Monitoring with PowerShell: SMART status via CrystalDiskInfo

7 Replies

In a peer-group that I am a member of recently we’ve had a small discussion about monitoring the SMART status of hard drives. We all agreed that the issue with SMART monitoring is that often it is unreliable when using RMM systems. This is due to RMM systems using only the Windows SMART output which lacks some critical values you should monitor. SMART itself could be a pretty decent early warning system when using all values supplied.

To resolve this, I’ve created a set that uses CrystalDiskInfo. A tool made by CrystalMark which presents the values to you in a nice overview. We’ve used this in the past to troubleshoot or check disks for predictive failures manually, but figured we should also try the same automated. This piece of PowerShell makes SMART monitoring more agile and reliable, because we alert on more information than just the predicted failure values.

The script relies on Invoke-expression, and expand-archive, as such at least Windows 8.1 will be required.

The script

As always, the script is self-explanatory. Please upload the zip file to your own web server or location to where the latest version of CrystalDiskInfo is hosted. This also creates a folder in program program files directory and unzips itself there. 

#Replace the Download URL to where you've uploaded the ZIP file yourself. We will only download this file once. 
$DownloadURL = "http://rwthaachen.dl.osdn.jp/crystaldiskinfo/71535/CrystalDiskInfo8_3_0.zip"
$DownloadLocation = "$($Env:ProgramFiles)\CrystalDiskInfo\"
#Script: 
$TestDownloadLocation = Test-Path $DownloadLocation
if(!$TestDownloadLocation){
new-item $DownloadLocation -ItemType Directory -force
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $DownloadURL -OutFile "$($DownloadLocation)\CrystalDiskInfo.zip"
Expand-Archive "$($DownloadLocation)\CrystalDiskInfo.zip" -DestinationPath $DownloadLocation -Force
}
#We start CrystalDiskInfo with the COPYEXIT parameter. This just collects the SMART information in DiskInfo.txt
Start-Process "$($Env:ProgramFiles)\CrystalDiskInfo\DiskInfo64.exe" -ArgumentList "/CopyExit" -wait
$DiskInfoRaw  = get-content "$($Env:ProgramFiles)\CrystalDiskInfo\DiskInfo.txt" | select-string "-- S.M.A.R.T. --------------------------------------------------------------" -Context 0,16
$diskinfo = $DiskInfoRaw -split "`n" | select -skip 2 | Out-String | convertfrom-csv -Delimiter " " -Header "NOTUSED1","NOTUSED2","ID","RawValue" | Select-Object ID,RawValue

[int64]$CriticalWarnings = "0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "01"}).rawvalue
[int64]$CompositeTemp = "0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "02"}).rawvalue -273.15
[int64]$AvailableSpare = "0x" +($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "03"}).rawvalue
[int64]$ControllerBusyTime ="0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0A"}).rawvalue
[int64]$PowerCycles ="0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0B"}).rawvalue
[int64]$PowerOnHours = "0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0C"}).rawvalue
[int64]$UnsafeShutdowns = "0x" +($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0D"}).rawvalue
[int64]$IntegrityErrors ="0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0E"}).rawvalue
[int64]$InformationLogEntries ="0x" + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq "0F"}).rawvalue

The output variables will always contain data, this data can be used to threshold against in your RMM system. The thresholds I would use are:

  • $CriticalWarnings = 0
  • $CompositeTemp = 55 (this is 55 degrees celsius)
  • $AvailableSpare = 50 (This means there are 50 reallocation blocks available. This is extremely preventive so you might want to tune it to your personal preference)
  • $ControllerBusyTime = Not monitored, currently only log this for reporting purposes
  • $PowerCycles = Not monitored, currently only log this for reporting purposes
  • $PowerOnHours = 40000 (This is around 5 years of constant runtime.)
  • $UnsafeShutdowns = 365 (I like to know if users are not shutting down their computers normally. This could also point at other software related problems.)
  • $IntegrityErrors = 1 (This is what Windows normally reports on. We want to know as soon as these issues arise)
  • $InformationLogEntries = 1 (How many events have been generated related to disk SMART events)

I hope this helps MSPs that are having issues with SMART monitoring in their RMM systems, anyway – As always, Happy PowerShelling!

Kelvin Tegelaar
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Kelvin Tegelaar

I am a Microsoft Certified System Engineer working as the CTO of the Managed Services Provider Lime Networks B.V. in the Netherlands. I mostly enjoy automating business processes by deploying PowerShell solutions, but just have a large passion for Microsoft Technology in general.

If you want to contact me directly you can find me on twitter here, or via email: Kelvin {at} limenetworks.nl
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7 thoughts on “Monitoring with PowerShell: SMART status via CrystalDiskInfo”

  1. Rob Eberhardt

    FYI the output values all choke for me…

    —–
    Directory: C:\Program Files

    Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
    —- ————- —— —-
    d—– 2019-09-11 13:10 CrystalDiskInfo

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:19 char:1
    + [int64]$CriticalWarnings = “0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID – …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Double”. Error: “Input string was not in a correct format.”
    At C:\test.ps1:20 char:1
    + [int64]$CompositeTemp = “0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToDoubleOrSingle

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:21 char:1
    + [int64]$AvailableSpare = “0x” +($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:22 char:1
    + [int64]$ControllerBusyTime =”0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:23 char:1
    + [int64]$PowerCycles =”0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq “0B …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:25 char:1
    + [int64]$UnsafeShutdowns = “0x” +($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:26 char:1
    + [int64]$IntegrityErrors =”0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Cannot convert value “0x” to type “System.Int64”. Error: “Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than
    the size of the collection.
    Parameter name: startIndex”
    At C:\test.ps1:27 char:1
    + [int64]$InformationLogEntries =”0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_. …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidCastFromStringToInteger

    Reply ↓
    1. Kelvin Tegelaar Post author

      Hi Rob,

      That’s strange. I haven’t see that happen yet. Can you run the script and pass me the following values?
      $DiskInfoRaw
      $diskinfo | format-table
      ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq “01”}).rawvalue

      That’ll help me see the issue, and possibily resolve it for you. 🙂

      Reply ↓
  2. Rob Eberhardt

    I got the output variables working by removing the prepended “0x”.

    Bigger problem – your hard-coded IDs don’t match what CrystalDiskInfo is using on my system. For example, here’s $DiskInfoRaw showing the ID for Temperature is C2.

    > — S.M.A.R.T. ————————————————————–
    ID Cur Wor Thr RawValues(6) Attribute Name
    05 100 100 _10 000000000000 Reallocated NAND Blocks
    09 100 100 __0 00000000037B Power On Hours
    0C 100 100 __1 000000000369 Power Cycle Count
    B5 100 100 __1 000000000000 Unaligned Access Count
    B6 100 100 __1 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B1 _98 _98 _10 000000000027 Vendor Specific
    BB 100 100 __1 000000000000 Reported Uncorrectable Errors
    C2 _70 _52 __0 0030000C001E Temperature
    C7 100 100 __0 000000000000 Ultra DMA CRC Error Rate
    EE _98 _98 __0 000000000002 Vendor Specific
    AF 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B0 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B2 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B4 __0 __0 __0 0000000007FB Unused Reserve NAND Blocks
    C3 100 __0 _50 000000000000 Cumulative ECC Bit Correction Count

    But your code looks for ID of “02”, doesn’t find it, and then subtracts 273 (so your script shows my system at absolute zero — that’s cool! 🙂
    [int64]$CompositeTemp = “0x” + ($diskinfo | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq “02”}).rawvalue -273.15

    Reply ↓
  3. Rob Eberhardt

    Comments crossed paths — here’s your requested output:

    > — S.M.A.R.T. ————————————————————–
    ID Cur Wor Thr RawValues(6) Attribute Name
    05 100 100 _10 000000000000 Reallocated NAND Blocks
    09 100 100 __0 00000000037B Power On Hours
    0C 100 100 __1 000000000369 Power Cycle Count
    B5 100 100 __1 000000000000 Unaligned Access Count
    B6 100 100 __1 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B1 _98 _98 _10 000000000027 Vendor Specific
    BB 100 100 __1 000000000000 Reported Uncorrectable Errors
    C2 _70 _52 __0 0030000C001E Temperature
    C7 100 100 __0 000000000000 Ultra DMA CRC Error Rate
    EE _98 _98 __0 000000000002 Vendor Specific
    AF 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B0 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B2 100 100 __0 000000000000 Vendor Specific
    B4 __0 __0 __0 0000000007FB Unused Reserve NAND Blocks
    C3 100 __0 _50 000000000000 Cumulative ECC Bit Correction Count

    ID RawValue
    — ——–
    05 100
    09 100
    0C 100
    B5 100
    B6 100
    B1 _98
    BB 100
    C2 _70
    C7 100
    EE _98
    AF 100
    B0 100
    B2 100
    B4 __0
    C3 100

    Reply ↓
      1. Rob Eberhardt

        Sure thing:

        Model : Micron 1100 SATA 256GB
        Firmware : M0DL022
        Serial Number : xxxxxx
        Disk Size : 256.0 GB (8.4/137.4/256.0/—-)
        Buffer Size : Unknown
        Queue Depth : 32
        # of Sectors : 500118192
        Rotation Rate : —- (SSD)
        Interface : Serial ATA
        Major Version : ACS-3
        Minor Version : ACS-3 Revision 4
        Transfer Mode : SATA/600 | SATA/600
        Power On Hours : 891 hours
        Power On Count : 873 count
        Temperature : 32 C (89 F)
        Health Status : Good (100 %)
        Features : S.M.A.R.T., 48bit LBA, NCQ, TRIM, DevSleep
        APM Level : —-
        AAM Level : —-
        Drive Letter : C:

        Reply ↓

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