Is your Windows 11 SSD healthy, or could it be approaching failure? This guide explains how to check drive status with built-in Windows tools and how to read more detailed SMART information with CrystalDiskInfo. Back up important files immediately if you see warnings, unreadable files or recurring disk errors.
1. Identify your SSD in Windows 11
Right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Disk drives to see the installed drive model. Alternatively, open Task Manager → Performance → Disk to check which storage device Windows is using. Note the drive model so you inspect the correct device in the next steps.
2. Check SSD health in Windows Settings
Open Settings → System → Storage → Advanced storage settings → Disks & volumes. Select your SSD and choose Properties. If your model and Windows build support it, the Drive health section may display estimated remaining life, available spare and temperature. Important: this Windows health view primarily applies to supported NVMe SSDs; it may not appear for a SATA SSD or drive behind certain controllers.
Check these indicators:
- Estimated remaining life: an estimate from the drive’s reported wear indicators, not a promise about how long the drive will last.
- Available spare: remaining reserve capacity the drive can use to replace worn blocks.
- Temperature: compare with your manufacturer’s normal operating specifications.
3. Read SSD health using PowerShell
Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell. Run:
Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName,MediaType,HealthStatus,OperationalStatus,SizeThe command lists physical disks visible to Windows storage management, including the drive name and reported health state. A Healthy result does not establish that the drive has 100% lifetime remaining, and an Unknown status does not automatically indicate failure.
For supported drives and storage providers, try:
Get-PhysicalDisk | Get-StorageReliabilityCounter | Select-Object DeviceId,Temperature,Wear,ReadErrorsTotal,WriteErrorsTotal,PowerOnHoursSome counters can be blank or unavailable depending on the controller, SSD firmware and storage driver. A wear value is not universal across every SSD model, so do not interpret missing or nonstandard values as a guaranteed percentage of life.
4. Download CrystalDiskInfo from the official website
Visit Crystal Dew World’s official CrystalDiskInfo page. Choose the standard edition and follow its official download link. Install it, or use an official portable edition when available. Avoid lookalike third-party download sites and bundled installers.
5. Check Health Status, temperature and SMART data
Open CrystalDiskInfo and select the SSD from the drive list. Confirm the model name first if your PC has multiple drives. Review:
- Health Status: commonly Good, Caution, Bad or Unknown; results depend on the drive’s attributes.
- Temperature: monitor against manufacturer guidance, especially during sustained workloads.
- Power On Hours: useful context, but not a standalone health score.
- NVMe Percentage Used: a manufacturer-reported endurance indicator; a value of 100 means the specified endurance has been consumed, not necessarily that the drive has already failed.
- Critical Warning, Media and Data Integrity Errors and Available Spare: important NVMe signals to investigate promptly.
Not every SSD displays the same attributes or an accurate percentage-based health score. Refer to your drive manufacturer’s diagnostic software for model-specific interpretation.
6. What SSD warning signs mean
| Indicator | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Healthy / Good | Continue regular backups; normal reported health does not eliminate failure risk. |
| Caution or Warning | Back up immediately, identify the warning attribute and check the manufacturer’s tools. |
| Bad / Critical Warning | Prioritize data recovery and replacement; minimize unnecessary writes. |
| Unusually high temperature | Verify sensor readings, airflow and manufacturer limits. |
| Media/data integrity errors increasing | Back up, examine logs and consider replacement. |
7. Back up data and plan replacement
If the SSD reports a critical warning or begins producing I/O errors, copy essential documents to a trusted separate drive or cloud backup while the device remains readable. Avoid running unnecessary stress tests on a failing SSD. Verify your backup can actually be opened or restored. Before replacement, record the SSD model, capacity, interface and whether BitLocker or device encryption is enabled; keep recovery keys in a secure location.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 100% health reading a guarantee?
No. A drive can fail unexpectedly despite favorable SMART health indicators.
Does CHKDSK measure SSD lifespan?
No. CHKDSK examines file-system integrity and related volume issues; it is not a substitute for drive-endurance and SMART diagnostics.
Can Windows display remaining SSD lifespan without software?
For supported NVMe drives, Windows Settings may show estimated remaining life. Availability varies by model, controller and Windows configuration.
Related articles
For storage cleanup rather than hardware health, see How to Find Large Files and Free Up Disk Space in Windows 11.