How to Test HDD in Operating Systems
This step varies depending on the computer you own, but no matter the operating system you're using, it will include built-in tools to test your HDD. Both Windows and Mac offer easy to use built-in tools that can be used to check the health of your hard drive. While the built-in tools may be different, there is a standard monitoring system in all hard drives.
S.M.A.R.T.is a monitoring system built into most drives. Found on both Windows and Mac, S.M.A.R.T. is commonly used when discussing hard drive health.
S.M.A.R.T.
Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Report Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) is the quickest way uncover issues with your HDD. When S.M.A.R.T. data indicates possible drive failure, software on the PC will alert users to help prevent data loss. You can also manually check S.M.A.R.T. status in Windows and macOS whenever you want.
Windows S.M.A.R.T. Check
To check S.M.A.R.T. status in Windows, you will first need to launch the Command Prompt. To do so, click the "Type here to search" in the bottom left of the taskbar. Once there, type "cmd" and hit enter. This will launch a black window with white text known as "Command Prompt." Once this is open, type the following command and hit enter:
"wmic diskdrive get model, status"
This command will return with one of two statuses for each hard drive you have installed on your machine. "OK" means that the drive is functioning correctly, and you don't need to worry about near- future data loss. "Pred Fail" means that the drive's failure is imminent, and you should follow proper procedures immediately to avoid data loss.
Windows Chkdsk
A more advanced command you can use to perform a hard drive health check in Windows is "chkdsk." Similar to the command above, you must first open Command Prompt, but this time you will need to do so as an administrator. Type "cmd" into the search bar as before—but this time don't hit enter, instead right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator."
Once the new Command Prompt window opens, you can then type "chkdsk" and hit enter. Much more information will be displayed than with the S.M.A.R.T. command, so don’t be alarmed. This command checks in three stages: examining file system structure, examining file name linkage, and examining security descriptors. Each stage will output a small amount of data you can look into if you have further issues. At the end, there will be a summary of the checks' results.
If everything is in working order, you should see: "Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems. No further action is required." followed by some statistics of what the check tested.
Check and Resolve Issues with “Chkdsk /f”
By running the chkdsk command with some parameters after it, users can scan and repair damaged drives. Typing "/f" after the chkdsk command (i.e. “chkdsk /f”), will tell the function to attempt to fix any errors that it finds on the disk. Note that this may take much longer than the regular chkdsk command.
When using chkdsk /f, you may see one or more error messages like "10 lost allocation units found in 3 chains. Convert lost chains to files?" To resolve, you can just press "Y" and hit enter to signify yes. The command will then finish running and fix your hard drive.
Check Hard Drive on macOS
Using a built-in app called Disk Utility, Mac users can identify errors occurring in their hard drive, check S.M.A.R.T. data, and repair their HDD accordingly. TO get started, launch Disk Utility from the Applications/Utilities folder on your Mac by default. Inside Disk Utility, you will see an overview of all your local hard drives.
Displayed in the overview will be various information about your device, including its S.M.A.R.T. status:
- Verified. On macOS, a S.M.A.R.T. status of "Verified" means everything is working accordingly.
- Failing. A status of "Failing" means that the drive needs to be replaced immediately and is at risk of failing.
With the Disk Utility app open, select the HDD you wish to check, then click the "First aid" tab. This will run a test that looks similar to the chkdsk utility in Windows. Your Mac will then run a series of checks on the hard drive and output errors and necessary repairs in a text box in the center of the app.
Repairing a hard drive on macOS is as easy as checking it. All you will need to do next is click the "Repair Disk" button. If there are no issues, you will see a message that says, "Operation Successful" or "Disk verified."
Proactive Steps to Prevent Data Loss
Sometimes, hard drives can fail without warning, or just before you do a health check. That's why it's vital to have redundantdata backup proceduresin place. One of the easiest and most reliable ways to back up data and prevent significant data loss is by using an external hard drive. Backing up your data regularly to an external hard drive will ensure that even if a device fails unexpectedly, you have a backup ready to go. The one drawback to using external drives as backups is that they are only useful when backed up often. You can have the best external drive in the world, but if it never performs backups, it will be useless.
Cloud storage solutionsare another great option for backing up data. With cloud-based solutions, data is typically backed up on an automated schedule to ensure recovery data is kept recent. Your data is stored securely in the cloud, and there’s no need to buy more physical hardware to keep up with growing storage needs.
Hard Drive Health Summary
Hard drive health checks are crucial to get the most out of your computer and prevent data loss. Tests can be done from within the operating system and by physically inspecting drives. Checking the health of your hard drive regularly is the best way to avoid device failure. Results from these tests will give vital information that can be used to repair or let you know when it’s time to replace hard drives. Just keep in mind that while you may be able to repair your hard drive and recover some data, nothing is guaranteed. That's why it’s important to have backup procedures in place to prevent data loss when failures occur.
