A Hard drive is the most personal component that goes inside a computer system. Your photos , videos, memories, reports, OS, programs- every...
A Hard drive is the most personal component that goes inside a computer system. Your photos , videos, memories, reports, OS, programs- every bit of data. You trust those magnetic platters spinning at 7200RPM to store your family photos or your crazy movie collection.
But hard drives fail; they take everything with them. It may take days or even years before they show signs of failure but hard drive failure is inevitable. Unless you take some precautionary steps.
In my previous article I mentioned some factors that you should be looking at while choosing a new hard drive. A good drive, if taken proper care, can run for many years without any problems. Yes they will die some day but you will most probably get a new drive by then anyway.
Word of caution! This article is going to be a bit long but I will recommend you to read it till the last. So read on to find out a few tips that would help you to prevent hard drive failure and increase its life.
Backup - Having a plan B
Backing up your data will not prevent a hard drive failure but it will cover up its cost. With the advent of cloud storage, backing up data is more hassle free than before. Create a schedule and your files are backed up at regular intervals. But not everyone has a great internet connection (note to self- get a better connection) and if you have loads of data, cloud storage can be a bit small for your needs.
A small screen grab of various cloud storage options
There was a time when people used CDs and DVDs for backup. They were cheap but not much reliable and were available only in small capacities. External HDDs are still the best bet for local data backup and storage. They are not that expensive and come in variety of capacities. And if you have the need for speed then there are many external SSDs available. These SSDs are also catching up with the storage space; external SSDs as large as 2TB are available in the market.
Some drives also provide automatic backup functions and combine this local storage with cloud and there is no reason why you should not be backing up your data.
Now with importance of backup cleared, let us move on to the real causes.
Static Electricity is HDDs foe
Or any PC component's for that matter. Static electricity is dangerous, especially when you are handling the drive. Cleaning the PC, changing cases are common scenarios where your hard drives are in danger of Static electricity discharge. Carpets, dry air or even your cat can be a source of static buildup.
Static electricity can damage the micro circuits and their pathways on the PCB. This can lead to failure right away or slowly over time.
READ This TOO How to Solve Problem of Slow Internet in Windows 10Powered by Inline Related Posts
SOLUTION- Always ground yourself before touching any PC component. Touch a piece of bare metal like a PC case or PSU and you'll be fine. Also never touch the PCB of the HDD. Always hold it from the sides. It will prevent any undue pressure or static discharge to the PCB.
Knocks are BAD
Modern hard drives are one of the best examples of precision engineering. Delicate components and their intricate working is mind boggling. The distance between the head and the magnetic platters of the drive is less than the thickness of a fingerprint.
Even a small knock can easily wreak havoc over your data. It does not matter if your PC is running or not. A bump to the device can cause problems over time. Mobile devices like laptops are more prone to such damage.
The line you see on the platter is actually caused because of the slammed head.
Due to a bump, the head may touch the spinning platter causing microscopic dents on the surface or worse microscopic flying debris over the surface. And when the platters are spinning at 7200RPM, you can imagine what will happen to your data.
SOLUTION- Always handle you drives with utter care. Moving your PC, cleaning the drive or working on your laptop while on the move- these are the situations where there is a big chance of knocking your HDD. You should be really careful during such activities.
Remember- never throw, stack or drop your drives. Or get ready to kiss goodbye to your data. Speaking from personal experience here.
Vibrations can reduce HDD life
When a drive is in your hands, you can ensure its safety. But handling the drive outside the PC is different than handling it during operation.
Hard drives are mechanical devices and for obvious reasons are prone to vibrations, especially the high speed ones. Upon that, add lose mounting mechanisms and you have a recipe for disaster. Vibrations from the case and drive can amplify which can cause problems to the drive. For long, taxing work sessions the internal working of the drive can be seriously affected.
There is a two fold aspect of this problem. First it is bad for your drive's mechanism and second it creates noise, which I don't think anyone wants from their PC.
SOLUTION- First check that the drive is properly secured or not. Cheaper cases, most of the time have loose mechanisms. Use screws if necessary. Usually modern cases don't face such problems. Still double check the mounting.
Go for slower drives if you are not going for any serious computing work. The WD Green Series is what I recommend for a small economical silent PC.
READ This TOO Choosing a Hard Drive for PC - A Short GuidePowered by Inline Related Posts
And if you are a power user but still don't want vibrations creeping in then I would suggest you to check out the WD Red series. They have vibration protection features.
Temps and cooling- Keeping it COOL
HDDs generate heat and like many components of a PC, they need proper cooling. The normal operating range for many drives lie within the 0-60 region. For drives with 24/7 usage, this range increases to 0-80. These special drives are made to withstand such temps for long duration. As you have guessed it, running normal HDDs at high temps is not a good idea. High temps slowly kills the drive and can lead to premature hard drive failure.
CrystalDiskInfo is a good tool to monitor your HDD temperature and health status
You can get away with little higher than normal temps for a single drive. But when you have many drives stacked over each other in a cramped case, then it becomes necessary to cool them.
SOLUTION- Use a fan near the HDD area. Many cases come with intake fans, if yours does not then get one and fit it in. I can easily tell you that it will make huge improvements.
Cooling hard drives does not need huge 140mm fans. Even a small 80mm fans will do wonders. Though a large fan will also considerably improve your PCs performance. Doing so will improve the lifetime of every component.
Power Surges and Voltage Fluctuations
Hard drives as I said earlier, are quite delicate components. They can be rendered useless just by knocking them over. But even more serious issue is damage caused by power surges and voltage fluctuations. You have some degree of control over physical damage to the discs. On rogue voltages. You Don't.
It is difficult to pin point the exact source of fluctuations. It can be a faulty PSU, a bad connector or even a bad wall socket. The most common cause of hard drive failure is the lack of proper power supply. As I mentioned here, choosing a good power supply for a PC is very important. If there is any kind of voltage or current fluctuation over the PSU, the direct results can be seen on the PC components. And a hard drive is the first prey of a bad PSU.
For example, if the ripple filtration of the PSU is not good then slowly this ripple will go into your components. It may take even weeks before you see any sign of a bad drive and one day it might fail. Not only your drives, but your other components too.
SOLUTION- If you have a cheap, no-name PSU then change it immediately. Buy something from a good, reputable brand. You don't need those expensive kilowatt models. A small but good PSU will be fine. If you want to know more about good PSUs then check this article-
READ This TOO Maintaining PC Performance in 6 Easy StepsPowered by Inline Related Posts
Choosing a good PSU
If you have a good power supply, then consider buying a good surge protector if you do not already have one. They don't cost a ton and will provide invaluable protection to your drives as well as your PC. But there is a catch, surge protectors will give best results only when there is a continuous supply of power. If your area faces problems of frequent power cuts, then I would suggest you to consider investing in a good UPS. Because I care for your and your Titan Blacks deserve good protection.
Defragmentation- Keeping it together
Unlike other factors mentioned earlier, you have no direct/indirect control over fragmentation. Fragmentation happens with every HDD and no one can stop it. Its effects can only be reduced with regular defragmentation.
Now what is fragmentation? It is little bits of data or information of a single file that are spread over a disk. The drive arm will have to move more than usual just for accessing it. Because the bits can be present anywhere on the disk, your drive performance, that is read or access time will be slower with increasing fragmentation.
If you never defragment the drive these bits will make your drive to work harder than usual and which will in result can cause slow performance and premature hard drive failure. Fragmentation is one of the major reasons for slow drive performance.
SOLUTION- The solution is simply defragmention. Defragmentation is the process by which this problem is solved. There are many utilities for de-fragging- both free and unpaid. Google is your best friend here.
There is a myth that de-fragmenting your drive before 20% is bad and you should not defrag your drives regularly. This is clearly a lie. On the contrary, you should regularly go for it and do it way before it reaches 20%. This will help you in getting better PC performance and better drive life.
Wrapping It Up
I had two drives fail on me. It was a long time back when 320GB models were high end. I lost the first one due to a knock during moving my PC to the next room. Lost the data completely. The second one I lost was because of voltage fluctuations in my area. This time I managed to save my data because the drive was dying a slow death. From then on, I pledged that I will never handle drives casually. This has paid off well till now.
But hard drives fail; they take everything with them. It may take days or even years before they show signs of failure but hard drive failure is inevitable. Unless you take some precautionary steps.
In my previous article I mentioned some factors that you should be looking at while choosing a new hard drive. A good drive, if taken proper care, can run for many years without any problems. Yes they will die some day but you will most probably get a new drive by then anyway.
Word of caution! This article is going to be a bit long but I will recommend you to read it till the last. So read on to find out a few tips that would help you to prevent hard drive failure and increase its life.
Backup - Having a plan B
Backing up your data will not prevent a hard drive failure but it will cover up its cost. With the advent of cloud storage, backing up data is more hassle free than before. Create a schedule and your files are backed up at regular intervals. But not everyone has a great internet connection (note to self- get a better connection) and if you have loads of data, cloud storage can be a bit small for your needs.
A small screen grab of various cloud storage options
There was a time when people used CDs and DVDs for backup. They were cheap but not much reliable and were available only in small capacities. External HDDs are still the best bet for local data backup and storage. They are not that expensive and come in variety of capacities. And if you have the need for speed then there are many external SSDs available. These SSDs are also catching up with the storage space; external SSDs as large as 2TB are available in the market.
Some drives also provide automatic backup functions and combine this local storage with cloud and there is no reason why you should not be backing up your data.
Now with importance of backup cleared, let us move on to the real causes.
Static Electricity is HDDs foe
Or any PC component's for that matter. Static electricity is dangerous, especially when you are handling the drive. Cleaning the PC, changing cases are common scenarios where your hard drives are in danger of Static electricity discharge. Carpets, dry air or even your cat can be a source of static buildup.
Static electricity can damage the micro circuits and their pathways on the PCB. This can lead to failure right away or slowly over time.
READ This TOO How to Solve Problem of Slow Internet in Windows 10Powered by Inline Related Posts
SOLUTION- Always ground yourself before touching any PC component. Touch a piece of bare metal like a PC case or PSU and you'll be fine. Also never touch the PCB of the HDD. Always hold it from the sides. It will prevent any undue pressure or static discharge to the PCB.
Knocks are BAD
Modern hard drives are one of the best examples of precision engineering. Delicate components and their intricate working is mind boggling. The distance between the head and the magnetic platters of the drive is less than the thickness of a fingerprint.
Even a small knock can easily wreak havoc over your data. It does not matter if your PC is running or not. A bump to the device can cause problems over time. Mobile devices like laptops are more prone to such damage.
The line you see on the platter is actually caused because of the slammed head.
Due to a bump, the head may touch the spinning platter causing microscopic dents on the surface or worse microscopic flying debris over the surface. And when the platters are spinning at 7200RPM, you can imagine what will happen to your data.
SOLUTION- Always handle you drives with utter care. Moving your PC, cleaning the drive or working on your laptop while on the move- these are the situations where there is a big chance of knocking your HDD. You should be really careful during such activities.
Remember- never throw, stack or drop your drives. Or get ready to kiss goodbye to your data. Speaking from personal experience here.
Vibrations can reduce HDD life
When a drive is in your hands, you can ensure its safety. But handling the drive outside the PC is different than handling it during operation.
Hard drives are mechanical devices and for obvious reasons are prone to vibrations, especially the high speed ones. Upon that, add lose mounting mechanisms and you have a recipe for disaster. Vibrations from the case and drive can amplify which can cause problems to the drive. For long, taxing work sessions the internal working of the drive can be seriously affected.
There is a two fold aspect of this problem. First it is bad for your drive's mechanism and second it creates noise, which I don't think anyone wants from their PC.
SOLUTION- First check that the drive is properly secured or not. Cheaper cases, most of the time have loose mechanisms. Use screws if necessary. Usually modern cases don't face such problems. Still double check the mounting.
Go for slower drives if you are not going for any serious computing work. The WD Green Series is what I recommend for a small economical silent PC.
READ This TOO Choosing a Hard Drive for PC - A Short GuidePowered by Inline Related Posts
And if you are a power user but still don't want vibrations creeping in then I would suggest you to check out the WD Red series. They have vibration protection features.
Temps and cooling- Keeping it COOL
HDDs generate heat and like many components of a PC, they need proper cooling. The normal operating range for many drives lie within the 0-60 region. For drives with 24/7 usage, this range increases to 0-80. These special drives are made to withstand such temps for long duration. As you have guessed it, running normal HDDs at high temps is not a good idea. High temps slowly kills the drive and can lead to premature hard drive failure.
CrystalDiskInfo is a good tool to monitor your HDD temperature and health status
You can get away with little higher than normal temps for a single drive. But when you have many drives stacked over each other in a cramped case, then it becomes necessary to cool them.
SOLUTION- Use a fan near the HDD area. Many cases come with intake fans, if yours does not then get one and fit it in. I can easily tell you that it will make huge improvements.
Cooling hard drives does not need huge 140mm fans. Even a small 80mm fans will do wonders. Though a large fan will also considerably improve your PCs performance. Doing so will improve the lifetime of every component.
Power Surges and Voltage Fluctuations
Hard drives as I said earlier, are quite delicate components. They can be rendered useless just by knocking them over. But even more serious issue is damage caused by power surges and voltage fluctuations. You have some degree of control over physical damage to the discs. On rogue voltages. You Don't.
It is difficult to pin point the exact source of fluctuations. It can be a faulty PSU, a bad connector or even a bad wall socket. The most common cause of hard drive failure is the lack of proper power supply. As I mentioned here, choosing a good power supply for a PC is very important. If there is any kind of voltage or current fluctuation over the PSU, the direct results can be seen on the PC components. And a hard drive is the first prey of a bad PSU.
For example, if the ripple filtration of the PSU is not good then slowly this ripple will go into your components. It may take even weeks before you see any sign of a bad drive and one day it might fail. Not only your drives, but your other components too.
SOLUTION- If you have a cheap, no-name PSU then change it immediately. Buy something from a good, reputable brand. You don't need those expensive kilowatt models. A small but good PSU will be fine. If you want to know more about good PSUs then check this article-
READ This TOO Maintaining PC Performance in 6 Easy StepsPowered by Inline Related Posts
Choosing a good PSU
If you have a good power supply, then consider buying a good surge protector if you do not already have one. They don't cost a ton and will provide invaluable protection to your drives as well as your PC. But there is a catch, surge protectors will give best results only when there is a continuous supply of power. If your area faces problems of frequent power cuts, then I would suggest you to consider investing in a good UPS. Because I care for your and your Titan Blacks deserve good protection.
Defragmentation- Keeping it together
Unlike other factors mentioned earlier, you have no direct/indirect control over fragmentation. Fragmentation happens with every HDD and no one can stop it. Its effects can only be reduced with regular defragmentation.
Now what is fragmentation? It is little bits of data or information of a single file that are spread over a disk. The drive arm will have to move more than usual just for accessing it. Because the bits can be present anywhere on the disk, your drive performance, that is read or access time will be slower with increasing fragmentation.
If you never defragment the drive these bits will make your drive to work harder than usual and which will in result can cause slow performance and premature hard drive failure. Fragmentation is one of the major reasons for slow drive performance.
SOLUTION- The solution is simply defragmention. Defragmentation is the process by which this problem is solved. There are many utilities for de-fragging- both free and unpaid. Google is your best friend here.
There is a myth that de-fragmenting your drive before 20% is bad and you should not defrag your drives regularly. This is clearly a lie. On the contrary, you should regularly go for it and do it way before it reaches 20%. This will help you in getting better PC performance and better drive life.
Wrapping It Up
I had two drives fail on me. It was a long time back when 320GB models were high end. I lost the first one due to a knock during moving my PC to the next room. Lost the data completely. The second one I lost was because of voltage fluctuations in my area. This time I managed to save my data because the drive was dying a slow death. From then on, I pledged that I will never handle drives casually. This has paid off well till now.
So with this personal story, I am wrapping up this article. Hope you gained something from this article. Do You have your tips or experiences to share? Then shoot it in the comments. Also don't forget to SHARE the article if you found it USEFUL!
