Mac: To check hard drive health, Mac users need to use the Disk Utility. You also want to be sure to create a new hard drive backup before you run CHKDSK- if it doesn’t work properly, it can end up making data unusable. However, CHKDSK doesn’t fix all errors, so you should still consider using an external program. This is a basic Windows utility to scan your hard disk for errors and fix file system errors using the /f command. It’s best practice to use monitoring tools to keep an eye on your hard drive at all times, rather than periodically checking with HDD manufacturer tools.ĬHKDSK: If you’re using Windows, you can use the Windows CHKDSK tool. However, these tools usually only provide so much information. You can perform an HDD health check using the hard drive utility provided by the manufacturer, which includes diagnostic and measuring tools to determine whether your hard drive is functioning normally or has any problems. HDD Manufacturer Tools: Start by using the tools that come with your hard disk drive. In many cases, using a combination of all the below tools and approaches can help you gain a comprehensive view of how your computer’s hard drive health may be affecting your systems, and how to fix it. The best tools give vital clues as to whether a component is functioning well, facing problems, or nearing the end of its life. There are a number of ways to keep track of how your hardware is functioning, from built-in operating system tools to completely separate pieces of software.

That’s why it’s important to keep tabs on your computer’s hard drive health – but how do you easily check hard drive health?

And if it dies unexpectedly, you could end up with massive data loss if you haven’t created a backup (and even then, backups can become outdated). Without it, you can’t run an operating system or keep any data.

Your computer’s hard drive is one of the most important components of your machine.

Drive health checker