An SSD can seem fine right up until it stops working, so checking its health is a useful part of routine PC maintenance. Windows can show basic drive status and, on some systems, details such as temperature and wear. Those readings may help you spot a warning early, but they can’t guarantee that a drive will keep working.
This guide explains how to check SSD health on Windows using built-in tools, how to interpret the results, and what to do if a report looks concerning. Start with the quick checks, then use a drive-maker utility or a SMART reader when Windows doesn’t provide enough detail.
Check SSD health on Windows in Settings
On supported Windows 11 systems, the Settings app can display basic health information for some NVMe SSDs. Availability depends on the drive, its connection, and the storage driver. A missing health section doesn’t necessarily mean the SSD is unhealthy.
- Open Settings, then select System.
- Choose Storage, then expand Advanced storage settings.
- Select Disks & volumes, choose the SSD, and open Properties.
- Look for a drive health section with details such as estimated remaining life, available spare capacity, or temperature.
The exact labels and available readings can vary. Some Windows versions or storage devices won’t show these details at all. Treat an explicit warning as a reason to back up your files and investigate further. A healthy status is reassuring, but it can’t predict every failure.
These Settings steps are mainly useful on supported Windows 11 systems. On Windows 10, you may not see the same drive health page. You can still try PowerShell or a manufacturer utility, as long as the SSD and its controller make health data available to Windows.
Check the drive’s status with PowerShell
PowerShell can display a basic status for physical drives Windows recognizes. It’s a quick check, though the result may be limited, especially with USB enclosures, RAID configurations, or storage drivers that don’t pass drive information through to Windows.
To run the check, right-click Start, open Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin), and enter:
Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType, HealthStatus, OperationalStatus, Size
Check the HealthStatus and OperationalStatus columns. A status such as Healthy is a useful basic signal. If Windows reports Warning, Unhealthy, or an unexpected operational state, back up important files before troubleshooting. If the SSD doesn’t appear, Windows may be exposing a virtual disk or may not be receiving the device’s health data.
Make sure you identify the correct drive before interpreting a result. The friendly name and size can help distinguish an internal SSD from a secondary drive, but a computer may also list storage spaces or virtual devices. If you’re unsure which entry corresponds to your SSD, check the model and capacity in the manufacturer’s utility or in Windows’ disk settings before taking action.
You can also ask Windows for reliability counters:
Get-PhysicalDisk | ForEach-Object {
$disk = $_
$counter = $disk | Get-StorageReliabilityCounter
[pscustomobject]@{
Name = $disk.FriendlyName
TemperatureC = $counter.Temperature
WearPercent = $counter.Wear
PowerOnHours = $counter.PowerOnHours
ReadErrors = $counter.ReadErrorsTotal
WriteErrors = $counter.WriteErrorsTotal
}
}
These counters aren’t available for every drive, and some fields may be blank. An empty reading usually means Windows or the drive’s controller didn’t provide that information; it isn’t proof of a problem. PowerShell’s output is most useful as a quick overview, not a complete diagnostic report. The command may also return limited information when the SSD is connected through an adapter or enclosure.
Read SMART data with a drive utility
SMART, short for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, is a set of drive-reported health indicators. A utility that reads SMART data can provide more detail than Windows’ basic status, including drive temperature, error counts, and wear-related attributes.
For the most direct interpretation, check the SSD manufacturer’s support site for its own drive-management utility. The tool may identify the model, show a health summary, and offer a firmware update. A general-purpose SMART reader can also help when the manufacturer doesn’t offer a suitable Windows app. Download utilities from their official publisher or the drive maker, and verify that the displayed model matches the SSD you want to inspect.
SMART attributes differ between SSD models and between SATA and NVMe drives. A number that looks alarming in one tool may use a vendor-specific scale, so don’t compare raw attribute values without knowing what they mean. Pay attention to the tool’s overall warning, its plain-language explanations, and the drive maker’s documentation.
If a utility shows a percentage or a count without explaining it, look up that attribute for your exact model rather than assuming it has a universal meaning. Some tools display normalized values, while others show raw data. The manufacturer’s own health summary is often easier to interpret, but it’s still sensible to keep a copy of important files before running lengthy tests or changing firmware.
What SSD health readings mean
Several common indicators can help you decide whether to keep monitoring a drive or act promptly:
- Overall health or critical warning: A warning from Windows or a reputable drive utility deserves attention. Back up important data and consult the drive maker’s guidance.
- Wear or percentage used: Some SSDs report an estimate of how much of their rated write endurance has been consumed. It’s an estimate, not a countdown to a specific failure date.
- Available spare: Certain NVMe drives report spare capacity reserved to replace worn-out memory blocks. A low or warning-level reading can indicate that the drive needs attention.
- Media errors or uncorrectable errors: An increasing count can be concerning, especially when paired with read failures, corrupted files, or a health warning. One isolated counter isn’t always enough to diagnose a drive.
- Temperature: Sustained high temperatures can affect performance and may shorten component life. Compare the reading with the SSD maker’s specifications rather than relying on a universal threshold.
- Power-on hours and writes: These values describe use, not health by themselves. A high number of hours or a large amount of data written doesn’t prove that an SSD is failing.
Don’t focus on one number in isolation. A drive with substantial wear may continue to operate, while a drive with modest wear can still fail because of an unrelated electronic or controller problem. Health tools report clues, not certainty. Changes over time can be more informative than a single reading, especially when the tool flags a trend or a new error.
What to do if an SSD reports a warning
Protect your data before attempting repairs. Copy essential files to another drive or a trusted backup location, and confirm that a few important files open correctly. If the SSD is already disappearing, producing read errors, or making the system freeze, avoid unnecessary scans and repeated restarts. Further activity may make recovery harder if the drive is failing.
Once your files are safe, note the SSD model and the exact warning. Check the manufacturer’s documentation and run its diagnostic tool if the drive remains stable. A firmware update may be appropriate when the maker recommends it for your model, but don’t begin an update on a drive that is unstable or whose data isn’t backed up.
Don’t treat every Windows disk command as a health test. For example, chkdsk checks a file system for logical errors; it doesn’t replace a SMART health report or establish that an SSD will remain reliable. Repair commands can also write changes to the drive, so prioritize copying your files before using them when a failure is suspected.
If the drive is under warranty, contact the manufacturer or seller about replacement options. Replacing a drive is usually more sensible than relying on one that repeatedly reports errors. If the files are irreplaceable and you can’t copy them, stop using the SSD and consider professional data recovery before trying repairs.
How often should you check SSD health?
There’s no need to watch health counters constantly. Check after you notice unusual slowdowns, file errors, unexpected freezes, or a warning from Windows. You can also review the drive occasionally as part of routine PC maintenance, particularly if it stores files you haven’t backed up elsewhere.
A status marked healthy isn’t a substitute for backups. Keep another copy of important files on separate storage, and make sure you know how to restore it. Health checks can help you spot some problems early, while a tested backup protects you when a drive fails without warning.
For a practical routine, confirm that backups are running and review the SSD’s status when you perform other maintenance. If readings remain stable and the computer works normally, there’s usually no need to run repeated scans. If a warning appears or symptoms change, secure your files first and then investigate using a tool that supports the exact drive.