HDDScan

A free Windows utility for testing hard drives and SSDs, reading SMART data and running surface tests.

FreeProprietaryWindows
Official websitehddscan.comDownload pagehddscan.com

These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.

About HDDScan

HDDScan checks storage devices for bad blocks and bad sectors using read, verify and erase test modes, and displays S.M.A.R.T. attributes so you can spot a drive that is degrading. It can also monitor disk temperature, run read and write benchmarks with a performance graph, and change drive parameters such as AAM and APM.

It supports IDE, SATA and SCSI hard drives, external USB and FireWire drives, SSDs, and RAID volumes and USB flash drives for surface tests only.

Strengths

  • Surface tests in read, verify and erase modes
  • Shows SMART attributes and drive temperature
  • Supports USB, FireWire, RAID and SSD devices
  • Can adjust AAM and APM settings

Limitations

  • Windows only
  • RAID volumes and USB flash drives get surface tests only
  • Erase test mode destroys data on the tested area

Details

Pricing
FreeFreeware with no paid edition.
License
Proprietary
Platforms
Windows
How it runs
Downloadable app
Account
Not required
Works offline
Yes
Best suited for
Checking whether a Windows PC's drive is failing before it loses data
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.

Alternatives to HDDScan

Compare all

Software that can replace HDDScan for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.

  • CrystalDiskInfo

    Reads the health data your drives already record and tells you plainly whether one is dying.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    CrystalDiskInfo is open source under MIT and gives a plain health verdict with tray alerts, but has no surface tests.

  • GSmartControl

    A graphical interface for smartctl that shows the health of hard drives and SSDs.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    GSmartControl is an open-source graphical SMART tool for Windows and Linux that runs self-tests but depends on smartmontools.

  • smartmontools

    Reads the SMART health data built into disks and runs self-tests, giving advance warning before a drive fails.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    smartmontools is cross-platform open-source command-line software with scheduled smartd monitoring, instead of a Windows graphical interface.

  • SeaTools

    Seagate's free diagnostic tool for checking the health of hard drives and SSDs.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    SeaTools is Seagate's free diagnostic tool for quick health checks, aimed mainly at Seagate drives.

  • SpinRite

    A bootable maintenance and data recovery utility for hard drives and other mass-storage devices, from GRC.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

    SpinRite is a paid bootable utility that combines drive maintenance with recovery attempts, running outside the installed system.

  • DriveDx

    A Mac utility that monitors SSD and HDD health through SMART data and warns before failure.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    DriveDx monitors SMART health and runs self-tests on macOS instead of Windows, and is paid after the trial.

  • Scrutiny

    A self-hosted web dashboard for hard drive S.M.A.R.T. monitoring with historical trends and failure thresholds.

    FreeProprietaryLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    Scrutiny is a self-hosted web dashboard with historical SMART trends, suited to servers rather than a single Windows PC.

HDDScan as an alternative

Listings that name HDDScan as an alternative.

  • Crucial Storage Executive

    Crucial's utility for checking SSD health, updating drive firmware and tuning performance on Crucial SSDs.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    HDDScan is a free Windows tool that shows SMART attributes and runs surface tests on drives of many brands, without Crucial firmware updates or performance tuning.

  • GNU ddrescue

    A command-line data recovery tool that copies raw blocks from failing disks while working around read errors.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    HDDScan tests drives on Windows with surface scans and SMART reading, but does not image a failing drive the way GNU ddrescue does.

  • Hard Disk Sentinel

    Drive health, temperature and lifetime monitoring for HDDs and SSDs.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsLinux

    HDDScan is free Windows software that reads SMART attributes and temperature and adds surface tests, but it has no Linux version and no lifetime estimates.

  • HD Tune

    Benchmarks storage drives and scans them for errors and S.M.A.R.T. warnings.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    HDDScan is free Windows software with SMART data and read, verify and erase surface tests, though it lacks a full-drive transfer-rate benchmark graph.

  • Kingston SSD Manager

    Kingston's utility for monitoring SSD health, updating firmware and securely erasing Kingston drives.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    HDDScan is a free Windows tool that reads SMART data and runs surface tests on many drive brands, without official firmware updates or secure erase.

  • nwipe

    Erase block devices from a Linux terminal or text interface.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    HDDScan runs on Windows and includes an erase surface test mode, but it is closed-source freeware aimed mainly at drive testing rather than dedicated wiping.

  • Samsung Magician

    Samsung's management app for its consumer SSDs, covering firmware updates, health checks, benchmarks and secure erase.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    HDDScan is free for Windows, reads SMART data and runs surface tests on many drives, but provides no Samsung firmware updates or benchmarks.

Similar software

Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.

Report a wrong fact or a dead link on this listing