Last updated on December 13, 2015
Computer hard drives permanently store music files, documents, photos, and other important data. All these can easily be accessed at a click of a mouse. However, at some point you may experience hard drive failure and could lose all your files as a result. Only around 50 per cent of people make backup copies of their data on a separate device. Here are some common causes of hard drive failure that you should take note of:
Physical damage to computer
Internal and external hard drives are prone to damage from water spillage and excessive heat. Water and heat can both cause a great deal of damage to the electronic components of hard drives. These parts are not built to withstand such elements.
Sudden exits from Windows
You may at various situations need to switch off or reset your computer. If the shutdown process fails or is incorrect, the computer locks up or freezes. This action can cause damage to your hard drive and affect normal file operations.
Difficult shutdowns
Similar to desktop computers, the laptops components are also prone to damage when they are abruptly shut down. Although laptops have batteries, you could still loose the power to your drive mid process if the battery were to run out of power as a file was being moved or saved. Sudden or difficult shutdowns are particularly destructive when data is being written to an external hard drive. You should always take care when shutting down your laptop for the sake of your drive’s safety.
Inadequate ventilation
Overheating can also eventually lead to hard drive failure. Always make sure your laptop’s fan, which is usually located at the bottom or side of the device, is not blocked or obstructed. A computer should never be too hot as overheating can happen quickly without any warning. Using your laptop in a well ventilation position is the best way to avoid this risk.
Shock
As hard drives are delicate pieces of computer components, excess shock or vibration can cause a lot of damage. The platters of these parts rotate at very high speed, usually between 5,000 and 10,000 RPM. The disk reader floats on an air cushion with a distance of around 0.5 micro inches. These engineered parts of the computer or laptop are highly susceptible to shock and can easily fail to perform correctly.
Problems with other hardware
The RAM is an important part of a computer. If the data in RAM gets corrupted, the hard drive can also fail. Aside from bad RAM, over-clocked PCI, data cables that are in poor condition, and non-consistent motherboards can all play a factor in hard drive failure.
Tangled wires and messy cables
Some laptops and desktop computers have messy cables and wires as well as extension leads that can easily get tangled. Your hard drive may as a result not be able to read and write data reliably. Always make sure your wires and cables are neatly arranged and try not to have too many in the same place.
Dust
Dust and airborne particles are amongst the biggest enemies of hard drives. In fact, even the tiniest speck of dust can cause serious damage to the components inside your drive. As hard drives are sealed units, dust will not normally pose a problem unless you open up your hard drive at home. Specialist hard drive repair companies use special contaminant free rooms for carrying out hard drive repairs.
Power surges from
It is important to protect your computer from power surges, special devices can be bought that will protect your computer from a surge in the mains supply. If there is an electrical storm, its also a good idea to shut down your computer or laptop and unplug your drive right away. A power surge from lightning strikes can obviously cause serious and irreparable damage.
By Nick Davison
Guildford Data Recovery are part of the nationwide Easy Recovery group of data recovery specialists, they recover data from pretty much any type of digital storage you can imagine. For more information on how to protect your data, visit us online.
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