When I say that I use CrystalDiskInfo quite a bit, I mean I use it to the extent that the moment I hear a paranoid click that sounds like it could have been a hard drive, I spin this program up to check on everything.
Technically, I use it everyday. I have an instance of it running on a Windows Server and it’s set to send me an alert via email once one of my drive’s properties pass a certain threshold. That way I can get ahead of a failing drive, hopefully. Don’t let the somewhat out-of-place feeling that the anime skins give you push you away from this program though. The standard edition will be plenty if you aren’t feeling the weeb. Even if those were the only options, I would run the program still. Albeit, in secret.
See, basic text and numbers and stuff. Everything that you might need to know is right up and front for you. The ‘Power on Count’ and ‘Power On Hours’ is always fun to check if running it on an older machine. The highest that I have personally come across is Western Digital 160.GB drive with 90,739 hours. Or 10.35 years.
CrystalDiskInfo is also my go to when I need to test a bunch of drives in a drive dock since it’s pretty easy to refresh disks and assess their health. The fact that you can get it as a portable .exe is a plus since that means you can throw it on any USB drive and use it.
I think an underrated plus to an application like this, is the ease of dragging it to a clients PC, spinning it up and not only diagnosing a possible failing drive, but also presenting a somewhat easy method for the client to understand the mileage that the device has in the form of hours. The ability to convey that is often a shaky endeavor when the subject is those who think tech should last forever but this has helped me those opinions in the past.
I think CrystalDiskInfo will pretty much always stay in my toolbag. They offer another application that allows you to benchmark your drives as well called CrystalDiskMark.
