How to check the memory status on Xiaomi: from free space to chip wear

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones use memory like eMMC or UFS — both have limited write life. Over time, memory cells wear out, leading to slowdowns, sudden reboots, or even data loss. But how do you know that the problem is in memory, not in the processor or battery?

In this article you will find 5 proven methods of memory diagnostics on Xiaomi devices – from basic free space check to deep analysis of chip wear using an engineering menu and ADB. We will also discuss which symptoms indicate critical wear and tear. NAND-Error E: Filed to mount (e.g. E: Filed to mount) /data When you are running a computer, what to do if your memory is dying".

Basic verification: how much memory is free and what takes it

The first step is to assess the occupancy of the drive. Even if you have a Xiaomi 13 Pro with 512 GB, the system can eat up the space unnoticed: app cache, MIUI updates, log files.

1. Open Settings → Memory (on some firmware path: Settings → Storage).
2. Wait for the analysis – the system will show the distribution by categories: Applications, Multimedia, Cash, System Data.
3. Tap any category to see the details, like in the Apps section, sort by size, so you'll find "gluttonous" programs.

⚠️ Note: If the System Data section is more than 10 GB occupied, this is a sign of clogged logs or remnants of old firmware. → The phone. → Memory. → Cleaning (reset required).

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On smartphones with MIUI 14+ there is a hidden function "Deep Clean": press the Memory icon in the settings for 3 seconds to activate the advanced analysis.

If less than 10 percent of the total volume is free, the device will start to brake due to fragmentation.

• 📁 Transfer your photos/video to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🗑️ Remove the app cache through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Kesh.
• 🔄 Use it. SD-Card as internal memory (only for models with Adoptable Storage support).

2. Read/write speed check: benchmark tests

Slow memory is a common cause of lag. For example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 with worn eMMC 5.1 can show a write speed below 50 MB / s (normal: 150+ MB / s).

How to interpret the results:

• 🟢 UFS 3.0/3.1 (For example, in Xiaomi 12T): reading 1500+ MB/s, record. 800+ MB/s.
• 🟡 UFS 2.1/2.2 (For example, in the Redmi Note. 11 Pro: reading 500–800 MB/s, record. 200–400 MB/s.
• 🔴 eMMC 5.1 (e.g. in Poco) M3): reading below 200 MB / s - a sign of wear.

⚠️ Warning: If the write speed has dropped below 50MB/s, it may indicate a failure of the memory controller, in which case even flashing the firmware will not help: you need to replace the chip.

3.NAND wear diagnosis: engineering menu and ADB

Memory manufacturers (such as Samsung, Hynix) put in chips data about wear — S.M.A.R.T. On Xiaomi, this data can be read through the engineering menu or ADB.

Method 1: Through the engineering menu (works on most models up to MIUI 13):

1. Open the Phone app and type ##4636##.
2. Go to the Testing section → Warehouse.
3. See Lifetime Writes (total data recorded) and Bad Blocks (damaged blocks).

Method 2: A Universal Method (ADB):

adb shell


su




cat /sys/block/mmcblk0/device/life_time

The result will show the percentage of wear (for example, life_time=A:0x1E signifier ~30% Wearing. Normal values:

• 🟢 Up to 20% – memory in good condition.
• 🟡 20-50% – the degradation of speed begins.
• 🔴 More than 70% of data loss risk.

4. Checking for broken sectors and file system errors

If the smartphone suddenly restarts, the apps crash with the error "Storage may be corrupted," or the files get corrupted, these are signs of broken sectors.

Method 1: Using fsck (built-in Linux utility):

adb shell


su




fsck -f /dev/block/by-name/userdata

If the utility finds errors, it will prompt to fix them (Fix? yes/no). Attention: The process may take up to 30 minutes and the phone will restart.

Method 2: DiskInfo (shows Bad Sectors and Reallocated Sectors) can be downloaded here.

⚠️ Note: If the number of Reallocated Sectors exceeds 100, this is a critical signal. Data can be lost at any time:

• 🔄 Urgently make a backup on PC via adb backup or Mi PC Suite.
• 🛠️ Contact the service to replace the memory chip (cost: 3-8 thousand rubles. depending on the model).

5. Analysis of system logs for memory errors

MIUI keeps error logs that record memory problems, so you can see them.

1. Install the Logcat Extreme app from Google Play.
2. Run log recording and play back the problem (for example, save a file or install an application).
3. Stop recording and filter logs by keywords: E/Storage – file system errors, E/mmc or E/ufs – controller problems, E/FDE – encryption errors (relevant to MIUI 12+).

Examples of critical errors:

• E/mmc0: Failed to read from block 123456 (error -110)
• E/Storage: Failed to mount /data: Device or resource busy

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If E/mmc with a timeout error code of -110 is common in logs, this means that the memory controller does not have time to process requests.

What to do if memory "dies": data rescue and repair

If the diagnosis showed critical wear (more than 70% for S.M.A.R.T. or thousands of broken sectors), act according to the algorithm:

Urgently copy all data to your PC via adb pull /sdcard/|Turn off encryption (if enabled) via Settings → Security → Encryption|Do not install new applications or update them. MIUI|Ask the service to replace the memory chip (check if your Xiaomi model supports the replacement). NAND motherboard-free)-->

⚠️ Note: On models with soldered memory (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11), replacing the chip requires soldering, which is more expensive (10-15 thousand rubles.). It is cheaper to buy a new smartphone if its price is below 20 thousand rubles.

Alternative solutions:

• 🔧 Replacement with a used board (cheaper, but risk getting the same worn-out chip).
• ☁️ Using cloud storage (for example, Mi Cloud with a tariff of 200 GB per 100 rubles / month).
• 📱 Buying a smartphone with microSD support (e.g. Poco) X5 Pro).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi memory