How to Check Disk Health in CMD: A Practical Guide

Disk health is vital for system stability and performance. Whether troubleshooting slow boot, unexpected crashes, or file corruption, knowing how to diagnose disk issues via Command Prompt (CMD) helps catch problems early. This guide explains the most effective CMD tools for checking disk health using Windows’ native utilities, aligned with 2025 best practices for system maintenance.

Why Check Disk Health Regularly?

Modern storage devices—HDDs, SSDs, NVMe—can degrade over time due to wear, heat, or bad sectors. Silent failures often go unnoticed until data loss or system failure occurs. Using CMD to inspect disk health ensures proactive detection of errors like bad sectors, file system corruption, or health status before critical issues arise.

Available CMD Tools for Disk Health Checks

Windows provides several built-in commands through CMD to monitor disk condition. While there’s no direct SMART health check from cmd.exe, tools like chkdsk, diskpart, and fsutil offer valuable insights:

• chkdsk: Scans and repairs disk errors, detects bad sectors, and improves file system integrity. Use with /f (fix) and /r (recover recoverable sectors).
• diskpart: Offers detailed disk properties, including health status for partitions when combined with third-party scripts.
• fsutil: Retrieves disk health metrics such as health status and bad sector counts when enabled with appropriate permissions.

Step-by-Step: Check Disk Health via CMD

Follow these simple steps to assess disk health using Windows CMD:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Press Win + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. This ensures access to low-level disk commands and proper permissions.

Step 2: Run chkdsk to Scan for Errors

Type the following command to schedule a disk check:
chkdsk C: /f /r
This scans drive C: for errors, fixes them, and recovers data from damaged sectors. Note: chkdsk restarts the system if the drive is in use; plan accordingly.

Step 3: View Disk Health with Diskpart (Advanced)

Type diskpart in CMD to launch the tool. Use list disk to identify all connected drives, then select disk X (replace X with disk number), followed by show disk to view health status, bad sectors, and error counts. This method offers deeper diagnostics but requires familiarity with disk partitioning.

Step 4: Use fsutil for Detailed Health Metrics

Run fsutil disk health in an elevated CMD to retrieve detailed health data such as:

• Health status (Good, Warning, Critical)
  
• Total bad sectors
  
• Sector error count
  This command is ideal for advanced users needing precise diagnostics without third-party tools.

Interpreting the Results

• chkdsk output: Look for ‘No errors found (0 errors)’—this indicates a stable disk. Frequent errors signal imminent failure.
• Diskpart results: A ‘Health’ status of ‘Good’ confirms reliability. Critical warnings require immediate backup and replacement.
• fsutil report: Values under 5 bad sectors per GB are normal; above 20 may indicate hardware degradation.

Best Practices for Disk Maintenance

• Schedule chkdsk weekly using Task Scheduler for proactive monitoring.
  
• Backup data regularly—no disk check replaces timely backups.
• Replace SSDs or HDDs showing declining health to prevent data loss.
• Monitor SMART data via legitimate utilities like CrystalDiskInfo for deeper insights.

Final Thoughts

Checking disk health in CMD is a fast, reliable way to safeguard your Windows system. By leveraging chkdsk, diskpart, and fsutil, you gain actionable insights into your drive’s condition—well before failures occur. In 2025, combining these tools with routine backups creates a robust defense against data loss.

Don’t wait for a crash to take action. Open CMD now, run chkdsk, and verify your disk health—protect your data with confidence today.