How to recognize an SSD or HDD drive on a computer – 7 ways
In some situations, the user needs to get an answer to the question of how to find out the SSD or HDD disk is installed on the computer. These are different types of disks that are designed to store data.
Previously, a hard drive, or HDD, was used on a PC to install the operating system and store information; Both types of discs, despite the fact that they are intended for the same purpose, differ from each other in their technical characteristics.
For example, a solid state drive processes information faster than a regular hard drive. Currently, SSD drives are mainly equipped with new computers: laptops (laptops) or stationary PCs (desktops).
Some devices have both types of disks at the same time: HDD and SSD. Therefore, before carrying out operations with disk space, the user needs to know how to determine which disk: SSD or HDD is installed on the PC.
Externally, the disks differ from each other, so how to find out which SSD or HDD disk will help a visual inspection. But, in the case of a laptop, this is not the best solution. Disassembling and then incorrectly reassembling the device may cause hardware problems due to hardware failure.
Another case is possible – you need to get information about the available disks on someone else’s computer, so you can’t disassemble it.
How to find out the HDD or SSD is installed on a laptop or desktop PC without disassembling the device? You can solve this problem using software methods: using the Windows operating system or using third-party software.
In this guide, you will learn how to find out the SSD or HDD drive is available on this computer in order to make the right decisions when using the PC disk subsystem. The instructions are based on my computer, which has one SSD and two hard drives.
How to find out HDD or SSD installed on a computer – 1 way
You can find out the type of disk installed using the system function “Optimize disks”, which performs defragmentation. After logging into the Windows application, you will see information about the types of disks on your computer.
Do the following:
- Press the keyboard keys “Win” + “R”.
- In the Run dialog box, paste the command “dfrgui”.
- Press the “Enter” key.
- It will open “Optimize disks”, in which opposite each logical disk (partition) the type of installed media is explicitly indicated: solid state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD).
How to identify an SSD or HDD drive using the command line – 2 way
Users of different versions of the Windows operating system can use the built-in tool – the command line. Running the command (using the PowerShell toolkit) will let the user know what type of storage device is installed on this computer: solid state drive or hard drive.
You will need to do the following:
- Run Command Prompt as Administrator .
- In the command line interpreter window, enter the command, and then press the “Enter” key:
PowerShell "Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table -AutoSize"
- In the command line window, in the “MediaType” column, the type of disk is indicated – SSD or HDD.
Unfortunately, it happens that some drives are not detected, like in this case one of the hard drives (Unspecified) on my computer.
How to find out the type of disk SSD or HDD in PowerShell – 3 way
A similar operation can be performed using another system tool – Windows PowerShell.
Do the following:
- Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
- In the shell window, type the command, then press “Enter”.
Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table -AutoSize
- In the PowerShell window, the “MediaType” column displays the drive types of this PC.
How to find out an SSD or HDD hard drive – 4 way
You can recognize the type of disk installed in your computer by its model name. This method involves the following sequence of actions: first you need to obtain information about the model of the storage device, and then use this data to obtain the necessary information from the Internet.
Go through the following steps:
- Press the “Win” + “R” keys.
- In the Run dialog box, in the Open: field, type “msinfo32”.
- Click on the “OK” button.
- In the “System Information” window, open the “Components” section, then “Storage Devices”, and then “Disks”.
- In the “Element” column, find “Model”, and in the “Value” field you will see the model name of this disk.
In some cases, the model name after the manufacturer’s name displays the type of disk, as in this case “Samsung SSD 870 EVO 250GB”. There can be one solid state drive on a PC, then the other disk or disks are of the HDD type.
If there is no clear indication of the type of storage device, follow these steps:
- Highlight the model name.
- Press the “Ctrl” + “C” keys.
- Open your browser, click in the address bar, and then press the “Ctrl” + “V” keys.
- From the search results, get complete information about this disc from the Internet.
How to find out what an SSD or HDD costs in Speccy – 5 way
In addition to system tools, you can use third-party programs to obtain the necessary information about the type of disk. The free program Speccy is designed to familiarize the user with all sorts of information about the hardware of the computer.
In the Speccy program window, do the following:
- Open the Data Storage section.
- The Hard Drives option displays all physical drives on this PC.
- Under the name of the disk model in the “Speed” parameter, solid-state drives indicate the type – SSD-drive, and for conventional hard drives, the spindle speed is displayed.
How to determine the type of disk SSD or HDD in AIDA64 – 6 way
AIDA64 is the most powerful application for getting information about PC hardware and software.
In the AIDA64 window, you will need to do the following:
- In the “Menu” tab, enter the “Data storage” option.
- Click on ATA.
- The Device Description area displays the names of your computer’s drive models.
- Select the disk, in the “Field” setting, opposite the “Speed of rotation” parameter, in the “Value” column you will see the spindle speed or disk type – SSD.
How to find out where is the SSD and where is the HDD in CrystalDiskInfo – 7 way
You can get the required information about the type of disk using applications designed to maintain hard drives. We will use the free CrystalDiskInfo program, which informs the user about the technical condition of the physical disks of the PC.
In the CrystalDiskInfo program window, do the following:
- Select one of the disks by clicking on the status widget with the corresponding letter.
- Among the characteristics of the disk, pay attention to the parameter “Rotation Speed”.
The SSD type will be listed as SSD because it has no rotating parts, while the HDD will display the spindle speed.
Article Conclusions
Computers use two main types of built-in storage devices: solid-state drives and hard drives. Some PCs may have only a solid state drive (SSD) or only a hard disk drive (HDD), while others may have both.
Before performing operations with disk space on a computer, it is advisable to first know the type of disk in order to correctly perform the tasks. The user can obtain the necessary information using the built-in tools of the Windows operating system, or use the services of third-party applications.