Want to know if your laptop has a Solid-State Drive (SSD) or a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)? Understanding your storage type is crucial for optimizing performance, upgrading your system, and troubleshooting slow speeds. In this guide, we’ll walk you through multiple quick and easy ways to check whether your laptop is running on an SSD or HDD.
Method 1: Check Storage Type Using File Explorer (Windows)
- Open File Explorer by pressing
Win + E
. - Right-click on This PC and select Manage.
- Click Device Manager from the left panel.
- Expand the Disk Drives section to view installed storage devices.
- If the drive name includes “SSD,” your laptop has a Solid-State Drive; otherwise, it’s an HDD.
Method 2: Check Storage Type Using Task Manager (Windows)
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
to open Task Manager. - Click the Performance tab.
- Select Disk 0 (C:) on the left panel.
- The storage type (SSD or HDD) will be displayed in the upper-right corner.
Method 3: Use System Information (Windows)
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
msinfo32
and press Enter. - Expand Components > Storage > Disks.
- Check the storage type under the details section.
Method 4: Check Storage Type on macOS
- Click the Apple Menu and select About This Mac.
- Click System Report.
- Select Storage under the Hardware section.
- The drive type (SSD or HDD) will be displayed in the description.
Method 5: Use Command Prompt (Windows)
- Press
Win + R
, typecmd
, and press Enter. - Type the following command and press Enter:
wmic diskdrive get model, mediatype
- The output will indicate whether the drive is an SSD or HDD.
Method 6: Physically Inspect the Drive
If you’re comfortable opening your laptop, you can check the storage type manually:
- HDDs are larger, contain spinning disks, and are typically labeled with “HDD.”
- SSDs are smaller, lightweight, and labeled with “SSD.”
Why Knowing Your Storage Type Matters
- SSDs offer faster performance, better durability, and energy efficiency.
- HDDs provide larger storage at a lower cost but are slower and more prone to failure.
- Upgrading from an HDD to an SSD can significantly boost your laptop’s speed.
Conclusion
Checking whether your laptop has an SSD or HDD is simple and can be done using built-in Windows and macOS tools. SSDs provide better speed and reliability, while HDDs offer more storage at a lower price. If you’re experiencing slow performance, upgrading to an SSD is a great way to enhance your laptop’s efficiency.
For more tech tips, troubleshooting guides, and upgrade recommendations, visit our blog!