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Scanner does monitor (e.g. every minute or so, can be configured) SMART data and also regularly (e.g. monthly, depends on your setup choices) scans both the file system and every sector on your drives to check that they are readable, and can attempt repairs. The scanning as a (nice) side-effect can also prevent some bit rot, as the act of scanning ensures the drive will be regularly fully powered up and that the drive's own detection/correction features will (or at least should) automatically examine/repair/reallocate cells/sectors in the background as Scanner reads them. Note that SSDs are much more susceptible to charge decay than HDDs, as the former relies on a much faster but less stable storage method; it can vary widely by the type of SSD but the general takeaway is that a SSD/HDD that's been sitting unused for X months/years respectively might not keep your data intact (the bigger the X, the smaller the trust). Anyway, aside from the problem mentioned with SSDs above, drive-based bit rot (as opposed to other sources and causes, e.g. due to bad RAM, EM spikes, faulty controllers, using non-ECC memory in a system that doesn't get cold-booted regularly, etc) is by itself quite rare, but it is yet another reason to keep backups. TLDRs: if you keep necessary data on a SSD, I suggest keeping it powered continuously or at least regularly. Regularly scan your SSDs and HDDs. Keep backups. If you're not using an ECC setup, consider disabling "Fast Start" in Windows 10/11 and restarting your PC occasionally (e.g. once a month) if you're not already doing so.