I have two SSDs in my PC: an NVMe drive containing Windows and a SATA SSD used mainly for games and storage. Recently the computer froze, showed a black screen, and began restarting repeatedly. Since then, I have experienced occasional BSODs with errors related to memory and the registry, but the crashes happen too quickly to read the full messages. After some restarts, Windows also seems to lose changes made during the previous session, such as downloaded files or browsing activity.
CHKDSK has reported filesystem corruption. CrystalDiskInfo shows the NVMe drive at 92% health without any major SMART warnings, but I cannot reliably format or delete partitions on the SATA SSD using Windows Setup, DiskPart, Disk Management, or third-party partition tools. The SATA SSD is an inexpensive drive purchased several years ago, so I initially suspected it was failing. However, I later realized the original title was incorrect and the drive suspected of failing is actually the NVMe system drive.
Could the NVMe drive or its controller be failing even though SMART reports 92% health? Could it explain the BSODs and lost writes, or should I investigate another cause such as memory, cabling, or the motherboard first?
4 Answers
First try powering the system down and reseating the NVMe drive and the SATA data and power cables. A loose connection can cause failed writes, corruption, and drives disappearing or refusing partition operations. If the SATA drive still cannot be partitioned after testing it with a known-good cable and another computer or enclosure, treat it as unreliable and replace it. The inability to format alone does not prove which drive is causing the BSODs.
If Windows only allows a small shrink on the SATA volume, that is usually caused by unmovable files rather than a failing SSD. Disabling the page file and hibernation may not remove every unmovable file. That issue is separate from the crashes; use a bootable partitioning environment only after backing up the data.
The BSODs should be investigated independently instead of assuming the SATA SSD is responsible. Configure Windows to stop automatically restarting and check C:WindowsMinidump for crash dumps. Those can identify whether the failures point to storage drivers, memory, or another component. Run a proper memory test as well, because memory-related and registry errors can result from bad RAM, unstable settings, or corrupted system files.
SMART health is not a guarantee that an SSD is reliable. A drive can have controller, firmware, connection, or write-cache problems before SMART reports a critical failure. Back up anything important immediately, then test the NVMe and SATA drives separately. Check their connections, review Windows Event Viewer for disk or controller errors, and run the manufacturer's diagnostic tool. If the crashes stop when the suspected NVMe drive is removed, replace it rather than continuing to use it for the operating system.
Also avoid repeated formatting or repair attempts until important data is backed up. If the drive is unstable, every additional write can make recovery harder.