How to Resolve Hard Drive or solid state drive Issues on your Dell Computer

Before You Begin

This article is the second stage of hard drive and SSD troubleshooting on Dell computers. It picks up where the Fix Hard Drive and SSD Issues library page ends.

Prerequisites:

Before proceeding with these advanced steps, ensure that you have:

• Disconnect unnecessary external devices.
• Perform a Hard Reset.
• Run a Hardware Diagnostic Test
• Check the BIOS Settings.
• Ensure BIOS and Drivers Are Up to Date.

Overview

This article addresses what to do when the steps on the Fix Hard Drive and SSD Issues library page pass or partially resolve the issue but the system still does not work correctly in Windows — covering:

• Checking for and removing viruses or malware
• Repairing missing or corrupted Windows system files
• Restoring the computer to a previous working state
• Factory resetting or reinstalling Windows as a last resort

Symptoms and Recommended Actions This Article Addresses

This article is relevant when one or more of the following conditions apply after completing all the prerequisite steps:

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

Step 1: Check for Viruses or Malware

Identify and remove software threats that can mimic or cause drive errors.

Viruses and malware can interfere with how Windows reads and writes to the storage drive, causing symptoms that appear identical to hardware failures — including slow performance, system freezes, boot failures, and drive-access errors.

How to check:

1. Open Windows Security: Select Start, type Windows Security, and open the app.
2. Select Virus & threat protection.
3. Under Current threats, select Quick scan. For a thorough check, select Scan options and choose Full scan.
4. Follow any on-screen prompts to quarantine or remove detected threats.
5. Restart the computer after the scan completes and check if the issue is resolved.

If the issue is resolved after removing a threat, the malware was the cause. Monitor the system for recurrence and ensure that real-time protection is enabled.

Step 2: Repair Missing or Corrupted Windows System Files

Use integrated Windows tools to scan and restore damaged operating system files.

Windows includes two command-line tools — System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) — that can detect and repair missing or corrupted operating system files. These tools address a common cause of drive-related errors that originate in the software layer rather than the hardware.

Run System File Checker (SFC)

SFC scans all protected Windows system files and replaces corrupted or missing files with a cached clean copy.

1. Restart the computer and boot into Windows.
   NOTE: If Windows will not start normally, perform the SFC scan in Safe Mode with Networking, for more information see the Run SFC in Safe Mode with Networking section.
2. Select Start and search for Command Prompt.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. If your computer is encrypted with BitLocker, enter the recovery key when asked. You can find the key by logging into your account at account.microsoft.com and check the Devices section.
5. Type sfc /scannow in the command prompt, and then press Enter
6. The System File Checker scans all protected operating system files. Do not close the Command Prompt window until the scan shows 100% complete.
7. Restart the computer. If the issue is resolved, no further action in this step is needed. If it is not resolved, go to the DISM section below.

Run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)

DISM connects to Windows Update online to download and replace corrupted system image files that SFC cannot repair on its own. An active Internet connection is required.

1. Restart the computer and boot into Windows.
   NOTE: If Windows will not start normally, perform the SFC scan in Safe Mode with Networking, for more information see the Run DISM in Safe Mode with Networking section.
2. Select Start and search for Command Prompt.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. If your computer is encrypted with BitLocker, enter the recovery key when asked. You can find the key by logging into your account at account.microsoft.com and check the Devices section.
5. Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth in the command prompt, and then press Enter
6. Allow DISM to complete. This may take several minutes depending on your connection speed. Do not close the window or disconnect from the Internet during this process.
7. Restart the computer after DISM completes and check if the issue is resolved.

Step 3: Restore the Computer Using Windows System Restore

Revert Windows to a previous working state without affecting personal files.

Windows System Restore reverts the computer's software state — including installed applications, Windows Registry entries, and system settings — to a saved restore point. It does not affect personal files such as documents, photos, or music.

System Restore is effective when:

• The issue began after a recent Windows update, driver install, or software change
• SFC and DISM did not resolve the issue
• The computer can boot into Windows (or Safe Mode with Networking)

How to run System Restore:

For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, see the Dell Knowledge Base article: How to Use System Restore in Microsoft Windows.

Step 4: Restore the Computer to Factory Default Settings

A factory reset or clean reinstall of Windows resolves issues that cannot be fixed by file repair or restore. This is appropriate when:

• All previous steps have been completed, and the issue persists
• Windows cannot boot, and System Restore is unavailable
• The drive is confirmed healthy by diagnostics, but Windows is severely corrupted

Options for resetting or reinstalling Windows:

For complete step-by-step instructions, see Dell Knowledge Base article Factory Reset, Restore, or Reinstall Microsoft Windows on a Dell computer.

Run SFC in Safe Mode with Networking

1. Starting with the computer off. Press the Power button on the computer and immediately start pressing the F12 key once a second to access the System Boot menu.
2. Select SupportAssist OS Recovery to boot to SupportAssist OS Recovery.
3. In SupportAssist OS Recovery, click the 3 dots at the upper right side of the OS Recovery Home screen and this provides a dropdown menu.
4. Select Windows recovery.
5. The computer reboots into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
6. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt (Figure 1)
   
   Figure 1: Advanced options
7. If your computer is encrypted with BitLocker, enter the recovery key when asked. You can find the key by logging into your account at account.microsoft.com  and check the Devices section.
8. Type sfc /scannow in the command prompt, and then press Enter.
9. The System File Checker scans all protected operating system files. Do not close the Command Prompt window until the scan shows 100% complete.
10. Restart the computer. If the issue is resolved, no further action in this step is needed. If it is not resolved, go to the DISM section below.

Run DISM in Safe Mode with Networking

1. Starting with the computer off. Press the Power button on the computer and immediately start pressing the F12 key once a second to access the System Boot menu.
2. Select SupportAssist OS Recovery to boot to SupportAssist OS Recovery.
3. In SupportAssist OS Recovery, click the 3 dots at the upper right side of the OS Recovery Home screen and this provides a dropdown menu.
4. Select Windows recovery.
5. The computer reboots into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
6. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt (Figure 2)
   
   Figure 2: Advanced options
7. If your computer is encrypted with BitLocker, enter the recovery key when asked. You can find the key by logging into your account at account.microsoft.com  and check the Devices section.
8. Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth in the command prompt, and then press Enter.
9. Allow DISM to complete. This may take several minutes depending on your connection speed. Do not close the window or disconnect from the Internet during this process.
10. Restart the computer after DISM completes and check if the issue is resolved.