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Is there a recommended generalized tool (non-vendor specific) that can be reliably used to determine your SSD's health and outlook? (Unfortunately I have a mix

Is there a recommended generalized tool (non-vendor specific) that can be reliably used to determine your SSD's health and outlook? (Unfortunately I have a mix of SSDs in use, even in single personal computer, and all the vendor individual software gets overly complex and bloated...)

octosphere 8y ago
For Windows there is CrystalDiskInfo[1] [1] https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/ https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/ Also relevant: https://ef.gy/statistics:ssd-write-endurance https://ef.gy/statistics:ssd-write-endurance
- cm2187 8y ago
  And crystal disk info can be used as a CLI as well if you want to automate the monitoring.
yjftsjthsd-h 8y ago
On unix-likes, I believe SMART tools works?
- duozerk 8y ago
  Yes they do, see smartmontools.
- rincebrain 8y ago
  smartmontools also work great on Windows, OS X, ...
ars 8y ago
Install smartmontools, then configure it to do a SHORT self test every night, and a LONG self test every week. You can do the same on Windows, but I don't know the tool name. The self tests are built in to the drives and do not require OS support, just a way to start them and read results. Better make sure the tool has a way to contact you if it finds an error! (Email by default - and test it!) The long test reads the entire disk looking for errors. Next, if you are using a Linux MD Raid array install mdadm and make sure it's configured to run a checkarray command (by default every month).
- raybb 8y ago
  When I open smartmontools it says Number of Reported Uncorrectable Errors is 1,402. Is that an issue? (the short test didn't show any problems)
  - ars 8y ago
    Yes, that means your hard disk is bad. Sorry :( A short self test reads from random locations on the disk, it may or may not find anything, it's just a quick test. Normally your hard disk will reallocate those bad sectors to other places, so you may not have any missing data, but once those bad sectors start they tend to keep going up. At some point your hard disk will run out of alternative places to store data. But worse, any data in one of those bad locations is lost. I would get your data off of the hard disk NOW. Then run a long self test and see if the numbers go up. If your hard disk is still under warranty you should also go ahead and submit a claim. Caveat: Some hard disks will create a bad sector if you power cycle it right in the middle of writing data. So a couple of those is not an indication of a problem. But 1,402 is rather a lot. Post the full output of smartctl -a /dev/sda (or sdb, etc, whatever it is) and I can see if I can glean any other info for you.
huhtenberg 8y ago
smartmontools is a good starting point. On Windows there is Hard Drive Sentinel [1] and Diskovery [2]. Crystal Disk Info is a hit-and-miss, it's too prone to misinterpreting attributes and showing nonsense. [1] https://www.hdsentinel.com/ https://www.hdsentinel.com/ [2] https://diskovery.io/ https://diskovery.io/

octosphere 8y ago

For Windows there is CrystalDiskInfo[1] [1] https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/ https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskinfo/ Also relevant: https://ef.gy/statistics:ssd-write-endurance https://ef.gy/statistics:ssd-write-endurance

cm2187 8y ago
And crystal disk info can be used as a CLI as well if you want to automate the monitoring.

yjftsjthsd-h 8y ago

On unix-likes, I believe SMART tools works?

duozerk 8y ago
Yes they do, see smartmontools.
rincebrain 8y ago
smartmontools also work great on Windows, OS X, ...

ars 8y ago

Install smartmontools, then configure it to do a SHORT self test every night, and a LONG self test every week. You can do the same on Windows, but I don't know the tool name. The self tests are built in to the drives and do not require OS support, just a way to start them and read results. Better make sure the tool has a way to contact you if it finds an error! (Email by default - and test it!) The long test reads the entire disk looking for errors. Next, if you are using a Linux MD Raid array install mdadm and make sure it's configured to run a checkarray command (by default every month).

raybb 8y ago
When I open smartmontools it says Number of Reported Uncorrectable Errors is 1,402. Is that an issue? (the short test didn't show any problems)
- ars 8y ago
  Yes, that means your hard disk is bad. Sorry :( A short self test reads from random locations on the disk, it may or may not find anything, it's just a quick test. Normally your hard disk will reallocate those bad sectors to other places, so you may not have any missing data, but once those bad sectors start they tend to keep going up. At some point your hard disk will run out of alternative places to store data. But worse, any data in one of those bad locations is lost. I would get your data off of the hard disk NOW. Then run a long self test and see if the numbers go up. If your hard disk is still under warranty you should also go ahead and submit a claim. Caveat: Some hard disks will create a bad sector if you power cycle it right in the middle of writing data. So a couple of those is not an indication of a problem. But 1,402 is rather a lot. Post the full output of smartctl -a /dev/sda (or sdb, etc, whatever it is) and I can see if I can glean any other info for you.

huhtenberg 8y ago

smartmontools is a good starting point. On Windows there is Hard Drive Sentinel [1] and Diskovery [2]. Crystal Disk Info is a hit-and-miss, it's too prone to misinterpreting attributes and showing nonsense. [1] https://www.hdsentinel.com/ https://www.hdsentinel.com/ [2] https://diskovery.io/ https://diskovery.io/