How to Check SSD Health on Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

Your SSD (Solid-State Drive) is one of the most important components in your Windows 11 computer — it stores your operating system, apps, and personal files. But like any hardware, SSDs have a limited lifespan and can degrade over time.

To keep your PC running smoothly and avoid unexpected data loss, it’s crucial to check your SSD health regularly.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how to check SSD health on Windows 11, using built-in tools and third-party apps — step by step.

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What Is SSD Health and Why It Matters

An SSD’s health refers to its remaining life expectancy, performance stability, and error rate.

SSDs store data on NAND flash memory, which wears out after a certain number of write cycles. Over time, this leads to slower speeds and potential drive failure.

Monitoring SSD health helps you:

• ⚙️ Prevent sudden data loss

• 🔋 Optimize system performance

• 💽 Replace drives before they fail

• ⏱️ Track remaining lifespan of your SSD

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Signs Your SSD Might Be Failing

Before your SSD completely dies, you might notice these warning signs:

If you notice any of these issues, check your SSD health immediately.

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How to Check SSD Health on Windows 11 (Overview)

There are several reliable ways to check SSD health on Windows 11:

Let’s go step by step through each method.

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🧰 Method 1: Check SSD Health Using Windows Settings

Windows 11 includes a built-in tool for monitoring drive health, especially for NVMe SSDs.

Step-by-Step:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.

2. Go to System → Storage.

3. Scroll down and click Advanced storage settings.

4. Select Disks & volumes.

5. Choose your SSD from the list.

6. Click Properties.

Under the Drive health section, you’ll see details like:

• Estimated remaining life

• Available spare capacity

• Temperature

• Warnings (if any)

💡 Tip: If you see a warning like “Consider backing up your data,” your SSD may be approaching end of life.

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⚙️ Method 2: Check SSD Health with Command Prompt (WMIC)

Windows includes a built-in command-line tool to query drive health using WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line).

Step-by-Step:

1. Press Windows + S, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.

2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   wmic diskdrive get status


3. You’ll see one of these results for each drive:

   • OK – SSD is healthy

   • Pred Fail – SSD is likely to fail soon

   • Unknown – Windows couldn’t determine the status

This method provides a quick and simple health check — though not detailed.

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💻 Method 3: Use PowerShell to Check SSD Health

For more detailed drive information, PowerShell is powerful and precise.

Step-by-Step:

1. Press Windows + X → Windows Terminal (Admin).

2. Type:

   Get-PhysicalDisk


3. Press Enter.

You’ll see columns like:

• FriendlyName – Your SSD name

• OperationalStatus – OK, Warning, or Unhealthy

• HealthStatus – Healthy or Unhealthy

• Usage – Boot, Data, etc.

• MediaType – SSD or HDD

💡 If your SSD shows “Warning” or “Unhealthy,” back up your data immediately.

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🛡️ Method 4: Check SSD Health Using Windows Security

Windows Security includes a Device performance & health feature that reports hardware status.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + I → Privacy & Security → Windows Security.

2. Click Device performance & health.

3. Under Storage capacity, check for any warnings.

This section alerts you if your SSD is low on space or facing hardware-related issues.

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🧩 Method 5: Use Manufacturer SSD Tools

Most SSD brands provide dedicated health monitoring utilities that give you accurate details and firmware updates.

Example: Using Samsung Magician

1. Download and install Samsung Magician from Samsung’s official website.

2. Open the program and select your SSD.

3. View Drive Health Status, Total Bytes Written (TBW), and Temperature.

4. Run a Performance Optimization or Diagnostic Scan if needed.

These tools provide real-time insights that Windows utilities often lack.

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🔍 Method 6: Check SSD Health Using CrystalDiskInfo (Free Tool)

One of the most popular third-party tools to check SSD health is CrystalDiskInfo — it’s lightweight, free, and incredibly detailed.

Step-by-Step:

1. Download CrystalDiskInfo from the official site: https://crystalmark.info.

2. Install and launch the tool.

3. You’ll see a dashboard with:

   • Health Status: Good / Caution / Bad

   • Temperature: in °C or °F

   • Power-on hours and Power cycles

   • Total host writes

   • SMART attributes (error rates, reallocated sectors, etc.)

💡 If the health status shows “Caution” or “Bad,” immediately back up your files.

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🌡️ How to Check SSD Temperature on Windows 11

High temperatures can shorten your SSD’s life.
Here’s how to monitor it:

Option 1: Through Windows Settings

1. Open Settings → System → Storage → Disks & Volumes → Properties.

2. Scroll to Drive health → check Temperature.

Option 2: Using CrystalDiskInfo

It displays real-time SSD temperature on the main screen.

🧊 Ideal SSD temperature: 30°C to 60°C
🔥 Over 70°C: Consider better cooling or ventilation.

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⚡ How to Check SSD Read/Write Speed

Checking SSD performance helps identify degradation over time.

Using CrystalDiskMark:

1. Download CrystalDiskMark (by the same developers as CrystalDiskInfo).

2. Open it and select your SSD.

3. Click All to run a benchmark.

4. Check Sequential and Random Read/Write speeds.

Compare results to the manufacturer’s advertised speeds to see if your SSD performance is declining.

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🧠 How to Extend Your SSD’s Lifespan

Follow these best practices to keep your SSD healthy longer:

To check if TRIM is enabled:

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

2. Type:

   fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify


   • If result = 0, TRIM is enabled ✅

   • If result = 1, TRIM is disabled ❌

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⏳ When to Replace Your SSD

You should consider replacing your SSD when:

• Health drops below 80%.

• You see frequent bad sector warnings.

• Performance becomes unstable.

• SMART data shows reallocated sectors or CRC errors.

• Manufacturer software displays a “Replace Drive Soon” message.

Replacing an SSD early prevents catastrophic data loss.

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❓ FAQs

1. How can I check SSD health in Windows 11 without software?

Use Settings → System → Storage → Disks & Volumes → Properties or the WMIC command in Command Prompt.

2. What’s the best free tool to check SSD health?

CrystalDiskInfo is the most popular free and reliable SSD health checker.

3. How long do SSDs last?

Typically 5–10 years, depending on usage and quality. Enterprise SSDs last longer.

4. What does “Good” or “Caution” mean in CrystalDiskInfo?

• Good: Drive is healthy.

• Caution: Early warning of degradation.

• Bad: Imminent failure — replace immediately.

5. Can I fix a failing SSD?

No. SSDs can’t be repaired once cells degrade — only data recovery and replacement are viable.

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🧩 Conclusion

Your SSD is fast, quiet, and efficient — but it’s not indestructible.
By checking your SSD health regularly, you can prevent failures and extend your drive’s life.

Windows 11 provides built-in options like Storage settings, WMIC, and PowerShell, while tools like Samsung Magician and CrystalDiskInfo give deeper insights.

💡 Pro Tip: Make SSD health checks a monthly habit — and always keep important files backed up on an external drive or cloud.

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🧾 Summary: Key Takeaways

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In short:
Learning how to check SSD health on Windows 11 ensures your PC stays fast, reliable, and safe from data loss. Regular monitoring, combined with good maintenance habits, can keep your SSD running like new for years.