On Windows, open PowerShell and run Get-PhysicalDisk to see each drive’s health status, then use chkdsk to scan the file system. On a Mac, run First Aid in Disk Utility. If any tool warns that a drive is failing, back up your files before doing anything else.
Built in tools that report on drive health
You do not need to install anything for a first check. Both Windows and macOS include tools that read the drive’s own status and look for errors in the file system, which is the structure that keeps track of where your files are stored.
| Tool | Platform | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Get-PhysicalDisk | Windows PowerShell | Health status and operational status for each physical drive |
| Get-StorageReliabilityCounter | Windows PowerShell | Temperature, read and write errors, wear and hours in use, where the drive reports them |
| chkdsk | Windows Command Prompt | File system errors and, with an option, bad sectors |
| Disk Utility First Aid | macOS | File system errors, and a warning if the disk is about to fail |
| The drive maker’s utility | Varies | Model specific tests and firmware updates |
Watch for warning signs between checks too, such as a mechanical hard drive that starts clicking or grinding, files that suddenly will not open, long freezes when saving, or a computer that takes far longer to start than it used to.
Reading the health status in Windows PowerShell
- Right click the Start button and open Terminal or Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
- Type Get-PhysicalDisk and press Enter.
- Read the HealthStatus column. Microsoft lists the possible values as Healthy, Warning, Unhealthy and Unknown.
- For more detail, type Get-PhysicalDisk | Get-StorageReliabilityCounter | Format-List and press Enter.
- Look at the error counts, temperature, wear and power on hours. Some drives leave certain fields blank.
Healthy with zero uncorrected read and write errors is what you want to see. A Warning or Unhealthy status, or error counts that climb between checks, are reasons to back up right away.
Running chkdsk to scan the Windows file system
The chkdsk command checks the file system for logical and physical errors. According to Microsoft’s chkdsk documentation, running it with no options only reports the status of the drive and fixes nothing, and it requires an administrator command prompt.
To repair errors, add the /f option, as in chkdsk C: /f. Adding /r goes further, locating bad sectors and recovering readable information, and it includes everything /f does. The drive has to be locked for repairs, so on the drive Windows is running from, chkdsk will offer to run at the next restart. A full /r scan on a large spinning drive can take hours. Microsoft also notes that repeated full scans on a solid state drive add write cycles, so an occasional check is fine but a weekly habit is unnecessary.
Checking a Mac drive with Disk Utility First Aid
- Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder inside Applications.
- Choose View, then Show All Devices, so you can see every disk, container and volume.
- Select a volume, click First Aid, then click Run and follow the prompts.
- Repeat for each volume, then for the container, and finally for the disk itself.
Apple’s Disk Utility guide says that if First Aid reports the disk is about to fail, you should back up your data and replace the disk, because it cannot be repaired. If First Aid fails, Apple suggests trying again, and if that does not work, backing up what you can, reformatting, reinstalling macOS and restoring your data.
What to do when a drive shows warnings
Copy your important files to another drive or a cloud service first, before running long repair scans. A failing drive can get worse under the heavy reading that a full scan involves, and your photos and documents matter more than the hardware. Start with the files you cannot replace.
Next, visit the support site of the company that made the drive. Many publish their own diagnostic tools that run model specific tests. If those tests confirm a problem, or if warnings keep coming back after repairs, replace the drive. Keeping a regular backup running means the next failure will cost you an afternoon of setup rather than your files.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to keep using a drive that shows a Warning status?
Treat a Warning as a signal to back up immediately, not as a reason to panic. Copy irreplaceable files first, then run the drive maker's diagnostic tool to see what it reports. Avoid storing new important work only on that drive until you know whether it needs replacing.
Does chkdsk fix a physically failing drive?
No. It can mark bad sectors so Windows stops using them and recover readable data from them, but it cannot repair worn or damaged hardware. If chkdsk keeps finding new bad sectors, treat that as a sign the drive is failing, back it up and plan to replace it.
How often should I check my hard drive health?
There is no fixed rule. A quick health status check every few months, or whenever your computer starts behaving oddly, catches most problems early. Running a full chkdsk repair scan is only needed when something seems wrong, and a regular backup protects you whatever the drive's status says.
How do I check SSD health?
Use the same Windows tools. In PowerShell, Get-PhysicalDisk shows the SSD's health status, and Get-StorageReliabilityCounter adds a Wear value, a percentage that Microsoft says reaches 100 when the drive hits its estimated wear limit. Some drives leave it blank. On a Mac, run Disk Utility First Aid, and use the SSD maker's utility for deeper tests.
How do I check the health of an external hard drive?
Connect it and run the same checks you would on an internal drive. In Windows, run chkdsk on the external drive's letter; without options it only reports problems and fixes nothing. On a Mac, select the external disk in Disk Utility and run First Aid. The drive maker's diagnostic tool can test the hardware itself.
