How to Check Hard Drive Health on Mac | 4 Ways

Mac hard drives can occasionally encounter failures, which may lead to data loss or other serious issues. Regularly checking your Mac's hard drive health is essential to keep your system running and to avoid potential data loss.

In this post from EaseUS Software, you'll learn four effective ways to check hard drive health on a Mac. We'll use built-in and third-party tools to monitor the health of HDD/SSD on Mac. Here's a comparison of four methods:

Ultimately, EaseUS Partition Master for Mac is the best choice as a Mac hard disk health checker for its user-friendly interface, comprehensive disk health check, and repair functionality. Before that, let's learn how to check if you need to run a disk health check on a Mac.

When Should I Check Hard Drive Health on Mac?

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, your hard drive may be failing:

• ✨High Temperatures: Drives overheating frequently can indicate underlying issues.
• 🔽Unusual Sounds: Clicking or grinding sounds are warning signs.
• 🎞️Frequent Errors: Constant error messages suggest potential drive failure.
• 🧑‍💻Slow Performance: Decreased speed in accessing files or launching applications.
• ⚒️System Crashes: Random shutdowns or crashes can signal disk problems.

Performing regular health checks can help you spot issues early and avoid data loss. For a thorough and user-friendly solution, consider using EaseUS Partition Master for Mac whenever these symptoms arise to check and maintain your drive's health.

How to Check Hard Drive Health on Mac - 4 Ways

You might wonder why and when it's necessary to check your Mac's hard drive health. Regular checks are generally a good practice, especially if you notice unusual noises, slow performance, frequent crashes, or error messages. However, it's also beneficial to monitor your hard drive's health, even without noticeable issues, to ensure long-term stability. Here are four effective methods to help you do so.

Way 1. Use EaseUS Partition Master for Mac

To get started with checking your Mac's hard drive health, one of the most efficient and user-friendly tools is EaseUS Partition Master for Mac. This tool simplifies the process with its self-explanatory features and options. Its comprehensive disk health check features not only detect potential issues but also repair hard drives on Mac.

Features of EaseUS Partition Master for Mac:

• ✔️Interface: Simple and user-friendly, suitable for all levels.
• ✔️Compatibility: Supports various devices and OS.
• ✔️Support Storage Device: Works with hard drives, SSDs, and external drives.
• ✔️Powerful Disk Check and Repair Function: Provides in-depth health analysis and repair options.
• ✔️Check SSD Health on Mac: Show details of SSD SMART status.

Follow the steps to test hard drive health on your Mac:

Step 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master for Mac, select your target disk, and you'll see a few options.

Step 2. Locate the option related to Disk health.

• If it shows "Disk health is Unknown (Request to install extension)," click on "Learn more" and move to Step 3.
• If it shows "Disk health is valid," click on "S.M.A.R.T" and move to Step 5.

Step 3. In the new window, you'll be prompted to enable the EaseUS extension. Click the "Follow Guide" buttons below to get the detailed steps of each.

• 1: Restart Mac to Recovery Mode and allow user management kernel extension in Recovery mode.
• 2: Install the extension and click "Allow" in your Privacy & Security.

Step 4. Once you've completed the installation, the option will presented as "Disk health is valid." Then, click "S.M.A.R.T" to check your disk health.

Step 5. Then, the health condition of your disk will be presented on the new window.

Step 1. Run EaseUS Partition Master for Mac, select your target disk, and you'll see a few options.

Step 2. Locate the option related to Disk health.

• If it shows "Disk health is Unknown (Request to install extension)," click on "Learn more" and move to Step 3.
• If it shows "Disk health is valid," click on "S.M.A.R.T" and move to Step 5.

Step 3. In the new window, you'll be prompted to enable the EaseUS extension. Click the "Follow Guide" buttons below to get the detailed steps of each.

• 1: Restart Mac to Recovery Mode and allow user management kernel extension in Recovery mode.
• 2: Install the extension and click "Allow" in your Privacy & Security.

Step 4. Once you've completed the installation, the option will presented as "Disk health is valid." Then, click "S.M.A.R.T" to check your disk health.

Step 5. Then, the health condition of your disk will be presented on the new window.

Besides checking Mac disk health, EaseUS Partition Master for Mac can test disk speed on Mac. To make your disk management easier, download it by clicking the button below.

Way 2. Use Disk Utility

Disk Utility is an Apple's built-in tool that lets you manage and troubleshoot your disks in a simple way. Follow these steps to get started:

Step 1. Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Step 2. Select and right-click the disk or volume you want to check, then choose Get Info.

Step 3. Look for any error messages highlighted in red. (If there's no red, the disk is in good condition.)

Step 4. If an issue is detected, select your disk, click on First Aid, and then choose Run.

Successfully checked your hard drive's health? Share this guide to help others!

Way 3. Smart Status

The SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) status is also a way to get a quick overview of your drive's health. It will show you whether your SSD/HDD is going to stop working.

Follow the steps:

Step 1. Go to the Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info.

Step 2. Scroll down and click on System Report.

Step 3. Under Storage, select your hard drive (typically named Macintosh HD by default).

Step 4. Look for the S.M.A.R.T. Status and check if it says Verified (healthy) or Failing (indicating an issue).

Way 4. Use Terminal

Using Terminal to check hard drive health is a more advanced method that requires some technical knowledge. You can check the hard drive health by executing Smartmontools command lines in Terminal, though it requires familiarity with command-line instructions. Incorrect commands can lead to unexpected results, so proceed with caution. Follow the steps:

Step 1. Go to Launchpad > Others > Terminal, or go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

Step 2. Type the command: brew install smartmontools && sudo smartctl --all /dev/disk0, then press Enter.

Step 3. Enter sudo smartctl -a -d auto /(your drive path), input your password, and press Enter.

Step 4. Type sudo smartctl -d auto -t short /(your drive path) (the "short" test runs a basic check, but you can replace "short" with "long" for a more detailed check).

Step 5. Scroll down to view the SMART Information.

Tip: If you're unsure of your drive's path, type diskutil list in Terminal to see all internal and external drives. Note the path for your internal drive.

Conclusion

Checking your Mac's hard drive health provides valuable insights, helping you take preventive action if issues arise. You can use built-in tools like Disk Utility, advanced options like Terminal, or the highly recommended EaseUS Partition Master for Mac. With its intuitive interface, robust disk check and repair features, and wide compatibility, EaseUS Partition Master is an excellent choice for maintaining your Mac's hard drive health.

FAQs About Check Hard Disk Health on Mac

Have more queries? Check out the FAQs! The following questions may help learn more details about checking disk health on a Mac.

1. What should I do if Mac hard drive is going to fail?

Immediately back up your files using Time Machine or manually move files to an external drive. Then, consider running First Aid or the FSCK command for repairs:

Restart your Mac, hold down Command + S to enter the Single User Mode, and type /sbin/fsck -fy to check and repair the file system.

If issues persist, consult a professional for data recovery and potential drive replacement. Regular backups and monitoring your drive's health can help prevent future disk failures, ensuring your data remains safe and accessible.

2. How to check hard drive health on a Mac using a terminal?

While using the Terminal can be a bit technical, here's a detailed guide:

1. Go to Launchpad > Others > Terminal, or go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Type the command: brew install smartmontools && sudo smartctl --all /dev/disk0, then press Enter.
3. Enter sudo smartctl -a -d auto /(your drive path), input your password, and press Enter.
4. Type sudo smartctl -d auto -t short /(your drive path) (the "short" test runs a basic check, but you can replace "short" with "long" for a more detailed check).
5. Scroll down to view the SMART Information.

3. Should I run a regular health check of my hard drive?

It's highly recommended to run regular health checks of your hard drive. Early detection of potential issues can help prevent data loss and system failures.

4. How to check hard drive health on Windows 10/11?

On Windows 10/11, you can check hard drive health using Command Prompt (wmic diskdrive get status), CHKDSK (chkdsk /f /r), or third-party tools like EaseUS Partition Master for Windows offer more detailed diagnostics and repair options.