How to Check If Your Mac Hard Drive Is Failing

Updated by

Roxanne 

Updated on Dec 26, 2024

Your Mac's hard drive is a critical component that stores all your important data and system files. A failing hard drive can lead to data loss, system crashes, and overall performance issues. It's important to regularly check the health of your hard drive to catch potential problems early and take steps to prevent data loss. In this article, EaseUS will discuss symptoms of hard drive failure and how to check if your Mac hard drive is failing, including the specific steps you can take to diagnose and address any issues.

Common Symptoms of Hard Drive Failure

Hard drives, whether traditional HDDs or modern SSDs, will wear and tear over time. Below are the frequent signs of a failing hard drive that can save you from significant data loss and costly repairs:

1️⃣Unusual Noises: If your Mac begins grinding, clicking, or whirring noises, this could indicate a mechanical failure within the hard drive. These sounds often signal that the read/write heads struggle to access data.

2️⃣Frequent Crashes & Freezes: If your system frequently crashes and encounters boot issues during normal operations, it may be a sign that your hard drive is struggling to read or write data effectively. 

3️⃣Slow Performance: A noticeable lag in opening applications or saving files can indicate underlying hard drive issues. If tasks once quickly become sluggish, it’s time to investigate further.

4️⃣Corrupted Files: If you encounter files that are corrupted or cannot be opened, this could be a sign of disk damage. Missing files or folders that disappear without explanation are also red flags.

5️⃣Error Messages: Receiving frequent error messages related to disk access or permissions can indicate that the drive is experiencing issues.

6️⃣Overheating: Excessive heat can degrade hard drive performance and lifespan. If your Mac feels unusually hot during use, it may affect the hard drive's functionality.

How to Check If Your Mac Hard Drive Is Failing

To comprehensively check if your Mac hard drive is failing, it’s essential to utilize various built-in tools and third-party applications. This guide will elaborate on effectively assessing your hard drive's health, focusing on Disk Utility, Apple Diagnostics, and additional third-party tools.

#Way 1 Third-party Disk Test Tool - Easiest

If you don't want to waste time on the complicated process that the built-in tool requires, you can turn to reliable third-party Mac disk test software - EaseUS Partition Master For Mac. This robust and user-friendly solution works as a disk management suite specifically designed for Mac users, offering a variety of features that simplify the process of monitoring and maintaining your hard drive's health.

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.

#Way 2. Using Disk Utility

Disk Utility is a powerful built-in tool that allows you to manage disks and storage devices on your Mac. It can help you check the health of your hard drive through the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) status.

Step 1. Navigate to "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Disk Utility." You can also use Spotlight by pressing Command + Space and typing "Disk Utility."

Step 2. In the left sidebar, choose your hard disk (typically named "Macintosh HD" unless renamed).

Step 3. Look at the bottom of the window for the SMART Status:

• If it says Verified, your disk is healthy.
• If it says Failing, immediate action is required.

Disk Utility uses SMART technology to evaluate various parameters such as temperature, spin-up times, reallocated sectors, and more, providing a snapshot of your disk's overall health.

Step 4. If the SMART status indicates issues, click on First Aid to check for errors and attempt repairs. Follow the prompts to let Disk Utility fix any detected problems. 

To help more Mac users who are facing this problem, you can share this guideline:

#Way 3. Run Apple Diagnostics

Apple Diagnostics is another built-in tool designed to check for hardware issues, including problems with your hard drive. First, you should make your Mac ready for this procedure:

• Shut down your Mac.
• Disconnect all external devices except for the keyboard, mouse, display, and power connection.
• Ensure your Mac is on a flat surface with good ventilation.

Step 1. Run Mac Diagnostic on your device:

• For Macs with Apple silicon: Press and hold the power button until you see startup options, then press and hold Command + D.
• For Intel-based Macs: Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the D key until you see a progress bar or are prompted to choose a language.

Step 2. Once testing is complete, Apple Diagnostics will display results indicating any detected hardware issues and reference codes for further investigation.

Conclusion

Checking if your Mac's hard drive fails involves recognizing symptoms such as unusual noises, frequent crashes, slow performance, corrupted files, boot issues, error messages, and overheating. In this post, we introduced three efficient ways to help Mac users know if their disk is failing. In case of failure confirmation, backing up data immediately and seeking professional assistance is critical to safeguarding against data loss. Regular maintenance and monitoring can further enhance the longevity of your Mac's storage solutions. We understand some of the users are new to the Mac system, so EaseUS Partition Master For Mac would be a better choice for complex disk management tasks:

How to Tell If My Mac Hard Drive Is Failing FAQs

Now, it's  time to learn some additional information about the Mac hard drive failure:

1. How can I fix a Mac hard drive failure?

Disk Utility is a built-in tool that can help repair disk errors. Follow the easy steps to fix Mac disk failure:

Step 1. Go to "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Disk Utility." If your Mac won't start, access it through macOS Recovery by holding Command + R during startup.

Step 2. Select your disk from the sidebar.

Step 3. Click on "First Aid" > "Run." This process checks for errors and attempts to repair them.

If errors are found and repaired, run First Aid again until no errors are detected.

2. What causes the Mac hard drive failure?

Generally, various reasons could lead to the "Mac hard drive is failing" issue. Below are the common causes:

• Mechanical Damage: Dropping your Mac or subjecting it to shocks can physically damage the hard drive.
• Heat Exposure: Poor ventilation and excessive heat can lead to hardware degradation.
• Software Issues: Malware or improper updates can corrupt your hard drive.
• Power Fluctuations: Sudden power outages can damage components within the hard drive.
• Normal Wear and Tear: Over time, all drives will experience wear that may eventually lead to failure.

3. How do I check the health of the Mac hard drive?

There are several ways you can check the health of your Mac's hard drive to ensure it is functioning properly, including Disk Utility, SMART, Mac Diagnostic, and third-party tool. You can find more details in this post:

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