XPS 8940, read error when I try to image the system SSD

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Download and run CrystalDiskInfo (free) and see what it says about your SSD. If it's reported as bad, you should replace it. If PC is under warranty, contact Dell Tech Support for a replacement, assuming this is an OEM SSD.

You could copy all your latest personal files onto an external USB drive. Then replace the SSD and move your latest successful image onto that new drive and copy your personal files onto it too.

If CDI reports the drive is being ok, try this:

1. At desktop, open a CMD prompt window, Run as administrator
   
   
2. At the prompt, type in: chkdsk c: /r and press Enter
   Accept offer to run chddsk at next boot and reboot PC
   chkdsk will run before Windows loads so be patient
   Read this about reading the chkdsk log
   
   
3. Back at desktop, open a CMD prompt window, Run as administrator
   
   
4. At the prompt, type in: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter. Be sure to include a space in front of each / and note any error messages when that's done.
   
   
5. Assuming no unfixed errors in #4, at CMD prompt, type in: sfc /scannow and press Enter. Be sure to include a space in front of the / and note any errors when that's done.

Assuming no unfixed errors in #4 or #5, reboot and try another imaging...

EDIT:
Do not defrag the SSD or run other clean-up apps, which aren't good for SSDs

How much free space is available on the SSD?

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@bgbay wrote:

a . I image my C: drive at least once a month.

b. The last time I tried, Windows imager got part way through and then there was a read error on the C: drive (an SSD). I tried other imaging software with the same result. I have 3 questions.

1) If I copy everything on the drive to another drive and then create a new boot drive and copy all the files back, will I be all set or is there something else that imaging preserves that is required?

2) If I use windows drive cleanup, what are the odds that it will repair the read error without a catastrophe?

3) Any other advice on how to proceed?

p.s. everything seems to be working just fine and I use my machine heavily every day.

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a. That is smart. However, now that you see the value in Imaged-Backups ... I suggest you eventually move to Macrium-Reflect (it is much more feature-rich) .

b. I saw something like this once with Macrium-Reflect-7 (actually, it would not start the Imaging, due to an error it detected on the C-Drive). A simple "Windows Tools/Error Check and repair" took care of it (mostly). You get a log. On reboot, it will try to repair those files from local cache or even Online I think. One could not be fixed, but it was just some temp/cache Google-Chrome file (so I ignored it).

Turns-out ... my Windows-10 was writing a Hibernation file daily, and I have Hibernation turned-OFF (and it never Hibernates ... or even Sleeps). It was basically causing "open file errors" (like if you remove a USB-drive without Ejecting it from the OS first). After I fixed that, no problem since. It was all actually a "good thing" because otherwise, I would not have been alerted to the problem (causing random file corruption) in the first place.

Not sure if this is related, but the system in question is old. It is Legacy-BIOS, and the C-Drive is still MBR (not GPT) . It is a SSD though. And Crystal Disk-Info said it's SMART-status and Health was fine (and still is about a year later). If was obviously an OS problem (not a hardware failure). The problem never re-appeared.

1. Would you not just "browse into" your last complete back-up and restore the files that Windows Error-Check fix could not fix on it's own?

2. See above on how I handled it. Try to document the files it finds, fixes, can't-fix, etc. In general, Microsoft knows what they are doing when it comes to the file-system. I've never seen it get any worse than it already is. However, even they can't fix a failing drive.

3. See above. Also, don't erase your last good backup until you get past this.

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@bgbay wrote:

I image my C: drive at least once a month. The last time I tried, Windows imager got part way through and then there was a read error on the C: drive (an SSD). I tried other imaging software with the same result. I have 3 questions.
1) If I copy everything on the drive to another drive and then create a new boot drive and copy all the files back, will I be all set or is there something else that imaging preserves that is required?
2) If I use windows drive cleanup, what are the odds that it will repair the read error without a catastrophe?
3) Any other advice on how to proceed?

p.s. everything seems to be working just fine and I use my machine heavily every day.

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Hard drive-related error messages such as 'Hard Drive not Detected', 'No Boot Device Found', 'No Boot Partition Found', 'Data error Reading Drive', 'Seek error - Sector not found', and more.
The computer stops at a blank or black screen with a blinking cursor.
The computer does not boot into the operating system.
Operating system-related error messages during boot process such as 'Missing Operating System'.
Clicking, grinding or whining noise from the hard drive.