PassMark DiskCheckup

What is PassMark DiskCheckup?

PassMark DiskCheckup is a free hard drive health monitoring utility that reads S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data from hard drives and SSDs to predict potential failures before they cause data loss. Developed by PassMark Software, known for their PerformanceTest benchmarking suite, DiskCheckup provides real-time monitoring of critical drive attributes including temperature, spin-up time, relocated sectors, pending sectors, and dozens of other indicators that reveal drive health and predict impending failures.

The importance of S.M.A.R.T. monitoring cannot be overstated—hard drives and SSDs rarely fail instantly. Instead, they develop problems over time that S.M.A.R.T. attributes track. Increasing reallocated sectors indicate bad spots being mapped out. Rising temperature suggests cooling problems. Growing pending sector counts warn of imminent failures. DiskCheckup displays these attributes with status indicators, tracks changes over time, and can alert you via email when thresholds are exceeded. By catching warning signs early, you can backup data and replace failing drives before catastrophic failure causes permanent data loss. For anyone with important data—which means everyone—proactive drive monitoring with DiskCheckup is essential preventive maintenance.

Key Features

• S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring: Displays all S.M.A.R.T. attributes with current values, thresholds, and status indicators.
• Temperature Monitoring: Real-time drive temperature display with history tracking.
• Failure Prediction: Analyzes attribute trends to estimate potential time until failure (TEC – Threshold Exceeded Condition).
• Email Alerts: Automatic notifications when attributes exceed warning thresholds.
• History Tracking: Records attribute changes over time showing deterioration trends.
• Drive Information: Displays model, serial number, firmware, capacity, and interface details.
• HDD and SSD Support: Works with traditional hard drives and solid-state drives.
• System Tray Operation: Runs minimized monitoring drives in background.
• Multiple Drive Support: Monitor all connected drives simultaneously.
• Free for Personal Use: Full functionality without cost for home users.

Understanding S.M.A.R.T. Attributes

• Reallocated Sector Count: Bad sectors replaced with spare sectors—increasing count indicates drive degradation.
• Current Pending Sector: Sectors waiting to be remapped—non-zero values warrant attention.
• Spin Retry Count: Failed spin-up attempts—increasing count suggests mechanical issues.
• Temperature: Operating temperature—excessive heat accelerates drive failure.
• Power-On Hours: Total operating time—useful for assessing remaining lifespan.
• Start/Stop Count: Power cycles endured—relevant for drive wear assessment.
• Seek Error Rate: Read/write head positioning errors—high rates indicate problems.
• Uncorrectable Sector Count: Sectors that couldn’t be recovered—serious warning sign.

System Requirements

Windows

• Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11
• Internal SATA, IDE, or NVMe drives (some USB drives supported)
• Administrator privileges for S.M.A.R.T. access
• 10 MB disk space

Drive Requirements

• S.M.A.R.T. capable drive (virtually all modern drives)
• S.M.A.R.T. enabled in BIOS (usually default)
• Note: External USB drives may have limited S.M.A.R.T. support depending on enclosure

How to Use DiskCheckup

1. Download and Install: Get DiskCheckup from passmark.com and install.
2. Launch: Run DiskCheckup—it will detect all connected drives.
3. Check Status: Review S.M.A.R.T. status summary for each drive (Passed, Warning, Failed).
4. View Attributes: Click drive to see detailed S.M.A.R.T. attributes and values.
5. Monitor Temperature: Check temperature is within normal range (under 50°C typically).
6. Configure Alerts: Set up email notifications for threshold warnings.
7. Enable Background Monitoring: Let DiskCheckup run minimized in system tray.
8. Track History: Periodically review attribute history for degradation trends.
9. Act on Warnings: If warnings appear, backup immediately and plan drive replacement.

DiskCheckup vs Alternatives

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Free for Personal Use: Full functionality without cost for home users.
• Email Alerts: Proactive notifications when problems detected—rare in free tools.
• Failure Prediction: TEC estimation helps plan replacements before failure.
• History Tracking: See attribute changes over time revealing degradation.
• Comprehensive Attributes: Displays all S.M.A.R.T. data with explanations.
• From Trusted Developer: PassMark is established, reputable software company.

Cons

• Windows Only: No macOS or Linux version available.
• Commercial License Required: Business use requires paid license.
• USB Drive Limitations: External drives may not report full S.M.A.R.T. data.
• Interface Basic: Functional but not visually modern.

Who Should Use DiskCheckup?

• Everyone with Important Data: Any user who can’t afford to lose files should monitor drive health.
• System Builders: Testing new drives and monitoring system health.
• Home Server Operators: NAS and server drives need proactive monitoring.
• IT Professionals: Free tool for monitoring client and personal systems.
• Laptop Users: Mobile drives endure more stress—monitoring is especially important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can S.M.A.R.T. predict all drive failures?

No. S.M.A.R.T. catches gradual degradation but not sudden failures from power surges, physical damage, or certain electronic failures. Studies suggest S.M.A.R.T. predicts about 50-60% of failures. It’s valuable but doesn’t replace regular backups.

What temperature is too hot for a hard drive?

Hard drives typically operate safely under 50°C (122°F). Temperatures consistently above 50°C reduce lifespan. SSDs tolerate slightly higher temperatures. If DiskCheckup shows high temperatures, improve case airflow or cooling.

My drive shows “Passed” but I’m having problems—why?

S.M.A.R.T. status can show “Passed” even with some degraded attributes if they haven’t exceeded thresholds. Also, logical errors (file system corruption) don’t affect S.M.A.R.T. Check individual attributes for warnings, and use disk checking tools for file system issues.

Final Verdict

PassMark DiskCheckup provides essential drive health monitoring that every computer user should have running. The ability to see S.M.A.R.T. attributes, track changes over time, receive email alerts, and get failure predictions—all for free—makes DiskCheckup invaluable preventive maintenance. While it can’t prevent all failures or replace backups, catching warning signs early can mean the difference between orderly data migration and catastrophic loss. Install DiskCheckup, enable background monitoring, and let it watch your drives so you don’t have to.