CrystalDiskInfo

Name: CrystalDiskInfo
Availability: InStock
Author: Crystal Dew World

CrystalDiskInfo is a free, open source disk health monitoring tool from Crystal Dew World (Japan). It reads S.M.A.R.T. data from your hard drives and SSDs and tells you whether each drive is healthy (Good), showing early signs of failure (Caution), or failing (Bad). It supports HDD, SSD (SATA and NVMe), and USB drives. Windows only.

What it does

Open it and the main window shows each connected drive with a health status badge: blue for Good, yellow for Caution, red for Bad. Below that, you see the full S.M.A.R.T. attribute table with current values, worst recorded values, and threshold limits. Attributes flagged in yellow or red deserve attention - things like reallocated sectors, pending sectors, high temperature, or uncorrectable errors.

Temperature monitoring shows the current operating temperature of each drive. You can set alerts (Function > Alert) to notify you when temperature exceeds a threshold or when health status changes. The resident mode (Function > Resident) keeps CrystalDiskInfo running in the system tray, monitoring drives in the background.

For SSDs, the program shows total data written and wear leveling count, which helps estimate remaining lifespan. NVMe drives are detected automatically with their specific S.M.A.R.T. attributes.

Advantages

Simple health status (Good/Caution/Bad) at a glance
Free and open source
Supports HDD, SSD (SATA and NVMe), and USB drives
Temperature alerts and background monitoring

Drawbacks

Cannot repair or recover data from failing drives
S.M.A.R.T. data can be confusing for non-technical users
Some USB drives do not report S.M.A.R.T. data
Anime-themed editions may not suit professional environments

Who it is for

CrystalDiskInfo is the first thing I install when a friend says their computer "feels slow" or "keeps crashing." A failing hard drive causes exactly those symptoms, and CrystalDiskInfo shows the answer in two seconds. It will not fix a dying drive, but it will tell you to back up your data before it is too late.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CrystalDiskInfo do?

CrystalDiskInfo reads S.M.A.R.T. diagnostic data from your hard drives and SSDs. It shows health status as Good, Caution or Bad, along with temperature, total data written and detailed attribute values.

Is CrystalDiskInfo accurate?

CrystalDiskInfo reads the same S.M.A.R.T. data that the drive firmware reports. The readings are accurate, but S.M.A.R.T. itself is not a perfect predictor. A drive can fail without prior warning, though rising reallocated sectors or pending sectors are reliable early signs.

Can CrystalDiskInfo fix a failing drive?

No. CrystalDiskInfo is a diagnostic tool that reads drive health data. It cannot repair bad sectors or recover data. If it shows Caution or Bad status, back up your data immediately and replace the drive.

Features & How-To Guide

#	Feature	How to use
1	HDD and SSD health checking	Run CrystalDiskInfo › Main window shows status: Good (blue)/Caution (yellow)/Bad (red) for each disk.
2	S.M.A.R.T. data reading	Main window › S.M.A.R.T. attribute list › Current/Worst/Threshold values › Highlighted attributes require attention.
3	Disk temperature monitoring 2	Main window › Temperature › Current temperature of each disk › Overheating shortens disk lifespan.
4	Disk health deterioration alerts	Function › Alert › Set temperature threshold and notification method (sound/email/popup) › Warning before failure.
5	SSD usage monitoring	SSD Attributes › Total Host Writes / Wear Leveling Count › How much data has been written › Estimating remaining lifespan.
6	NVMe drive support	Automatically detects NVMe disks › Reads S.M.A.R.T. data specific to NVMe › Temperature and usage.
7	Disk runtime and power-on count checking	S.M.A.R.T. attributes › Power On Hours (operating time) and Power On Count (number of starts) › Disk wear assessment.
8	Automatic system tray launch	Function › Resident › Enable › CrystalDiskInfo starts with system and monitors disks in background › Icon in tray.