Before you start
- A Windows PC with an SSD
Method 1 Windows 11 built-in Drive health (NVMe SSDs)
This works for NVMe SSDs only, not SATA SSDs or hard disks. Windows also warns you if a drive is at risk of failing.
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Step 1: Open Disks & volumes
Go to Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes.
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Step 2: Open Properties
Click Properties next to your SSD.
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Step 3: Read Drive health
Under Drive health you’ll see Estimated remaining life, Available spare and Temperature.
Method 2 Any SSD or hard disk: CrystalDiskInfo
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Step 1: Install it
Download CrystalDiskInfo (Standard Edition) from crystalmark.info.
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Step 2: Read Health Status
Good (xx%) in blue is healthy. Caution in yellow means wear or reallocated sectors: back up soon. Bad in red: back up immediately.
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Step 3: Check writes
Note Total Host Writes (how much data has been written), Power On Hours and Temperature.
Understanding SSD lifespan (TBW)
SSDs wear out slowly as data is written. Manufacturers rate endurance in TBW (terabytes written). A typical 1 TB consumer SSD is rated for around 600 TBW. If you write 20 GB a day, that’s about 80 years of use, so most people replace their PC long before the SSD wears out.
Find your drive’s TBW on the manufacturer’s spec sheet and compare it with Total Host Writes.
Troubleshooting
Drive health isn’t shown in Settings
Your SSD is SATA, or the driver doesn’t expose health data. Use CrystalDiskInfo or the manufacturer’s tool.
CrystalDiskInfo shows a USB drive as unknown
Many USB enclosures don’t pass health data through. Connect the drive internally to check it.
Frequently asked questions
How long do SSDs last?
Typically 5–10+ years in normal use. Write endurance is rarely the limit for home users.
Does a full SSD wear out faster?
Keeping 10–20% free helps performance and spreads wear more evenly.
Summary
On Windows 11 with an NVMe SSD, check Drive health in Disks & volumes. For any drive, CrystalDiskInfo shows health and total writes; compare with the drive’s TBW and keep backups regardless.
