I've been using my WD_BLACK 1TB SN770 NVMe SSD for a couple of years now, and all the disk management tools I check say it's in perfect condition with 100% healthy sectors. However, after I built a new PC, wiped the drive, and upgraded to Windows 11, I'm experiencing annoying hang-ups and freezes that force me to restart my system.
In the event viewer, I'm seeing repeated errors indicating that "The device, DeviceHarddisk0DR0, has a bad block." I've attempted repairing the drive via Command Prompt multiple times without success. I even reinstalled Windows 11 using the same media creation tool USB, but the issues persist. They usually crop up when I try starting a game or accessing a program on the boot drive. For some odd reason, Firefox continues to function while other apps like Spotify freeze.
I'm really hoping this is a software issue and not a failing drive since all indicators suggest it's healthy. I'm hesitant to buy a replacement unless I absolutely have to. Any advice?
4 Answers
Consider switching the NVMe drive to a different slot on your motherboard. Sometimes a simple connection issue can cause these kinds of problems. It’s worth a try!
It sounds like there could be a deeper issue here than just the drive itself. Even if it appears healthy, sometimes failures are tied to random hardware issues that won't show up in diagnostics. Just keep that in mind!
Have you updated the SSD firmware yet? I faced a similar issue with mine, and updating it through the WD software fixed the problem! You might want to try that if you haven't already.
Those health reports only track predictable wear from writes. Any irregular issues might not be detected until they cause significant problems. If HD Tune Pro didn’t find errors, you might be looking at controller failure. I’d say it’s time to think about a replacement to avoid frustration later on!
I did attempt an update using a Sandisk tool, but I’ll give the official WD app another shot.