Recovery Centre
Possible Causes of Hard Drive Failure
No one likes to experience hard drive failure. That is because when your hard drive crashes, you stand to lose all the data you have stored in the damaged hard driv
Possible Causes of Hard Drive Failure
No one likes to experience hard drive failure. That is because when your hard drive crashes, you stand to lose all the data you have stored in the damaged hard drive. The resulting data loss may lead to loss of profits for your company, not to mention wasted time and effort. Also, hiring the services of a data recovery expert to retrieve the lost data may prove to be expensive and time consuming for you.
You can only prevent possible data loss due to hard drive failure if you understand how a hard disk crash can happen. What causes a hard disk to crash? Here are common reasons behind it.
1. Physical wear and tear. Hard disks are very delicate devices. Inasmuch as constant usage will lead to natural wearing and tearing, careless handling can cause hard drive failure. As such, hard disks should always be protected from elements that can accelerate the natural wear-and-tear process, such as sunlight, dust, heat, moisture and humidity. Exposure to such elements will cause the hard disk to become damaged.
2. Sudden power surges. Sudden power surges can fry certain parts of your hard drive. When this happens, the damaged parts of the hard disk will become inaccessible, and you cannot write data on these damaged sectors. In order to prevent sudden power surges from damaging your hard disk, not to mention your entire computer, your computer should be plugged to a voltage regulator.
3. Sudden changes in temperature. Data is written on the hard drive with the use of magnetic charges. Sudden changes in temperature in the room where the computer is located can cause the magnetic information to evaporate or cause the platters on the hard drive to expand.
4. Mechanical errors. Sometimes, due to manufacturing defects or due to sudden movements when transporting the hard drive, it is possible for the actuator arm – the "head" of the hard drive – to become damaged and come into contact with the platters of the hard drive. The resulting friction often leads to hard drive failure.
You will know that you are headed for hard drive failure if your computer refuses to boot up, if a blue screen appears frequently, if your computer freezes for no reason, or if there are loud clicking or grinding sounds coming from your computer tower. If that is the case, you are better off taking your hard drive out for repairs. Otherwise, you may suffer total data loss if you ignore potential problems with your hard drive.
