Windows 10 will be able to alert users about SSDs that are about to fail

Unlike classic hard drives, Solid State Drive (SSD) storage devices have a more predictable pattern of wear and tear, which Windows 10 will be able to monitor in order to alert users when it comes to protecting important hosted data. on them.

As SSDs become more spacious and cheaper, their longevity tends to decrease, with the possibility of an intensive use regime to wear them out prematurely. In an attempt to prevent data loss, Microsoft is adding a new routine to Windows 10 that monitors the operating parameters reported by NVMe interface SSDs, alerting users when the device reaches the end of its life.

NVMe SSDs, safer to use under Windows 10

When viewing the notification message, users should take immediate steps to back up important data. The displayed alerts will direct users to the ‘Manage disks and volumes’ section of the Settings menu, where they will be able to find detailed information to help identify the SSD with problems. Among the information displayed will be the operating temperature, respectively an estimate of the remaining service life.

The new feature for monitoring the “health” of SSD devices comes after Microsoft confirmed in August a Windows 10 bug that triggered the unwarranted running of the Windows Defragmenter utility, possibly causing accelerated wear of storage devices based on NAND flash technology. Fixed more than 5 months after it was first reported, the bug could have hastened the exact type of issue that the new Windows feature now promises to handle, in order to avoid data loss.