我们最近不幸发现，电脑所有者最可怕的噩梦是硬盘(computer owner)驱动器(disk drive)出现故障。这不是因为您需要购买新的，而是因为您面临丢失存储在该硬盘驱动器上的部分甚至全部数据的风险。从最初的世界末日的角度来看，由于硬盘的预期寿命(life expectancy)在 3 到 5 年之间，您应该定期检查您的HDD(HDDs)或SSD的健康状况。(SSDs)为了帮助您，在本文中，我们分享了一些可用于分析存储驱动器的最佳 Windows 应用程序。如果您有兴趣，请继续阅读：
聪明(S.M.A.R.T)的。及其在检查HDD 或 SSD健康状况中的作用(HDD or SSD)
SMART（自我监控、分析(Analysis)和报告技术(Reporting Technology)）是所有现代HDD 和 SSD(HDDs and SSDs)上的内置监控系统(monitoring system)。不幸的是，它只会在即将发生硬件故障(hardware failure)时才让我们知道，这可能有点晚了。但是，有些应用程序可以读取SMART监控的各种可靠性指标。
所有主要制造商都建议不定期检查您的硬盘，并进行一些表面测试和基准测试。所有版本的Windows都包括检查磁盘工具(Check Disk tool)，它提供了一种简单的方法来维护您的硬盘和识别错误，但它通常对识别硬件故障几乎没有帮助。
有许多免费的测试工具可以帮助我们预测和保护自己免受这些不可避免的硬盘故障(drive failure)情况的影响。我们建议使用以下诊断工具之一：PassMark DiskCheckup、CrystalDiskInfo、HDDScan和GSmartControl。
所有这些应用程序都可以从硬盘驱动器的内置SMART 系统(S.M.A.R.T system)中读取信息，这有助于它们为您提供有关读写速度、HDD 或 SSD 温度(HDD or SSD temperature)以及其他重要可靠性指标的信息。
PassMark 磁盘检查
DiskCheckup是一个免费供个人使用的硬盘测试程序。当您打开它时，它会为您提供SMART(S.M.A.R.T)的即时报告。硬盘驱动器的属性。在本文中，我们使用了DiskCheckup v3.4（内部版本 1003）。
在SMART Info选项卡下，您可以查看以下属性的当前状态和值：原始读取(state and values)错误率(error rate)、启动时间、报告的不可纠正错误、开机时间、加载循环计数(cycle count)、温度、命令超时(command timeout)、当前待处理扇区计数(sector count)、总数LBA 读取(LBAs read)（逻辑块寻址(Block Addressing)）、自由落体保护(fall protection)和头部飞行时间。
您还可以在程序的配置(Configuration)窗口中启用“记录 TEC 计算的 SMART 属性” 。("Record SMART attributes for TEC computation")此选项记录由DiskCheckup监控的属性的历史记录，可用于（如果编译了足够多的属性）来估计它们何时会失控并可能失败。一件好事是，您可以选择（在同一配置(Configuration)窗口中）在出现问题时从程序接收消息，甚至将电子邮件发送(email sent)到一个或多个地址。
DiskCheckup 还可以运行两种类型的磁盘自检(Disk Self)：一种需要大约 5 分钟才能完成的简短测试，另一种可能需要长达 45 分钟的扩展(Extended)测试，具体取决于您的HDD状态。(HDD)它们都检查可能的驱动器故障，并显示有关接口类型(interface type)（例如，SATA）、型号、序列号、容量、标准合规性、几何形状和支持的功能的信息。如果需要，您还可以将此数据导出到文本文件(text file)。
晶盘信息
CrystalDiskInfo是一款免费软件应用程序，可监控SMART属性并显示驱动器温度和其他信息。您可以选择安装它或将其用作便携式应用程序。对于本文，我们使用CrystalDiskInfo 版本 8.0.0(CrystalDiskInfo version 8.0.0)。
安装并启动(installation and launch)后，CrystalDiskInfo使用简单的界面立即显示与SMART相关的信息。您的硬盘驱动器、当前温度和硬件规格的属性状态。如果出现问题，您应该能够在属性列表中准确识别硬盘驱动器的问题。
不幸的是，该应用程序没有提供很多选项或设置或任何HDD测试。除了多种语言选择外，在其功能(Function)选项卡中，我们只发现了两个高级功能：驻留(Resident)，使CrystalDiskInfo在系统托盘(system tray)中运行，以及启动(Startup)，使其在计算机启动时自动启动。CrystalDiskInfo就像它的名字所说的那样，就是提供信息，仅此而已。
硬盘扫描
下一个免费的硬盘测试程序是HDDScan。它支持所有类型的硬盘驱动器，无论其制造商如何。与其他类似软件不同，该工具是完全可移植的，因为下载后，它可以直接运行，无需任何安装（它以.zip 存档(.zip archive)的形式提供）。我们审查了4.0 版(version 4.0)。
从zip 文件(zip file)中解压缩后，您必须运行HDDScan.exe，它会启动程序并允许您运行测试。从下拉区域中选择您感兴趣的驱动器后，您可以直接检查SMART。属性使用专用按钮或(button or access)通过单击测试或工具(Tools)按钮访问大量的测试和功能。
HDDScan可以在通过(HDDScan)SCSI、PATA、SATA、USB 和 FireWire连接的任何硬盘驱动器上运行内置自检。
它包括许多高级测试，例如线性读取，写入和擦除。此外，您可以运行三种不同类型的SMART。自测（短、扩展(Short, Extended)和传送(Conveyance)）。所有测试都添加到测试管理器(Test Manager)部分，并在完成之前的每个测试后排队启动。该程序的这个区域还允许您暂停或删除任何测试。
GSmartControl
我们测试和喜欢的最后一个免费硬盘测试程序是GSmartControl。它旨在支持所有类型的硬盘驱动器和固态驱动器，无论其制造商如何。您可以获得适用于Windows以及所有主要Linux发行版甚至 macOS 的此工具的版本。我们测试了适用于Windows 10 x64的便携式ZIP 版本 1.1.3 。(ZIP version 1.1.3)
当您打开GSmartControl时，您会看到 PC 中所有驱动器的列表。双击(Double-click)您感兴趣的，然后您会看到一个更大的窗口，其中包含许多部分和详细信息。您可以查看驱动器型号或序列号等身份信息，还可以查看有关其SMART的详细信息。属性、统计数据、错误、温度等。
GSmartControl还为您提供在硬盘驱动器上运行自检的选项。在Self-Tests选项卡中，选择要运行的测试并按Execute。根据您的硬盘驱动器，测试可能会有所不同，但您通常应该能够运行短自检、扩展自检和运输自检(conveyance self-test)。测试结束后，GSmartControl 会(GSmartControl)显示是否发现错误。
比较我们测试的HDD/SSD health
在使用这些程序时，我们了解到我们的一些硬盘驱动器的健康状况不佳，我们应该小心写入错误。除此之外，这里有一些关于我们测试的程序的快速想法：
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DiskCheckup小而快，它立即向我们显示我们的硬盘驱动器是否正常以及是否有任何SMART。属性问题。
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CrystalDiskInfo非常适合只需要健康状态标记(health status mark)和温度读数(temperature reading)的初学者，但对于更高级的用户来说，它提供的很少。
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HDDScan似乎是一个完善的硬盘测试工具，可以让您更好地了解硬盘的健康状况(HDDs health)。
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GSmartControl易于使用，它显示为SMART。属性快，可以运行硬盘自检。它适用于Windows、Linux和 macOS。
其他选择
除了上面提到的硬盘(HDD)诊断程序，大多数硬盘制造商都提供类似的软件解决方案，但对于没有经验的用户来说使用起来有点困难：(bit harder)
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希捷 SeaTools(Seagate SeaTools)，带有Windows 安装程序(Windows installer)和DOS 版本(DOS version)；它可以检查任何硬盘，但只能修复希捷和迈拓(Seagate and Maxtor)硬盘。
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Samsung HUTIL，一个需要安装在 CD 上且仅适用于三星(Samsung)硬盘的可启动程序。
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Western Digital DLGDIAG（Data Lifeguard Diagnostic），带有Windows 安装程序(Windows installer)和DOS 版本(DOS version)；Windows 版本(Windows version)可以检查任何硬盘，但可引导的（基于DOS）仅适用于 Western Digital 硬盘(Digital HDDs)。
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富士通诊断工具(Fujitsu Diagnostic Tool)，有Windows 安装程序(Windows installer)和没有图形界面的DOS 版本；(DOS version)仅适用于富士通品牌的东芝硬盘(Fujitsu-branded Toshiba HDDs)。
您最喜欢的测试存储驱动器运行状况的方法是什么？
我们试图推荐最好和最容易使用的免费软件程序，以帮助您测试和监控硬盘驱动器（HDD 或 SSD(HDDs or SSDs)）的运行状况。它们不是唯一在线可用的实用程序，但它们似乎是完成这项任务的最佳工具之一。它们都有用户友好的界面，并且测试（如果可用）很容易运行。但是，您仍然应该考虑到完成任何测试所需的时间取决于您的硬盘驱动器的状态。
了解这一点也很重要，如果您使用这些应用程序中的任何一个来检查硬盘(HDD)并且它未能通过任何测试，那么您应该考虑更换它。当然，您应该遵循程序中给出的建议，并考虑使用制造商的软件（上面列出）进行潜在的修复。
Test your HDD or SSD and check its health status
We recently had the misfortune to find out that a computer owner's worst nightmare is a failing hard disk drive. It is not because you need to buy a new one, but because you face the risk of losing some or even all of the data you storеd on that hard drive. Moving on from the initial apocalyptic perѕpective, as the life expeсtancy of а hard-disk is somewhere between 3 to 5 yеars, you should check уour HDDs' or SSDs' health regularly. To help you out, in thіs article we share some of the best Windows apps that you can use to anаlyze your storage drives. Іf yоu are interested, read on:
S.M.A.R.T. and its role in checking the health of your HDD or SSD
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) is a built-in monitoring system found on all modern HDDs and SSDs. Unfortunately, it only lets itself be known to us when there is an imminent hardware failure, which might be a little late. However, there are apps can read the various reliability indicators monitored by S.M.A.R.T.
All the major manufacturers recommend occasional checks of your hard drives, as well as running some surface tests and benchmarks. All versions of Windows include the Check Disk tool, which offers a simple way to care for your hard-disk and to identify errors, but it is usually of little help in identifying hardware failures.
There are many free testing tools to help us predict and protect ourselves from these unavoidable circumstances of a hard drive failure. We recommend using one of the following diagnostic tools: PassMark DiskCheckup, CrystalDiskInfo, HDDScan, and GSmartControl.
All these apps can read information from the hard drive's built-in S.M.A.R.T system, which helps them give you information on reading and writing speeds, HDD or SSD temperature and other vital indicators of reliability.
PassMark DiskCheckup
DiskCheckup is a hard drive testing program that is free for personal use. When you open it, it provides you with an instant reporting of the S.M.A.R.T. attributes of your hard drive. For this article, we used DiskCheckup v3.4 (build 1003).
Under the SMART Info tab you can view the current state and values of the following attributes: raw read error rate, spin up time, reported uncorrectable errors, power on time, load cycle count, temperature, command timeout, current pending sector count, total LBAs read (Logical Block Addressing), free fall protection, and head flying hours.
You can also enable the "Record SMART attributes for TEC computation" in the Configuration window of the program. This option records a history of the attributes monitored by DiskCheckup that can be used (if enough attributes are compiled) to estimate when they are going to spiral out of control and potentially fail. A good thing is that you can choose (in the same Configuration window) to receive a message from the program when things are going wrong or even have an email sent to one or more addresses.
DiskCheckup can also run two types of Disk Self Tests: a short one that took about 5 minutes to complete and an Extended one that, depending on the status of your HDD, can take up to 45 minutes. Both of them check for possible drive failures and, also, display information about interface type (e.g., SATA), model number, serial number, capacity, standard compliances, geometry, and supported features. You can also export this data to a text file if you want.
CrystalDiskInfo
CrystalDiskInfo is a freeware app that monitors S.M.A.R.T attributes and displays drive temperature and other information. You can choose to install it or use it as a portable app. For this article, we used CrystalDiskInfo version 8.0.0.
After installation and launch, CrystalDiskInfo uses a straightforward interface that immediately displays information related to the S.M.A.R.T. attributes status of your hard drive, current temperature, and hardware specifications. If there is a problem, you should be able to identify precisely what is wrong with the hard drive in the attributes list.
Unfortunately, the app doesn't offer many options or settings or any HDD tests. Apart from multiple language choices, in its Function tab, we only found two advanced features: Resident, which keeps CrystalDiskInfo running in your system tray, and Startup which makes it automatically start when your computer boots. CrystalDiskInfo does what its name tells, which is to provide information, and that's all.
HDDScan
The next free hard drive testing program is HDDScan. It supports all types of hard drives, regardless of their manufacturer. Unlike other similar software, this tool is completely portable because, after download, it can run directly, without any installation (it comes as a .zip archive). We reviewed version 4.0.
After extracting it from the zip file, you have to run HDDScan.exe, which launches the program and allows you to run tests. Once you choose the drive that interests you, from the drop-down area, you can either directly check the S.M.A.R.T. attributes using the dedicated button or access a large variety of tests and features by clicking on the Tests or Tools buttons.
HDDScan can run built-in self-tests on any hard drives connected through SCSI, PATA, SATA, USB, and FireWire.
It includes a lot of advanced tests such as reading, writing and erasing in linear. Also, you can run three different types of S.M.A.R.T. self-tests (Short, Extended and Conveyance). All of the tests are added to the Test Manager section and queued to launch when each of the previous tests is completed. This area of the program also allows you to pause or delete any of the tests.
GSmartControl
The last free hard drive testing program that we tested and liked is GSmartControl. It is built to support all types of hard drives and solid state drives, regardless of their manufacturer. You can get versions of this tool for Windows but also for all the major Linux distributions, and even for macOS. We tested the portable ZIP version 1.1.3 for Windows 10 x64.
When you open GSmartControl, you see a list of all the drives in your PC. Double-click on the one that interests you and then you get a larger window with many sections and details. You can see identity information such as the drive's model or serial number, but also details about its S.M.A.R.T. attributes, statistics, errors, temperatures, and others.
GSmartControl also gives you the option to run self-tests on your hard drives. In the Self-Tests tab, select the test that you want to run and press Execute. Depending on your hard drive the tests could differ, but you should usually be able to run a short self-test, an extended self-test, and a conveyance self-test. Once the test is over, GSmartControl shows you whether it found errors or not.
Comparing the HDD/SSD health apps that we tested
While using these programs, we learned that some of our hard drives are not in excellent health and that we should be careful with write errors. Aside from this, here are some quick thoughts about the programs that we tested:
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DiskCheckup is small and fast, and it immediately showed us whether our hard drives were OK and whether there were any S.M.A.R.T. attributes problems.
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CrystalDiskInfo is great for beginners who do not want anything more than a health status mark and a temperature reading, but it offers little to more advanced users
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HDDScan seems to be a well rounded hard drive testing tool that gives you a much better understanding of your HDDs health.
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GSmartControl is easy to use, it reads S.M.A.R.T. attributes quickly, it can run hard drives self-tests. It is available both for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Other alternatives
Apart from the above mentioned HDD diagnostic programs, most hard-drives manufacturers offer similar software solutions, though a bit harder to use for inexperienced users:
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Seagate SeaTools, with both a Windows installer and a DOS version; it can check any hard drive, but only repairs Seagate and Maxtor hard drives.
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Samsung HUTIL, a bootable program that needs to be installed on a CD and that only works for Samsung hard drives.
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Western Digital DLGDIAG (Data Lifeguard Diagnostic), with both a Windows installer and a DOS version; the Windows version can check any hard drive, but the bootable one (DOS based) only works with Western Digital HDDs.
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Fujitsu Diagnostic Tool, with both a Windows installer and a DOS version without a graphic interface; only works with Fujitsu-branded Toshiba HDDs.
What is your favorite way of testing the health of your storage drives?
We tried to recommend the best and the easiest to use freeware programs that help you test and monitor the health of your hard disk drives (HDDs or SSDs). They are not the only utilities available online, but they seem to be among the best for this task. They all have user-friendly interfaces, and the tests (when available) are easy to run. However, you should still take into consideration that the time needed to complete any of the tests depends on the status of your hard drive.
It is also crucial to understand that, if you use any of these apps to check an HDD and it fails any of the tests, then you should consider replacing it. Of course, you should follow the advice given in the program and also consider using the manufacturer's software (listed above) for a potential fix.
