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Compact software for monitoring hard disk drive vital signs

Compact software for monitoring hard disk drive vital signs

Vote: (28 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Panterasoft

Version: 4.2

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(28 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Panterasoft

4.2

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Program is extremely light on system resources
  • Effective at identifying the warning signs of hard drive failure
  • Active monitoring as the software runs in the background

Cons

  • Only works with SMART-compatible hard drives
  • Performance may suffer on older or slower hard drives
  • The user interface doesn't have the most modern design

HDD Health actively monitors a computer's hard drive for warning signs of failure. Nothing is worse than experiencing an unexpected hard drive failure. Unfortunately, all hard drives come with a limited lifespan due to their mechanical nature. Quality HDDs often last for three years without issues; many hard drives may fail after five years, though. If a hard drive fails unexpectedly, then users may lose vital data without a backup copy.

What Exactly Does HDD Health Do?

The HDD Health software attempts to help PC users avoid this very situation. A user downloads and installs the software within minutes. At that point, a handful of tests are run on a regular schedule to ensure proper hard drive performance. HDD Health monitors everything from temperature to RPMs and more. The program measures memory read and memory write performance as well. With active monitoring, potential issues are identified sooner.

Active Monitoring For Identifying Hard Drive Failure Warning Signs

If the program identifies something wrong, the user will receive various warnings. More serious signs of hard drive deterioration come with more prominent warnings. Since the program checks dozens of warning signs, users never have to guess hard drive status. The program tends to work more often than not. Active monitoring means that users don't have to remember to run individual test themselves, and everything is automatic here.

A Few Downsides To HDD Health Worth Mentioning

However, HDD Health is only compatible with SMART hard drives. The program may slow down certain hard drives while running in the background. Such performance hits are more noticeable with slower, older HDDs. Therefore, HDD Health isn't a perfect program, and it may not be necessary for users with brand new hard drives. Other programs may not bog down hard drive performance as much or may be compatible with all hard drives.

The Final Verdict On HDD Health

Without a doubt, users with a compatible hard drive should consider downloading HDD Health. The program is most useful with hard drives that are older than one year, though. Active monitoring remains a huge benefit in this situation to identify failures before they occur. In the end, most people cannot afford to lose their personal data due to an unexpected failure. HDD Health ensures that users will have advance warning of such incidents.

They can then transfer their data to a backup or another hard drive and dispose of the current HDD. For the best results, users should combine this software with a backup system of some sort. Doing so ensures that data persists whether HDD Health catches a warning before it happens or not.

Pros

  • Program is extremely light on system resources
  • Effective at identifying the warning signs of hard drive failure
  • Active monitoring as the software runs in the background

Cons

  • Only works with SMART-compatible hard drives
  • Performance may suffer on older or slower hard drives
  • The user interface doesn't have the most modern design