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SSD disk status controller program. How to find out information on an SSD and test it using SSD-Z

Sequence of actions in the presence of S.M.A.R.T. hard drive or SSD errors. How to fix a disk and recover lost data. When you boot your computer or laptop, S.M.A.R.T appears. Hard drive or SSD error? After this error, your computer does not work as before, and you are worried about the safety of your data? Don't know how to fix the error?

Relevant for OS: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8, Windows Home Server 2011, Windows 7 (Seven), Windows Small Business Server, Windows Server 2008, Windows Home Server, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT.

What to do with a SMART error?

Step 1: Stop using the failed HDD

Receiving an error diagnosis message from the system does not mean that the disk has already failed. But if there is S.M.A.R.T. errors, you need to understand that the disk is already in the process of failure. Complete failure can occur within a few minutes or after a month or a year. But in any case, this means that you can no longer trust your data to such a drive.

You need to take care of the safety of your data, create a backup copy or transfer files to another storage medium. Along with the safety of your data, it is necessary to take action to replace the hard drive. The hard drive on which the S.M.A.R.T. errors cannot be exploited - even if it does not completely fail, it can partially damage your data.

Of course, a hard drive can fail without S.M.A.R.T warnings. But this technology gives you the advantage of warning about the imminent failure of the disk.

Step 2: Recover deleted disk data

If a SMART error occurs, it is not always necessary to restore data from the disk. In case of an error, it is recommended to immediately create a copy of important data, since the disk may fail at any time. But there are errors in which it is no longer possible to copy data. In this case, you can use a program to recover hard drive data - Hetman Partition Recovery.

For this:

  1. Download the program, install and run it.
  2. By default, the user will be prompted to use File Recovery Wizard. Pressing the button "Further", the program will prompt you to select the drive from which you want to recover files.
  3. Double-click on the failed disk and select the required analysis type. Choose "Full Analysis" and wait for the disk scanning process to complete.
  4. After the scanning process is completed, you will be provided with recovery files. Select the files you need and click the button "Restore".
  5. Select one of the suggested ways to save files. Do not save recovered files to a disk with an error.

Step 3: Scan the disk for bad sectors

Run a scan of all hard drive partitions and try to fix any errors found.

To do this, open the folder "This computer" and right-click on the disk with the SMART error. Select Properties / Service / Check In chapter Checking the disk for errors.

As a result of scanning, errors found on the disk can be corrected.

Step 4: Reduce disk temperature

Sometimes, the cause of the “S M A R T” error may be exceeding the maximum permissible operating temperature of the disk. This error can be resolved by improving the ventilation of the computer. First, check if your computer is equipped with sufficient ventilation and that all fans are working properly.

If you have identified and corrected a ventilation problem, after which the disk operating temperature has dropped to a normal level, then the SMART error may no longer occur.

Step 5:

Open the folder "This computer" and right-click on the disk with the error. Select Properties / Service / Optimize In chapter Disk optimization and defragmentation.

Select the drive you want to optimize and click Optimize.

Note. In Windows 10, disk defragmentation and optimization can be configured so that it occurs automatically.

Step 6: Buy a new hard drive

If you are faced with a SMART hard drive error, then purchasing a new drive is only a matter of time. What kind of hard drive you need depends on your style of working with a computer, as well as the purpose for which it is used.

What to look for when purchasing a new drive:

  1. Disk type: HDD, SSD or SSHD. Each type has its own pros and cons, which are not critical for some users and very important for others. The main ones are the speed of reading and writing information, volume and resistance to repeated overwriting.
  2. Size. There are two main drive form factors: 3.5 inches and 2.5 inches. The disk size is determined in accordance with the installation location of a particular computer or laptop.
  3. Interface. Main hard drive interfaces:
    • SATA;
    • IDE, ATAPI, ATA;
    • SCSI;
    • External drive (USB, FireWire, etc.).
  4. Specifications and performance:
    • Capacity;
    • Read and write speed;
    • Memory buffer or cache size;
    • Response time;
    • Fault tolerance.
  5. S.M.A.R.T. The presence of this technology on the disk will help identify possible errors in its operation and prevent data loss in time.
  6. Equipment. This item includes the possible availability of interface or power cables, as well as warranty and service.

How to reset SMART error?

SMART errors can be easily reset in the BIOS (or UEFI). But the developers of all operating systems categorically do not recommend doing this. If the data on your hard drive is not valuable to you, then the SMART error output can be disabled.

To do this you need to do the following:

  1. Restart your computer, and by pressing the key combination indicated on the boot screen (they are different for different manufacturers, usually "F2" or "Del") go to BIOS (or UEFI).
  2. Go to: Advanced > SMART settings > SMART self test. Set value Disabled.

Note: The location of disabling the function is indicated approximately, since depending on the BIOS or UEFI version, the location of this setting may differ slightly.

Is HDD repair worthwhile?

It is important to understand that any of the methods for eliminating SMART errors is self-deception. It is impossible to completely eliminate the cause of the error, since the main reason for its occurrence is often physical wear and tear on the hard drive mechanism.

To eliminate or replace malfunctioning hard drive components, you can contact a service center with a special laboratory for working with hard drives.

But the cost of work in this case will be higher than the cost of a new device. Therefore, it makes sense to perform repairs only if it is necessary to restore data from an already inoperative disk.

SMART error for SSD disk

Even if you have no complaints about the operation of the SSD drive, its performance is gradually decreasing. The reason for this is the fact that the memory cells of an SSD disk have a limited number of rewrite cycles. The wear resistance feature minimizes this effect, but does not eliminate it completely.

SSD drives have their own specific SMART attributes that indicate the state of the drive's memory cells. For example, “209 Remaining Drive Life”, “231 SSD life left”, etc. These errors can occur if the performance of the cells decreases, and this means that the information stored in them may be damaged or lost.

In the event of failure, SSD disk cells cannot be restored and cannot be replaced.

Hi all! I think it’s no secret to anyone that one of the most important components inside your computer or laptop is the drive that contains the operating system. A completely logical consequence is the question of how to perform a hard drive (or SSD, if the computer is newer) speed test.

If your operating system is installed on a slow hard drive, then it doesn’t matter how powerful your central processor or RAM is - Windows itself and installed programs will start very reluctantly and you won’t be able to enjoy full multitasking.

In the age of the Internet, there are quite a lot of publications that will tell you about almost any drive model on sale. In addition, there are a huge number of programs for checking the speed of a hard drive, the result of which will be an understanding of what your drive is capable of.

There are many paid utilities, like PCMark or PassMark, that can test the entire system and can often be found in tests from well-known publications. We're going the other way and I'm going to tell you about four free ways to test the speed of your hard drive or SSD.

The real performance of an HDD or SSD in a Windows environment (and not only) is determined not only by the rotation speed of the magnetic disk or the memory of the drive chips, but also by many other important factors. The drive controller, the SATA version on the motherboard, the drivers of the controller itself, the operating mode (ACHI or IDE) - all this affects the performance of the disk subsystem (even the CPU or RAM can affect the performance)

Method 1: CrystalDiskMark is our main tool

Probably the most popular tool for testing hard drive speed is CrystalDiskMark. Almost no drive testing is complete without this utility - this situation will help you compare your results and draw the right conclusions. A big plus is the program’s ability to test not only HDD/SSD, but also flash drives and other storage media.

The application has both a distribution and a portable version that does not require installation. You can download it as usual on the official website (I, as always, recommend portable).

CrystalDiskMark is incredibly easy to use. We launch the utility, select the size of the test block (in the picture below we chose 1 GB), the number of test repetitions (I chose 5 - the more repetitions, the more accurate the result) and the drive itself. We press the “all” button and wait until the program runs all the tests (by the way, you can run a separate test for each mode).

In the screenshot on the left is the SSD speed test, and on the right is the HDD. Just so you know how big the difference is between them and what kind of performance gain you will get by replacing just one component in the system

Method 2. CrystalDiskInfo - detailed information about the HDD/SSD drive

At the very beginning of the note, I already wrote that the speed test of a hard drive or SSD will not be entirely correct if we do not find out the factors affecting the performance of the disk subsystem. The CrystalDiskInfo utility will tell you a lot of interesting things about your drive, but we are interested in just one nuance - download the application from the official website and run it.

Pay attention to the line “Transfer mode”, in the picture below I have it (SATA/600 | SATA/600). These parameters must match, i.e. By connecting the SSD drive to the SATA/300 port (this is the SATA II standard), we will get a maximum exchange speed with the disk of 300 MB, and if we look at the performance test in the first method, we see that the maximum read speed was far beyond 300...

By connecting such a high-speed drive to a SATA or SATA II port, its performance will simply be limited by the performance of the controller (with classic HDDs it is not so critical, since even SATA capabilities are abundant)

In general, CrystalDiskInfo can tell you about the temperature, operating time of the drive and many other useful indicators. For owners of classic HDDs, the Reallocate Sector item will be useful - thanks to it you can predict the failure of the device

Method 3. AS SSD Benchmark - a healthy competitor to CrystalDisk from the Germans

The Germans know how to make not only films for adults, but also excellent utilities for testing the speed of a hard drive or SSD. In this case, I want to introduce you to the AS SSD Benchmark application, the functionality of which is very similar to CrystalDiskMark, but unlike it, it also shows data access time (and in general there are still minor differences).

You can download it from the official website (it’s in German, the download link is at the end of the page), the application itself is in English (many bloggers have a version exclusively in German)

The utility is portable and does not require installation, just run the application, select the required tests and press START, just like in the first method. On the left is my home SSD, on the right is the classic HDD.

Please note that in the TOOLS menu there are a couple of interesting tests that can predict the performance of the drive when copying ISO files, programs or various toys - CrystalDiskMark does not have such functionality

Method 4. HD Tune is a good tool with a visual graph

HD Tune is most likely the most famous application for testing hard drive speed, but it is in last place in today's ranking for a reason. The fact is that the free version of HD Tune has not been updated since February 2008... however, everything still works in 2k17 on the latest Windows 10. As always, you can download it from the official website (unfortunately there is no portable version)

After passing the test, we will have access to a visual reading graph (along with the maximum and minimum values, as well as the speed of data access). In general, the information is useful, but there is no way to test the disk writing speed, which is a little disappointing...

Due to its antiquities the application may not correctly detect modern drives, but this does not affect the test results in any way

Conclusion about hard drive speed testing programs

It's time to draw conclusions. We performed a hard drive or SSD speed test using four different programs (or rather, there are only three testing applications, and one more utility to make sure that the tests will be objective).

In reality, programs that allow you to check the speed of a hard drive are many times faster, but I decided to introduce you to the leaders of this niche... but if you have anything to add, I’m waiting for you in the comments.

An SSD, like any other, is subject to errors and failures. The user may experience the inability to write or delete files, reduced memory, or the need to know the service life. The latter is limited to 3-5 thousand cycles. On average we get 7-13 years of activity.

When purchasing a used storage unit, this is one of the most important details. You can find out the exact figure and check the SSD disk for errors using special software.

The best software for diagnosing SSD errors, speed, operating time, optimization

Today there are a large number of programs for working with SSD drives. First, we recommend installing proprietary software from the manufacturer.

This will solve most of your problems: check the disk status, operating speed, update the firmware, activate RAID mode, and more. It can be downloaded from the official website of your drive manufacturer, usually by going to the support section. Names of programs from popular SSD manufacturers.

  • Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox
  • Samsung Magician
  • Kingston Manager
  • SanDisk Dashboard
  • ADATA ToolBox
  • Transcend Scope

Among the wide variety of software, choosing the best is not so easy. One popular application is SSDLife and Cristal Disk Info. They can often be found in reviews on popular YouTube channels.

We already had articles on our website about testing PC components, we recommend you read them.

SSD Life

This is a shareware application that can calculate the “death” period of a drive based on the intensity of work. Supports almost all well-known brands of SSD. The program displays the following parameters:

  • Manufacturer's logo and name
  • Presence of decreased performance
  • Amount of free and used memory
  • Usage statistics for today, yesterday, last 7 days and all time

Crystal Disk Info

Free software made in Japan. Supports Russian language. Using Crystal Disk Info, you can check the speed of an SSD drive. The program displays the temperature of the drive in numbers and color indication, as well as the following parameters:

  • Opening hours
  • Malfunctions
  • Promotion time
  • S.M.A.R.T. schedule
  • Reading and positioning errors

In total there are over 25 types of data displayed on the screen. The user is prompted to change the design themes. The program also supports external drives and can control noise reduction and energy saving. She was awarded three times by famous publications.

SSD Ready

User-friendly software with many free features. The storage life is calculated through an online service using constantly updated databases. To obtain the most accurate information, the creator recommends launching the application at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day, click on the Estimate SSD Life button. A website page will open where your data will be displayed. Otherwise, the set of features is similar to those present in SSD Life.

Tweak SSD

A powerful tool that allows you to optimize your drive and manage its performance. The interface offers a convenient setup wizard. You will be able to do the following:

  • Change FS cache size
  • Overcome NTFS limits
  • Perform TRIM optimization
  • Disable application and system loading
  • Prohibit defragmentation, paging, indexing, and other tasks

The free version has almost a complete set of functions. Access to the TRIM optimization tab is purchased separately.

Disk Check up

Tracks S.M.A.R.T attributes. to calculate disk lifespan. There is an automatic check of the SSD disk for errors, after which you can view detailed reports. In addition, DiskCheckup can run capacity self-tests to detect failures and changes in the size of the HPA and DCO areas. The following information is displayed:

  • Model number
  • Interface type
  • Geometry Options
  • Storage capacity
  • Start time, stop time, etc.

The application cannot work with disks connected using SCSI or RAID, only storage devices that support S.M.A.R.T technology. The rest simply will not appear in the menu.

Checking an SSD disk for errors in Windows

Windows 8 and 10 provide checking drives for errors. To conduct testing, we need to log into this computer, then right-click on the local disk that we want to check. In the drop-down list, go to properties.

Once in properties, switch to the “Service” tab. There are two items in this tab; select the first one, “Check the disk for errors in the file system.” To make it easier for you to understand, we recorded a video.

conclusions

First of all, be sure to install proprietary software. If its functions are not enough, you can choose the third-party applications that we discussed above. Choosing the right application requires trial and error.

Crystal Disk Info and SSD Life are considered in demand. DiskCheckup is quite easy to use software. Tweak SSD and SSD Ready have a nice interface. If you find errors, you can correct them using the time-tested Victoria program, you should understand that you will correct errors at your own peril and risk. Otherwise, the drive may fail.

The topic of SSD drives is gaining popularity every year, which is due to the reasonable price of these devices and the speed of their operation. However, users are often interested in the same questions: “How long can an SSD hard drive last?”, “How to assess the condition of an SSD?”.

How to find out how long an SSD drive will last?

On the Internet you can find dozens of programs that are designed to work with SSD drives. Among them, the following are especially popular: EaseUS Partition Master, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition and SSD-LIFE. The first two are ideal for testing a disk, and with SSD-LIFE you can find out the age of the device and its condition. The utility does not need to be installed. Just download and run the file. The software has a Russian-language interface and works free of charge, although there is also a paid version. Let's look at testing an SSD drive using the SSD-LIFE program as an example.

After starting the program, click on the “SMART” button and wait until the disk is scanned for errors and damage.

Under the health line, the operating time of the disk and its estimated failure date will be indicated. Above you can see the overall rating of the disc.

You can also find out how long the SSD will last using the Hard Disk Sentinel program. It differs from the previous one in a more detailed interface. There are tabs for disk operating time, number of starts, temperature, errors, warnings.

You can also use other programs to test SSDs.

Since an SSD disk has a certain number of data recording cycles, many users believe that once they are exhausted, the disk will become unusable. This is actually a myth. To dispel it, we will carry out precise calculations.

Let's say you have a 120 GB disk. The number of write cycles for this volume is 3000 (according to the manufacturer). Every day you use an example of 20 GB of data, write it down and erase it. In this mode, the disk can operate for 49 years (in theory) or 18 thousand days. However, if we assume the presence of 5-10 flaws and the load on the controller, then such a disk can only work for 8 years without problems. Where does this figure come from? We convert the disk volume into terabytes and divide by the number of megabytes used daily and for another 365 days. For example, 64,000 (120 GB): 20: 365 = 8.7 years.

Thus, the disk will function normally for the calculated years. However, once the number of provided write cycles is exhausted, the disk's performance will deteriorate. It won't fail.

Tip: if you use an SSD drive as a system drive, you do not need to transfer the page file or browser cache to other drives. An SSD drive is needed to speed up the system, and scattering files around only slows it down. But if you download movies in gigabytes, it is better to choose an HDD drive for this purpose. Otherwise, the quality life of the SDD disk will be reduced by several years.

In this article you will learn how to find out the main characteristics of solid-state drives, as well as how to test them. For this operation, we took the SSD-Z utility, which we will review today. It is free and has useful features in its arsenal. You can download it immediately from here.

When you first launch the program, many users will immediately say that it is similar to or other similar utilities, and yes it is, so it will be easier for them to understand it.

On the tab Device shows all disk information. Now I will explain each point presented, this is for those who do not know English.

  • Device name – name of the solid-state drive;
  • Firmware - ;
  • Serial Number – serial number;
  • Controller – controller that is used in the disk;
  • Technology – production technology;
  • Сells – type of memory cells used;
  • Launch Date – drive creation date;
  • TRIM – Availability;
  • Capabilities – technologies supported in SSD;
  • Interface – interface through which the disk is connected;
  • SMART – disk status;
  • Temperature – current disk temperature;
  • POH – operating time;
  • Capacity – disk capacity;
  • Bytes Written – byte written;
  • Volumes – drive letter;
  • Partitions – partition type ();
  • Sector Size – size of one sector.

This is interesting:

As you can see, there are a lot of parameters and this is only on one tab. All information is important and may be useful in some situations. Of course, if the utility database contains your drive model, then the information will certainly be found. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to recognize information about the newly released disc. Although there are utilities that take information from the system and other sources for absolutely any drive.

Checking the SSD Status

I already wrote an article about how this program has a similar function and it’s called S.M.A.R.T. I will write more about this technology, so stay tuned for site updates.

In this section you will find information on read errors, disk operating time, temperature and other useful information. Of course, when using the utility you will get much more information.

When you go to a tab Partitions we receive data about the partitions and disks that exist on the computer. To select another disk, you need to select it at the bottom of the program.

SSD speed testing

The SSD-Z utility also has an SSD speed testing function. It is located on the tab Benchmark. Since the program is still raw, it is better not to expect objective information from the results.

The remaining tabs do not provide particularly useful information. I think the program is not bad and it still has room for improvement. It would not be bad if all the functions were organized in the best possible way and collected in one place, so as not to use several programs.