disk online, and as soon as the first signs of unstable work appear, notify you right there. Accordingly, you will have time to make a backup in time and take action (although a backup should always be done, even when everything is fine 😊).

And so, I will consider in the article several methods (and several utilities) for analyzing the state of the HDD and SSD.

* Note:
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) is a special technology for assessing the state of a hard disk by an integrated hardware self-diagnosis / self-monitoring system. The main task is to determine the likelihood of a device failure, preventing data loss.

Perhaps this is one of the most popular questions asked by all users who first encounter problems with a hard drive (or are thinking about the safety of storing their data). Everyone is interested in the time that the disk will work until it completely "stops". Let's try to predict ...

Therefore, in the first part of the article, I decided to show a couple of utilities that can get all the readings from the disk and analyze them on their own, and give you only the finished result (in the second part of the article, I will give utilities for viewing SMART readings for independent analysis).

Method number 1: using Hard Disk Sentinel

One of the best utilities for monitoring the status of computer disks (both hard drives (HDD) and "newfangled" SSDs). What impresses the most about the program is that it will independently analyze all the data received about the state of the disk and show you a ready-made result (very convenient for novice users).

In order not to be unfounded, I will immediately show the main window of the program, which appears after the first launch (the analysis of the disk will be done immediately automatically). The health and performance of the disk is estimated as 100% (ideally, it should be so), the time that the disk will still work in normal mode is estimated by the program at about 1000 days (~ 3 years).

What's with the disk according to Hard Disk Sentinel

In addition, the program allows you to monitor the temperature: both current and average and maximum during the day, week, month. If the temperature goes beyond the "normality" - the program will warn you about this (which is also very convenient).

Also, Hard Disk Sentinel allows you to view SMART readings (although, to evaluate them, you need to understand the disks well), get full information about the hard disk (model, serial number, manufacturer, etc.), see what the hard disk is loaded with (i.e. get performance information).

In general, in my humble opinion, Hard Disk Sentinel is one of the best utilities for monitoring the status of disks in the system. It should be added that there are several versions of the programs: professional and standard (for the professional version with advanced functionality, there is a portable version of the program that does not need to be installed (for example, you can even run it from a USB flash drive)).

Hard Disk Sentinel works in all popular Windows (7, 8, 10 - 32 | 64 bits), supports the Russian language in full.

Method number 2: using HDDlife

This program is similar to the first, it also clearly shows the current state of the disk: its health and performance (in percentage terms), its temperature, the amount of time worked (in months). In the upper part of the window, based on all this data, HDDlife shows the final summary for your disk, for example, in my case "ALL RIGHT" (which means that everything is in order with the disk).

By the way, the program can work online, monitoring the state of your disk, and in case something goes wrong (at the first signs of problems) - immediately notify you about it.

As an example, the screenshot below shows an SSD drive received a warning: its health is still within acceptable limits, but reliability and performance are below average. In this case, you should not trust the disk with any important data, and, if possible, you need to prepare for its replacement.

By the way, in the main window of the program, next to the amount of disk time worked, there is a link "Disk tincture" (allows you to change some of the parameters you want). By opening it, you can control the balance between noise / performance), very useful with disks that make a lot of noise), and adjust the power consumption settings (useful for laptops that run out of battery quickly).

Add-on: HDDlife works on both PCs and laptops. Supports HDD and SSD drives... There are portable versions of the program that do not need installation. It can be configured so that the program runs along with your Windows. HDDlife works in Windows: XP, 7, 8, 10 (32 | 64 bits).

How to view your SMART reading

If the previous utilities independently assessed the state of the disk based on SMART data, then the utilities below will give you more freedom and data for self-analysis. In the reports it will be possible to find a fairly large set of parameters, on the basis of which it will be possible to roughly assess the state of the disk and make a forecast for its further work.

Method number 1: using СrystalDiskInfo

СrystalDiskInfo

Excellent free utility to view the status and SMART readings of the hard drive (including SSDs are supported). What the utility wins over - it provides you with complete information about the temperature, technical condition of the disk, its characteristics, etc. that "and for beginners who need a hint).

For example, if something is wrong with the temperature, then you will see a red indicator on it, i.e. СrystalDiskInfo will inform you about it.

The main window of the program can be conditionally divided into 4 zones (see the screenshot above):

  1. "1" - all your physical disks installed in the computer (laptop) are listed here. Next to each is shown its temperature, technical condition, and the number of sections on it (for example, "C: D: E: F:");
  2. "2" - the current temperature of the disk and its technical condition are shown here (the program makes an analysis based on all the data received from the disk);
  3. "3" - disk data: serial number, manufacturer, interface, rotation speed, etc .;
  4. "4" - readings SMART. By the way, what the program bribes with - you don't need to know what this or that parameter means - if something is wrong with any item, the program will mark it yellow or red and notify you about it.

As an example to the above, I will give a screenshot showing two disks: on the left - with which everything is fine, on the right - which has problems with reassigned sectors (technical condition - anxiety!).

As a reference (about reassigned sectors):

when the hard drive detects, for example, a write error, it transfers data to a specially designated spare area (and this sector will be considered "reassigned"). Therefore, bad blocks cannot be seen on modern hard drives - they are hidden in reassigned sectors. This process is called remapping and the reassigned sector is remap.

The higher the value of the remapped sectors, the worse the surface condition of the disks. Field "raw value" contains the total number of reassigned sectors.

By the way, for many disk manufacturers, even one reassigned sector is already a warranty case!

To the utility CrystalDiskInfo monitored online the status of your hard disk - in the "Service" menu, put two checkmarks: "Agent start" and "Autostart"(see screenshot below).

Then you will see the program icon with temperature next to the clock in the tray. In general, you can now be more calm about the state of the disk ☺ ...

Method number 2: using Victoria

Victoria- one of the most famous programs for working with hard drives. The main purpose of the program is to assess the technical condition of the drive, and to replace the damaged sectors with backup workers.

The utility is free and allows you to work from both Windows and DOS (which in many cases shows much more accurate data about the state of the disk).

Of the minuses: working with Victoria is quite difficult, at least I highly do not recommend pressing buttons in it at random (you can easily destroy all the data on the disk).

I have one fairly simple article on my blog (for beginners), where it is detailed how to check a disk using Victoria (including finding out the SMART readings - an example in the screenshot below (in which Victoria pointed out a possible temperature problem)).

👉 To help!

Quick disk diagnostics in Victoria:

If the HDD makes strange sounds or there are problems with writing and reading information, you should use one of the programs to check the hard disk for errors. Depending on the task (checking the disk surface for damage, searching for bad sectors, correcting errors, etc.), different software may come in handy.

You can quickly check the disk for errors using standard system tools; to restore the hard drive, you will need special third-party programs. Having learned how to check the health of a hard disk using various utilities, a user of any level will be able to cope with the problems that have arisen.

The CheckDisk system service is the simplest program for diagnosing a hard drive, which is unable to find complex errors and fix bad sectors, but is useful for fixing basic problems. It is available on all versions of Windows and can be used to check drives of any type. All users need to know how to check hard disk for errors with this tool.

The version of the utility with a graphical interface is most convenient for novice users. You can start it through the disk management menu, which can be accessed in two ways:

  1. in Windows XP / Vista / 7 - select the item "Management" in context menu"My computer", then go to the desired menu;
  2. in Windows 8/10 - press the Win + X combination and select the appropriate item.

In the window that opens, select the device that needs analysis, right-click on it and select the "Properties" item in the drop-down menu. Going to the "Service" tab, you need to run the hard disk diagnostic program.

The system will check and automatically correct errors if the disk is not currently busy with read or write processes. Otherwise, the program will offer to conduct testing after restarting the PC. If necessary, in the check results window, you can see detailed information about the HDD status.

The GUI version does not always save, since it is sometimes required to check the state of the hard disk from safe mode or without starting the operating system at all. In such cases, the console comes to the rescue, which can be started before starting the system using a boot disk.

After opening the recovery console, you need to run the chkdsk / f command, which will check all connected drives. In some cases, this will help correct the error. However, in most situations, if the failure of the HDD led to the inability to start the system, a deeper check of the condition of the hard disk will be required.

To use the console command from within the system, you need to:

  • run the command line (via Win + X or by entering cmd in the "Run" window);
  • enter the chkdsk command specifying the letter of the section to be checked and additional flags;
  • confirm the operation with Y.

Checking the HDD via the command line will turn out a little faster than using the GUI version of the program, the results will be shown here, in the console.

The Linux system also has standard tools - hdparm and smartctl, launched from the console.

Simple programs for quick HDD check

If standard utilities are not suitable, hard disk diagnostics can be performed using simple third-party programs... They allow you to get more information about the health of the HDD, but in case of serious malfunctions, they will not work, since they cannot be used to fix the breakdowns.

HDDScan is a free software that performs analysis in two modes:

  • according to S.M.A.R.T .;
  • linear processing.


The tool evaluates the read and write speed in various sectors, marking the "slow" cells. During the analysis, the program makes sure that the tested hard drives do not overheat; at the end of processing, a full report is presented to the user.

HDDScan good versatility. The utility allows you to check disks for errors regardless of the type of device: it can both check an external hard drive and analyze a RAID array, SSD drive or memory card.

Crystal disk mark has only one function - it evaluates the read and write speed. Despite this, it is often used, since it is still possible to check a hard drive for serviceability using only two indicators.

Different algorithms are used for the test, one of which is the sequential write mode. The program gradually fills all the space on the drive with blocks user specified size, and then clears the HDD. The same technique is used by manufacturers of hard drives to check product quality. The disadvantage is that it accelerates the wear and tear of SSD-drives.

CrystalDiskInfo and DiskCheckup are similar in terms of a set of functions, differ only in the interface. They check the state of the hard drive using S.M.A.R.T.-algorithms and make up a history of checks, which allows you to track the dynamics of changes. CrystalDiskInfo has more options for visualizing history. For example, you can build a graph, not just get a written report.

Another feature of these programs is a convenient notification system. Hard drive deep tests usually take a long time. If the user needs to leave the computer, he can enable notifications about critical HDD errors by E-Mail.

Programs from hard drive manufacturers

Some HDD manufacturers have developed their own utilities for analyzing the state of the hard drive. They are intended for use with devices of the same name; it is possible to diagnose a hard drive from another company with their help, but this must be done carefully. Unlike more simple programs, these utilities have versions in different languages, including Russian. Which program is better for analyzing the state of the HDD?

Seagate's proprietary program exists in two versions: a standard version for launching from under Windows and a DOS version in iso-image format, from which you can make a bootable USB flash drive. It is recommended to use the second option, since the check in this case will be more accurate and efficient.

SeaTools uses part of S.M.A.R.T. to test the hard drive without giving out details of each item. Three tests can be done:

  1. short HDD self-test;
  2. short express test;
  3. a long-term scan in which all sectors are read sequentially.

During the scan, the program automatically corrects the errors found.

Owners of hard drives from WD should know how to check the performance of hard drives using proprietary software from this manufacturer. The set of its capabilities is similar to that of the program from Seagate, but somewhat expanded and allows for deeper work with the affected device.

There are two additional functions:

  1. deep disk formatting - the program writes zeros to all sectors, irrevocably destroying information;
  2. blocking access to bad sectors - the program marks bad blocks, excluding writing new information to them.

Unlike SeaTools, this HDD diagnostic tool can be freely used with devices from any manufacturer to check the hard drive for errors - no problems with this have been identified.

Deep Testing Software

If you need not only checking the hard disk for errors, but also fixing bad sectors, you cannot do without a complicated one. software, which carries out the most in-depth analysis of the state of the HDD.

Victoria HDD

Victoria HDD is considered by many users to be the best hard drive troubleshooting software. The program has gained such a reputation due to its wide range of functions.

Victoria comes in two flavors:

  • with a graphical shell for use from within Windows;
  • with a DOS shell to create a bootable disk.

Better to use the second version. HDD diagnostics outside the system allows you to achieve the best results, therefore it is always recommended to follow the principle - “if possible, I test the disk from the boot disk”. As a last resort, you can use the LiveCD of another OS, for example, Linux distribution like Ubuntu.

Victoria HDD has a variety of functions:

  • fast and complete disk check;
  • reassignment of bad sectors and their restoration;
  • checking the status of contacts in an IDE or SATA cable;
  • analysis of equipment performance;
  • viewing S.M.A.R.T.-indicators.

When checking, you need to pay attention to the access time to the sectors. It should not exceed 200-600 ms. You can also see the temperature of the disk during operation, but this is not so important.

HDD Regenerator

HDD Regenerator is a professional hard drive recovery software. It not only marks bad sectors as unused, but also tries to reanimate them. For this, not a standard deep formatting method is used, but a proprietary algorithm based on the transmission of signals of different levels to the sector. Despite the professional level, inexperienced users can also use this software, since it is not difficult to test a hard drive with its help thanks to a convenient Russian-language interface.

Features of the program:

  • ensuring the safety of data - it works only in read mode;
  • support for different file systems;
  • the ability to scan the surface of the disk;
  • real-time monitoring.

The program is not suitable for everyone, since you can check the hard disk for performance for free, but you will have to pay $ 90 for the sector recovery function.

If you don't feel like paying, you can use TestDisk, a free program that can repair the partition table, boot sectors and MFT. It also detects bad sectors, can recover deleted information and fix file system errors. The only drawback is the lack of a graphical interface, you have to work from the console.

If, after checking the HDD and fixing all the problems, the computer does not stop working incorrectly, it is worth checking the registry. The failures may not be due to hardware failure, but to internal system errors.

Forewarned is forearmed! This rule is very useful for working with hard drives. If you know in advance that such and such a hard drive is likely to fail, then the risk of data loss will be minimal.

Of course, no one will give a 100% guarantee, but with a high degree of probability, some programs can analyze the S.M.A.R.T. readings. (a set of software and hardware tools that monitor the state of the hard drive) and draw conclusions on how long it will last.

In general, there are dozens of programs for performing such a hard disk check, but in this article I wanted to focus on some of the most intuitive and easy to use. So...

How to find out the status of a hard drive

(By the way, in addition to HDD, it also supports SSD drives)

One of best programs for constant monitoring of the status of the hard disk. It will help to recognize the threat in time and replace the hard drive. Most of all, it impresses with its clarity: after launching and analyzing, HDDlife presents a report in a very convenient form: you are shown the percentage of the "health" of the disk and its performance (the best indicator, of course, is 100%).

If your indicators are above 70%, this indicates a good condition of your disks. For example, after a couple of years of work (quite active by the way), the program analyzed and concluded: that this hard drive is healthy by about 92% (which means that it should serve, if force majeure does not occur, at least the same amount) ...

After starting, the program is minimized to the tray next to the clock and you can always monitor the status of your hard drive. If it detects any problem (for example, high disk temperature, or too little space left on the hard drive), the program will notify you with a pop-up window. See example below.

HDDLIFE alert that hard disk space is running out. Windows 8.1.

If the program analyzes and displays a window as in the screenshot below, I advise you not to hesitate with the backup (and replacing the HDD).

HDDLIFE - the data on the hard disk is in danger, the faster you copy it to other media, the better!

Hard Disk Sentinel

This utility can compete with HDDlife - it monitors the state of the disk just as well. What impresses most about this program is its informativeness, along with its simplicity for work. Those. it will be useful for both a novice user and an experienced one.

After starting Hard Disk Sentinel and analyzing the system, you will see the main program window: hard drives (including external HDDs) will be presented on the left, and their status will be displayed on the right in the window.

By the way, a rather interesting function is to predict the health of a disk, by how long it will last you: for example, in the screenshot below, the forecast is more than 1000 days (this is about 3 years!).

The condition of the hard disk is EXCELLENT. No problem or weak sectors were found. No speed up or data transfer errors were detected.
No action is required.

By the way, the program implements a rather useful function: you yourself can set the threshold for the critical temperature of the hard disk, upon reaching which, Hard Disk Sentinel will notify you of exceeding!

Hard Disk Sentinel: disk temperature (including the maximum for the entire time of disk use).

An excellent utility for monitoring the health of hard drives. The built-in monitor allows you to know in advance about the first problems with the disk (by the way, the program can notify you of this even by e-mail).

Also, in addition to the main functions, a number of auxiliary ones are built into the program:

Disk Defragmenter;

Testing;

Cleaning the disk from garbage and temporary files (always relevant);

Deleting the history of visits to sites on the Internet (useful if you are not alone at the computer and do not want someone to know what you are doing);

There are also built-in utilities for reducing disk noise, power settings, etc.

Screenshot of the Ashampoo HDD Control 2 window: everything is in order with the hard disk, the state is 99%, the performance is 100%, the temperature is 41 degrees. (it is desirable that the temperature is less than 40 degrees, but the program considers that everything is in order for this disk model).

By the way, the program is completely in Russian, intuitively thought out - even a novice PC user can figure it out. Pay particular attention to the temperature and status indicators in the main program window. If the program issues errors or the status is assessed as extremely low (+ besides, there is a grinding or noise from the HDD), I recommend that you first copy all the data to other media, and then start to deal with the disk.

Hard Drive Inspector

A distinctive feature of this program is:

1. Minimalism and simplicity: there is nothing superfluous in the program. It gives out three indicators in percentage terms: reliability, performance and absence of errors;

Hard Drive Inspector - monitoring the state of the hard drive.

A simple but reliable utility for monitoring the health of hard drives. Moreover, it works even in cases where many other utilities refuse, crashing with errors.

The program supports several languages, is not replete with settings, is made in the style of minimalism. At the same time, it has quite rare functions, for example, reducing the noise level of the disk, controlling the temperature, etc.

What is also very convenient is the graphical display of the situation:

Blue color (like in the screenshot below): everything is fine;

Yellow: alert, action to be taken;

Red: you need to take immediate action (if you still have time);

Gray: The program was unable to determine the readings.

CrystalDiskInfo 2.7.0 - screenshot of the main program window.

This program will be useful for more experienced users: in addition to graphically displaying the "health" of the disk, they also need high-quality disk tests, in which you can familiarize yourself in detail with all the characteristics and parameters. It should also be noted that the program, in addition to HDD, also supports modern SSD drives.

HD Tune offers quite an interesting feature in order to quickly check a disk for errors: a 500 GB disk is checked in about 2-3 minutes!

HD TUNE: Quickly find disk errors. Red squares are not allowed on a new disc.

In general, there are at least the same number of similar utilities. I think that these will be enough for the majority of more than ...

And the last thing: do not forget to make backups, even if the condition of the disk is assessed as excellent at 100% (at least the most important and valuable data)!

The hard drive, like most components in system unit or laptop, has a certain operational life. When it ends, the hard drive starts to glitch and make strange sounds. In some cases, it can burn out, which most often leads to permanent loss of data.

Checking this device for errors is relevant not only when the first warning signs appear, but also to prevent unexpected failure (for example, when buying a new device or used one). Depending on the type of errors found, one can draw a conclusion about the health of the hard disk and how long it has left to live. You can quickly check the hard drive by testing with special programs.

The main errors in the hard drive

Deterioration of the hard drive manifests itself in different ways: strange sounds (grinding, crackling), a sharp decrease in the read / write speed (opens files for a long time, freezes) or the disappearance of some folders. All this arises from physical or logical errors.

Physical errors include damage to the surface of a hard disk, for example, if it fell. Usually because of this, bad sectors appear that become unreadable. If any files of the operating system were written in such sectors, it starts to malfunction already when the PC is turned on.

Factory defect is possible, albeit to the smallest extent.

“Physical defects include oxidation (oxidation) of the contact pads on the board. This is one of the reasons why the disc cracks and slows down. "

Logical errors are called damage to the file system, which is located on the HDD. She is responsible for the location of all recorded files, their movement and access to them. One of the signs of damage to the file system (if the OS was written to this particular disk) is multiple reboots of the computer and the appearance of the so-called blue screen. Also, problems may appear if:

  • the cable connector is loose;
  • the SATA cable is not firmly seated in the socket of the disk or motherboard;
  • the magnetic head falls on the surface of the plate and scratches the protective layer;
  • dust gets inside the hard disk;
  • electronics burns out due to turning off the PC from the power button or frequent power failures.

How to check hard drive speed

One of the signs of deterioration in HDD performance is a decrease in the write or read speed (for the user it looks like a longer file opening or writing on the computer). In this case, it is recommended that you check the speed of the hard drive and identify the problem. This can be done in several ways: built-in OS functionality or third-party programs.

In Windows 7 and later, you can find WinSAT, a built-in utility that allows you to check solid state drives (including USB sticks and SSDs) for speed. It will be useful when buying a new PC, as well as if you do not have the opportunity to download and install specialized software.

To run the test through WinSAT, you need to write the command "winsat disk" through the command line. Upon completion of the test, the speed test results will be shown in a separate window. In addition to this indicator, next to each disk there will be a performance index determined by the system, as in the OS properties window.

One of the simplest and most popular free software for HDD speed test is CrystalDiskMark. The program even works on Windows XP. Upon completion of testing, the user sees two columns: in the first, the read speed, and in the second, the write speed. You can also use more informative utilities to check, for example:

  • CrystalDiskInfo;
  • HD Tune;
  • HDDlife;
  • Hard Disk Sentinel.

BIOS check

Many modern BIOS versions have built-in functionality for autotesting hard drives. When you turn on the computer, you need to press the corresponding key to invoke the on-screen menu (usually Del, F2, Esc or F8). Next, using the left-right keys, you need to switch to the tab where the "Primary Hard Disk Self Test" is located (the autotest we need). A quick check is done first, then a detailed check. Based on the results of these tests, conclusions can be drawn about the performance of the device.

Through DOS, more complex and informative checks can be carried out using auxiliary programs, such as:

  • Seagate SeaTools;
  • HDD Scan;
  • Victoria HDD.


They are able to describe in more detail the essence of the detected errors or bugs and, if possible, eliminate them. For example, the Seagate SeaTools utility, without harming the data on the disk, conducts thorough diagnostics on a number of parameters. The deepest check can take up to 4 hours. It is important that the disk is not partitioned as the OS will not be able to detect it. Also, testing problems can arise if the HDD is not formatted.

Checking the hard drive on a laptop

You can check the hard drive for serviceability on a laptop using command line according to the method described above, as well as through the BIOS, if such a possibility is provided by the system. Another option for the basic test is diagnostics directly through "My Computer". You need to select the appropriate disk, then right-click to call "Properties", then switch to the Service tab and tick the two items that appeared on the monitor.

After clicking the "Start" button, you will need to restart your computer. When the system is rebooted, the test will start. Depending on the size of the hard drive and its technical data, the check may take from several minutes to one hour.

When purchasing a new laptop hard drive, be sure to inspect it externally. The cable entry port must be strong and the cover must not be scratched or chipped. When the disc is turned over, nothing should dangle inside (it can be determined by ear). If it is not possible to check the hard drive for performance upon purchase, be sure to do it yourself when you come home using special utilities.

Which program is better for checking

There is a large selection of programs for a comprehensive check, recovery and maintenance of hard drives. The most popular of them are Victoria, Seagate SeaTools, Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic, HDD Scan.

Victoria


This is a professional utility for diagnosing hard drives on PCs and laptops using special tests. She is capable of not only finding problems, but also fixing them. The program boasts high functionality:

  • up to five diagnostic modes;
  • elimination of failures;
  • display of unstable areas of the disk;
  • media performance evaluation;
  • reading HDD passport and providing detailed information about it.

Seagate SeaTools


An advanced multifunctional utility finds any malfunctions and successfully eliminates them, for example: hardware incompatibility, damage to the disk file system (including malware and viruses), errors due to installed drivers... The program also works with any types of hard drives (SCSI, PATA or SATA) and shows all the data about them (rotation speed, read and write speed, temperature, etc.).

If you want to try to fix the errors you find yourself, then Seagate SeaTools is the best solution. Using the program, for example, you can recover a hard disk with bad sectors. She possesses simple interface and requires a minimum of actions from the user.

Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic

With the help of this program, you can check the hard disk for bad sectors and other malfunctions with high accuracy. It allows you to view SMART information, carry out the deepest and most irrevocable formatting, and see in detail the scan results. Benefits of Data Lifeguard Diagnostic:

  • version available for portable and PC;
  • wide functionality;
  • simple and intuitive interface.

HDD Scan


The utility is characterized by high accuracy and allows you to conduct tests of varying complexity: linear verification, reading, writing, random reading, reading and analysis of log tables from disks, temperature monitor. The program also has many additional features. It reads not only IDE, SATA and SCSI, but also USB sticks, SSDs, and also allows you to view SMART attributes and a detailed report.

If you need to increase the amount of memory on your computer, you can't do without buying a new hard drive. The pricing policy of these devices may not suit many users. In this regard, they are in great demand. They are able not only to expand the amount of free space, but also to increase the speed of the PC as a whole. As a rule, used drives have excellent performance and are ready to serve you for more than one year.