How to Check Disk Health in CMD (2025 Guide)

Maintaining healthy storage is critical for system performance and data safety. Whether you’re troubleshooting slow drives or backing up files, knowing how to assess disk health via Windows CMD is essential. This guide covers proven, reliable methods—no third-party tools required—based on 2025 Windows standards.

Why Disk Health Matters in Modern Systems

Disk health refers to the physical and logical condition of your storage drives. Poor health can lead to crashes, data corruption, or unexpected failures. With increasingly large system volumes—often exceeding 1TB—regular checks are vital. Modern SSDs and HDDs behave differently, so understanding error detection and SMART data via CMD helps catch issues early.

Tools You’ll Use in Windows CMD

Windows provides built-in utilities that expose disk status without needing external software. Key tools include:

• chkdsk: Scans and repairs file system errors and bad sectors.
• wmic: Retrieves SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data.
• fsutil: Performs low-level health checks and status queries.

These tools work seamlessly in Command Prompt, offering deep insight into disk integrity.

Step-by-Step: Check Disk Health Using CMD Commands

1. Use chkdsk to Scan and Repair Errors

chkdsk is the go-to command for detecting and fixing disk errors. Run it from CMD with elevated permissions (run as Administrator).

Open Command Prompt and enter:

chkdsk C: /f /r

This checks the C: drive for errors and attempts repairs (/f) and recovers unreadable sectors (/r). Note: chkdsk schedules a full scan at next reboot if the drive is in use—plan accordingly.

Example output:

Volume in drive C has been checked. No errors were found.

If errors are detected, chkdsk logs details, enabling proactive maintenance.

2. Analyze SMART Data with wmic

SMART data reveals in-depth health indicators like temperature, reallocated sectors, and spin-up times. Use wmic to extract this information:

Run this command:

wmic diskdrive get model,serialnumber,smartsum,currenttemperature,spinup,reallocatedsectors

This outputs key metrics: a low reallocatedsectors count (ideally 0) indicates stable hardware. High currenttemperature beyond 50°C may signal cooling issues.

For deeper diagnostics, wmic diskdrive get health shows current disk health status—useful for automated monitoring scripts.

3. Verify Drive Health with fsutil

fsutil provides advanced health status. Use fsutil volume get to check volume status:

fsutil volume get C:\ /status

Output such as Health Status: OK confirms drive stability. For raw SMART queries, use:

fsutil disk get /status

This returns structured data on firmware version, power-on hours, and error counts—critical for enterprise and home users alike.

Interpreting Results: What to Watch For

• High Reallocated Sectors: Indicates physical degradation—replace or backup data.
• Error Counts in chkdsk: Low or zero means healthy; repeated errors demand immediate action.
• Temperature Spikes: Monitor via wmic; prolonged high temps reduce lifespan.
• SMART Health: OK/Unknown: Unknown status signals unknown reliability—avoid using the drive until resolved.

Best Practices for Disk Maintenance

• Run chkdsk monthly during low-usage hours.
• Back up critical data before repairing drives.
• Monitor SMART data regularly using scripts or tools like CrystalDiskInfo.
• Replace drives showing consistent errors or overheating.

Final Call to Action

Taking control of disk health through CMD empowers you to prevent data loss and maintain system stability. Start today—schedule a disk check, review your SMART status, and act before issues escalate. Proactive monitoring is simple, effective, and essential in today’s digital world—don’t wait for failure.

By leveraging Windows’ built-in tools with clear, actionable steps, you ensure long-term reliability and peace of mind for your storage systems.