Huge Windows 10 update could save your data — here's how

Huge Windows 10 update could save your data — hither's how

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One of the worst things that can happen to a PC is a failed SSD; if it goes down, you could lose vast amounts of information. But Windows 10 is looking to save you lot from such woe.

The latest preview build of Windows x, Build 20266, has a new storage wellness monitoring feature that will warn users when a SSD might be on the verge of failure. Information technology's been specifically configured to work with NVMe SSDs, which are growing in popularity and can be establish in many modern laptops.

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"Attempting to recover data after drive failure is both frustrating and expensive," Microsoft's Windows blog said. "This characteristic is designed to find hardware abnormalities for NVMe SSDs and notify users with enough time to act. It is strongly recommended that users immediately dorsum up their information subsequently receiving a notification."

If yous accept access to the new Windows 10 Insider Preview build, you lot can admission the new monitoring characteristic by going into the organisation setting on your Windows ten machine and navigating to the "Storage" section. From there you lot need to click on "Manage disks and volumes" so click the "Properties" section. It'southward there that a warning will alert y'all to whether your SSD'south "reliability is degraded."

If that's the example then Windows 10 recommends you fill-in the data on that SSD in case it fails. In fact, we'd recommend backing upwardly your almost precious data to a cloud service likewise as an external hard bulldoze, just to be on the prophylactic side.

Windows 10 SSD health alert — (Image credit: Microsoft)

A standard Windows ten notification will also immediately alert users to a potential SSD failure. And clicking on it will lead people to the options to manage and backup their files.

While the characteristic is but for members of the Windows Insider programme, it'south rather likely it'll get pushed out to standard Windows ten users. Perhaps with the feature existence more readily accessed in the settings rather than buried beneath a serial of menus.

Roland Moore-Colyer is U.K. Editor at Tom'southward Guide with a focus on news, features and stance articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other $.25 of hardware; he'due south also got an involvement in cars. When not at his desk-bound Roland can be establish wandering around London, often with a expect of marvel on his face.