{"id":9929,"date":"2021-09-20T10:10:48","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T10:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/?p=9929"},"modified":"2021-09-20T10:10:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T10:10:48","slug":"how-to-check-your-hdd-ssd-health-in-ubuntu-20-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/ubuntu\/how-to-check-your-hdd-ssd-health-in-ubuntu-20-04\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Check your HDD\/SSD Health in Ubuntu 20.04"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Though laptops and desktops are very resilient, you should keep checking the health of the components to ensure the longevity. A data storage device is a core-component of any computer. The two main types are known as HDD aka Hard Disk Drive and SSD aka Solid-State Drive. The main differences between these two boils down to the price and the IO speeds, but that\u2019s a discussion for another post. If you want to ensure that your computer performs optimally, it is crucial that your HDD\/SSD performs well. In this post, we\u2019ll outline the main ways how you can check the health of your HDD\/SSD in Ubuntu 20.04.<\/p>\n<h2>Through the interface<\/h2>\n<p>With this method, you can perform the tests without much knowledge of terminal commands. You can start by opening up the \u201cDisks\u201d Application.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can either start by pressing the \u201cwindow\u201d key or by clicking on \u201cActivities\u201d in the upper left corner of the screen.<\/li>\n<li>When the text box for search pops up, type \u201cDisks\u201d, now click on the icon and launch the application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1059\" height=\"249\" class=\"wp-image-9930\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-136.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-136.png 1059w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-136-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-136-1024x241.png 1024w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-136-768x181.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1059px) 100vw, 1059px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once the application opens up, it will list the data storage devices in your computer, as shown below. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"904\" height=\"655\" class=\"wp-image-9931\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-137.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-137.png 904w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-137-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-137-768x556.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 904px) 100vw, 904px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Select the HDD\/SSD you want to test. Now:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the options menu, it\u2019s next to the minimize button.<\/li>\n<li>Select \u201cSMART Data and Tests\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"288\" height=\"366\" class=\"wp-image-9932\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-138.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-138.png 288w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-138-236x300.png 236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the window that opens up, you\u2019ll be able to see the status of your data storage device.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"958\" height=\"534\" class=\"wp-image-9933\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-139.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-139.png 958w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-139-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-139-768x428.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 958px) 100vw, 958px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If there are multiple storage devices, you can go back to the previous window and select the other device to test it.<\/p>\n<h2>Through the terminal<\/h2>\n<p>Through the terminal, you\u2019ll need to start by installing the SmartCtl package. In your terminal, type the following:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$sudo apt-get install smartmontools -y<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"97\" class=\"wp-image-9934\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-140.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-140.png 567w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-140-300x51.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once done, you\u2019ll need to start the service through the following command<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$systemctl start smartd<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>Since you need the service running, you need to check the status of the service before running any tests. Type this command to check the status:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$systemctl status smartd<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>You\u2019ll get an output similar to the following:<\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1356\" height=\"421\" class=\"wp-image-9935\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-141.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-141.png 1356w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-141-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-141-1024x318.png 1024w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-141-768x238.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1356px) 100vw, 1356px\" \/>Testing the health of your HDD\/SSD<\/h3>\n<p>Once the service has been started, get the information of your hard drive through the following command:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$sudo smartctrl -i \/dev\/sda<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"694\" height=\"324\" class=\"wp-image-9936\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-142.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-142.png 694w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-142-300x140.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now you can launch a short test, using the following command:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$sudo smartctl -t short -a \/dev\/sda<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>Through this short test, you\u2019ll test the electrical and mechanical properties along with read\/verify. You\u2019ll get the following output.<\/p>\n<p>Following a short testing, you can run a long test, using the following command:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$sudo smartctl -t long -a \/dev\/sda<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>Through this long test, you\u2019ll get everything included in the short test along with much more.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to inspect the overall health of your data storage device, type and run the following:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$sudo smartctl -d ata -H \/dev\/sda<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>You\u2019ll get the following short output, and rather than stats, you\u2019ll see if the test passed or failed.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"717\" height=\"116\" class=\"wp-image-9937\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-143.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-143.png 717w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-143-300x49.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you want to explore all the possible options you can use with the smartctl command, you can pull it up by using the following:<\/p>\n<pre><strong><em>$smartctl --help<\/em><\/strong><\/pre>\n<p>You\u2019ll get all the arguments and parameters you can mix and match to customize the tests as extensive and comprehensive as possible.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"722\" height=\"426\" class=\"wp-image-9938\" src=\"http:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-144.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-144.png 722w, https:\/\/linuxways.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/word-image-144-300x177.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 722px) 100vw, 722px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Throughout this post, you got to know about the multiple ways you can check the health of your Hard Disk Drives and Solid-State Drives. If you want to discuss any third-party tools, drop a comment below and let us know.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though laptops and desktops are very resilient, you should keep checking the health of the components to ensure the longevity. A data storage device is a core-component of&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[530,531,100],"class_list":["post-9929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ubuntu","tag-hdd","tag-ssd","tag-ubuntu-20-04"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxways.net\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}