To check the health of an SSD, there are several methods depending on the operating system and tools available:

Using Built-in Windows Tools

• You can use the "Defragment & Optimize Drive" tool but only to check status, not to defragment SSDs.
• Windows Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disk & volumes > Select SSD > Properties shows a simplistic check of health and estimates of life and temperature.
• Command Prompt: Run wmic diskdrive get status to get a health status like "OK" or "Pred Fail".
• Windows PowerShell offers more advanced commands like Get-PhysicalDisk | Get-StorageReliabilityCounter | Format-List for detailed SSD statistics, though support varies by SSD model.

Using Manufacturer-Specific Tools

• Samsung Magician for Samsung SSDs.
• Intel Memory and Storage Tool for Intel SSDs.
• Western Digital Dashboard (also compatible with SanDisk) for WD and SanDisk drives.
• Kingston SSD Manager for Kingston SSDs.

Third-Party Utilities

• CrystalDiskInfo: A popular free tool that reads SSD S.M.A.R.T. data providing detailed health metrics, such as power-on hours, temperature, remaining life, and error rates.
• AIDA64 Extreme and ULINK DA SmartQuest provide comprehensive diagnostic and performance analysis.
• SSDLife: A tool for monitoring SSD reliability and lifespan.

Signs of SSD Health Problems

• System slowdown, slow app launches, data corruption, SSD flagged as read-only.
• Frequent crashes or Blue Screen of Death errors.
• Missing or unrecognized SSDs by the system.

Each method varies in how much detail and accuracy they provide about SSD health, with manufacturer tools and third-party utilities typically being the most comprehensive for specific drives.