Hard drive failure can be catastrophic since you may lose all your important data and files permanently. Hard drives typically last anything between three and five years. However, many things can cause a hard drive to fail, reducing its lifespan. These include external shocks, power surges, virus attacks, humidity, heat, and wear and tear. Your hard disk may experience either a physical or logical failure, depending on the cause of the failure.
Fortunately, each type of failure has its own warning signs that can help you know your hard drive is failing. Identifying an imminent hard drive failure early enough can help you take preventative measures to avoid data loss.
For instance, if your Apple computer’s hard drive shows signs of bad sector failure, taking it to your nearest Apple service center to be checked can help salvage vital data from the damaged parts. The sooner you spot the failure signals, the greater the chance of saving your data. Here are a few of the most common signs of hard drive failure you should be on the lookout for:
1. Strange Sounds
One of the common signs of a failing hard drive is strange sounds from your drive. If you hear an unusual noise like grinding or clicking sounds emanating from your hard drive, there’s likely a problem, and you need to have it checked immediately. It’s also crucial to back up the stored data since the drive can crash anytime.
The only way to ensure the safety of your data is by saving it on a second drive, on the cloud, or on an external hard drive. Your hard drive producing strange sounds could signify a malfunctioning component. If ignored, it could lead to permanent failure and data loss.
2. Corrupted Files or Bad Sectors on your Hard Drive
Another common sign of gradual hard drive failure is your files getting corrupted. If you find some of your files can’t open or are entirely missing and you had saved them without errors, it could be an indication of impending hard drive failure. You should have the missing or corrupted files recovered by a recovery specialist and stored on a different drive.
Besides corrupted signs, your drive could be failing if you notice an increasing number of bad sectors. Bad sectors are the permanently damaged parts of the hard drive. The data stored in these sectors is usually lost. If your hard drive is failing, bad sectors can accumulate quickly. It’s essential that you create backups of your data immediately after you notice a sign of bad sectors.
3. Frequent Crashes and Freezes
Your hard drive may also be failing if you experience frequent crashes and freezes while using your computer. One of the common crashes that could indicate a hard drive failure is the blue screen of death. While many different factors may cause the blue screen of death, if it happens immediately after you’ve installed a new system, then it’s likely that your hard disk is failing.
Endnote
Paying attention to the above warning signs can help you know when your hard drive is failing and take appropriate measures to safeguard your important data before you lose it. The only sure way to avoid data loss when the hard drive is failing is by backing it up on an external drive.
If you suspect your hard drive could be failing, you mustn’t try to repair it yourself unless you’re a trained computer repair technician since it could worsen the issue. Instead, have it checked by a specialist to help recover your data without causing additional problems.