Question Is this what an SSD failure looks like?

[ultimatebob]

On my Windows 10 desktop system, I noticed that the UI occasionally freezes for about 15 seconds before it recovers. When I check Event Viewer during this time, I see the following entries in the system log:

Disk: "The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk4\DR4"

I ran chkdsk on the C drive and D drive, and they both came back with no bad sectors. I've heard that SSD's quietly reallocate bad sectors in the background, though, so that might not be accurate.

Is my trusty Samsung Evo 850 starting to die? How can I check to be certain?

 

[UsandThem]

Is my trusty Samsung Evo 850 starting to die? How can I check to be certain?

Run a utility that tells you the health of the SSD, such as Samsung Magician or CrystalDiskInfo.

 

[ultimatebob]

Run a utility that tells you the health of the SSD, such as Samsung Magician or CrystalDiskInfo.

Oddly enough Samsung Magician can't run diagnostics on my Samsung SSD. That's... odd.

I used another disk utility, though, and the SMART status came back clean.

 

[ArisVer]

Oddly enough Samsung Magician can't run diagnostics on my Samsung SSD. That's... odd.

Not that strange, I guess it depends how old is the disk. My case...
AcronisTrueImage, downloaded from Crucial, refuses to work with my "old" Crucial M500. It says something like "for this program to work, you need at least one Crucial SSD".

 

[IntelUser2000]

SSD failures doesn't always have to be NAND chips. Like the event log says, the controller can fail. Who knows why it fails? But it does of natural wear and tear among other reasons.

 

[razel]

Samsung utility wouldn't run diag? I think that's where you ought to focus. Try a different port and or different computer.

 

[mindless1]

I'd first try the simple/free things, like unplugging and replugging the power cable and the SATA cable at both ends, or another cable, or also cleaning the contacts if the case is dirty inside.

Then again if you're running out of space on it or productivity on this system is valuable, I'd get a replacement SSD and demote that one to supplemental storage (on a trial redundant storage basis in case it is going bad).