Storage Performance Not Measurable? Fixes That Work

If you see “could not measure storage performance” in Windows, it usually means the built-in disk assessment tool failed to run, not that your drive is broken. This guide explains why the error happens and gives step-by-step fixes that work on current versions of Windows 10 and 11.

What Causes This Error

Windows measures storage performance through a component called Disk Performance in Task Manager and through the winsat disk command-line tool. The error appears when the assessment cannot complete, often because of one of these reasons:

• The disk is busy with other operations (e.g., a large file transfer or a virus scan).
• The drive is a network or virtual disk that does not support the test.
• Power settings have turned off the drive to save energy.
• Outdated or faulty storage drivers.
• Windows services related to performance monitoring are disabled.
• The system is running from a live USB or a recovery environment.

The error is usually temporary. If it persists, the fixes below will help.

Quick Checks Before You Troubleshoot

Try these simple steps first. They resolve many cases without deeper changes.

1. Close other programs that might be using the disk heavily (e.g., backup software, file indexing, game downloads).
2. Wait a minute and retry – the test may succeed when the disk is less busy.
3. Check if the drive is local – network drives, USB flash drives, and some RAID arrays are not measured by Windows’ built-in tool.
4. Restart the computer – this clears temporary locks and resets the storage stack.

If the error still appears, move to the fixes below.

Fix 1: Run the Assessment from Command Prompt

Task Manager’s disk performance view sometimes fails silently. Running the official assessment tool manually gives a clearer error message.

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as administrator.
2. Type winsat disk and press Enter.
3. Wait for the test to finish (it can take a few minutes).
4. Look at the output. If it shows an error code, note it down for further research.

If the command completes, the performance data will appear in Task Manager after you refresh. If it fails, the error message will guide you (e.g., “disk is too slow” or “access denied”).

Fix 2: Update or Reinstall Storage Drivers

Outdated or mismatched drivers are a common cause. Windows updates usually handle this, but you can force a check.

1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Disk drives and Storage controllers.
3. Right-click each device and choose Update driver → Search automatically.
4. If no update is found, right-click again and choose Uninstall device. Then restart – Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.

Be careful with the uninstall step: only do this for internal drives, not for your system drive if you are unsure. The worst case is a reboot, not data loss.

Fix 3: Adjust Power Settings

Windows may turn off your hard drive after a period of inactivity, which interferes with the assessment.

1. Open Control Panel → Power Options.
2. Click Change plan settings next to your active plan.
3. Click Change advanced power settings.
4. Expand Hard disk → Turn off hard disk after.
5. Set it to 0 (meaning never) or a high number like 1000 minutes.
6. Click OK and retry the assessment.

This is especially relevant for laptops. You can revert the setting later if you prefer energy saving.

Fix 4: Enable Required Windows Services

Two services are critical for storage performance measurement: Diagnostic Policy Service and Performance Logs & Alerts. If they are disabled, the test fails.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Diagnostic Policy Service. Double-click it.
3. Set Startup type to Automatic and click Start.
4. Do the same for Performance Logs & Alerts.
5. Restart the computer and retry.

If the services were already running, skip this fix and move on.

Fix 5: Check Disk Health and File System

A failing drive can cause the measurement tool to error out. Running a basic health check is safe and informative.

1. Open an administrator Command Prompt.
2. Type chkdsk C: /f (replace C: with your drive letter) and press Enter.
3. If prompted, type Y to schedule the check on the next restart.
4. Restart the computer and let the check complete.

Also check the drive’s S.M.A.R.T. status. In PowerShell (admin), run:

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, HealthStatus

If the health status is not “Healthy”, back up your data immediately and consider replacing the drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Task Manager show “Could not measure storage performance” for my SSD?

SSDs are supported, but the error often appears if the disk is busy or if the system has just booted. Wait a few minutes, close heavy programs, and try again. If it persists, use the command-line method (Fix 1) to get a specific error.

Does this error mean my drive is failing?

Not necessarily. It is usually a software or configuration issue. However, if you also see file copy errors, frequent freezes, or the drive disappears, run a health check (Fix 5) and back up your data.

Can I measure storage performance on an external USB drive?

The built-in Windows tool is designed for internal drives. For USB drives, use a third-party benchmark like CrystalDiskMark. The error you see in Task Manager is expected for external drives.

Will running winsat disk harm my drive?

No. The test reads and writes temporary files in a controlled way. It does not modify your personal files. It may cause a slight slowdown while running, but it is safe.

How do I see the performance result after a successful test?

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Performance tab, and select your disk. The graph and read/write speeds appear. If you ran winsat disk, the results are in the command output under “Disk Random 16.0 Read” etc.

What if none of these fixes work?

If the error persists on an internal drive, try a clean boot (disable all non-Microsoft services) to rule out third-party interference. If it still fails, the issue may be with the drive’s firmware or the motherboard’s storage controller. Check for firmware updates from the drive manufacturer and motherboard BIOS updates.

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