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SPECIFICTION
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HDD Health Monitor

hddmonitor.github.io

Free plan Windows
Visit hddmonitor.github.io
Spec score 7.6 #17 of 30 in Disk Health Monitoring Software

What it is

HDD Health Monitor is a free, open-source Windows utility that reads raw S.M.A.R.T. information from physical drives. It shows per-drive health and estimated performance percentages alongside a complete S.M.A.R.T. attribute table. The program scans drives automatically, monitors multiple drives at once, and gives each one its own tray icon and alerts. Notifications can cover temperature, declining health, predictive failure, reallocated sectors, uncorrectable errors, and NVMe critical warnings. While running, it records health and selected attribute snapshots every five seconds and keeps history on disk between sessions. Supported drive types include ATA/SATA, M.2 SATA, NVMe, USB, and SCSI, although available data depends on the drive and controller. USB drives appear shortly after connection and disappear from the selector when unplugged. The standalone executable needs no installer or dependencies, but administrator privileges are required. It supports Windows Vista through Windows 11 and can save a PNG screenshot. The MIT-licensed software costs nothing.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Reads raw S.M.A.R.T. data from physical drives and presents drive health information, warnings, and historical trends.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Support
The site provides documentation, bug reporting, and an email contact at [email protected].Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Alerts
Windows tray notifications cover temperature, declining health, S.M.A.R.T. predictive failure, reallocated sectors, uncorrectable errors, and NVMe critical warnings.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Drive monitoring
Scans all physical drives automatically and monitors multiple drives simultaneously, with a separate tray icon and alerts for each.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Drive support
Supports ATA/SATA, M.2 SATA, NVMe, USB drives, and SCSI drives, though available data depends on the drive and its controller.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Health and performance
Shows per-drive health and estimated performance percentages alongside a full S.M.A.R.T. attribute table.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
History
Records health and selectable S.M.A.R.T. attribute snapshots every five seconds while running and saves history to disk between sessions.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Hot-plug
Detects connected USB drives in about one to two seconds and removes their drive selector and tray icon when unplugged.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
License and expiration
The documentation says the software is free and open-source under the MIT License, does not expire, and requires no registration.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Portable setup
Runs as a standalone executable without an installer or dependencies; administrator privileges are required to read S.M.A.R.T. data.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Screenshots
Can save a PNG image of the main window to a HDDH_Screenshots subfolder in Documents.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
Security note
The maker warns that some Windows antivirus products may incorrectly flag the program as malware.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
USB flash limitation
The maker says S.M.A.R.T. data usually cannot be read from unofficial USB flash drives, memory cards, and eMMC products.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io
USB limitation
S.M.A.R.T. data may be unavailable when a USB enclosure bridge does not support pass-through or a supported protocol.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io

Plans and prices

HDD Health Monitor Free 100% free · open-source · Windows utility Read 3 Oct 2026 · hddmonitor.github.io

Every HDD Health Monitor plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free and open-source under MIT License
  • Monitors multiple physical drives simultaneously
  • Five-second health snapshots while running
  • Alerts for temperature and predictive failures
  • Supports Windows Vista through Windows 11

Limits

  • Remote monitoring is not supported
  • Administrator privileges are required
  • USB bridges may block S.M.A.R.T. data
  • Antivirus software may flag it incorrectly

Who it suits

HDD Health Monitor suits Windows users who want local drive-health, SSD-wear, temperature, and failure monitoring without registration. It is useful for people managing several physical drives and retaining historical S.M.A.R.T. data.

Verdict

HDD Health Monitor provides broad local S.M.A.R.T. monitoring at no cost, with alerts and persistent history. USB hardware compatibility and Windows administrative requirements are the main practical constraints.

Where Specifiction places it

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