Toshiba Hard Drive Diagnostic Tools

If you're having trouble with the hard drive in your Toshiba computer, turning to a diagnostic program is the first step in determining the problem. Many Toshiba computers come with diagnostic software pre-installed. Not all Toshiba diagnostic programs are intended for all computers; before running a diagnostic tool, first check that it is appropriate for your model and operating system. If you can't find an appropriate Toshiba program, you can try generic Windows or third-party utilities.

Pre-Installed Tools

If you haven't made any changes to your Toshiba's operating system or installed software, then you'll still have all the Toshiba-branded software included. This can include diagnostic tools and even repair tools. To check for pre-installed software, open your Start Menu and type "Toshiba." Any Toshiba-branded program will show up. If you're using Windows 7, all programs will be located in the "Toshiba" folder in the Start Menu.

PC Health Monitor

The Toshiba PC Health Monitor is designed to assess the overall health of your machine, not just your hard drive. In terms of hard drive maintenance, the PC Health Monitor provides a status update on your hard drive and, if enabled, a 3D sensor to monitor the mechanical health of your hard drive.

Windows Diagnostic Tool

Toshiba's Windows Diagnostic Tool may be already installed on older laptops. It's designed for testing IDE & SATA hard drives when you suspect a problem with your hard drive. You install and run it in Windows like any other program. There are two diagnostic modes: a quick test, which takes a few minutes and does random read/write tests, and the comprehensive test, which can take up to an hour and a half and does a surface scan.

DOS Diagnostic Tool

On older laptops, like Windows XP or Windows 95, if you want to test your hard drive without booting up Windows – or perhaps because you can't boot Windows – try Toshiba's DOS Diagnostic Tool, if it's already installed on your laptop. As with the Windows diagnostic tool, you can do a quick or comprehensive test.

Non-Toshiba Tools

If you're not finding what you need from Toshiba, you might try another solution. You can use the native Windows feature Check Disk, available under your hard drive's Tools tab. HDDScan is a free, third-party solution to check for disk errors on your Windows computer, regardless of manufacturer.