The Truth About Computer Hard Drives
Standard computer hard drives are time-honored technology that's been utilized for decades now, but it has its drawbacks. One of the problems with hard drives is that they're known to fail. If you didn't know that your hard drive could up and die on you someday, then read this guide to find out what you should do if it ever happens to you.
Failure Is Inevitable
Traditional hard drives don't last forever. They use moving parts similar to that of a record player, with an arm that sits over a spinning disc. The disc contains the data your computer uses and records, while the arm acts to record that data or read the data.
The problem with this design is that anything that has moving parts will eventually degrade and break down. Traditional hard drives are also very delicate, and if one is jostled while it's in use, it can easily cause the entire drive to fail. What should you do if this happens to you?
Understand When the Drive Doesn't Work
First off, you need to know how to recognize a hard drive failure. If you only have one hard drive and it's malfunctioning, your computer may fail to boot up. This is because your operating system is saved on the hard drive. Your computer will likely start up and make it part-way through the boot process before it notes that you've had a system failure.
If you have multiple hard drives and one isn't working, it won't necessarily be the one with your operating system on it. In this case, your drive will simply become inaccessible. Checking My Computer may not even show the hard drive if it's fully dead, as there's nothing there for the computer to recognize.
What to Do if the Drive Fails
If the previously mentioned scenarios have happened to you, you should take your computer to a repairman. It's possible that the data can still be salvaged, although it's unlikely that the drive can be repaired. But by saving your information, you can transfer it to a new drive (which your repairman can install for you if needed) and get right back to work.
While you're having your computer repaired, it might be a good time to upgrade to an SSD. Solid state drives, or SSDs, lack moving parts like traditional hard drives. This makes them more durable and longer-lasting. They're also extremely fast, so you're likely to see an improvement in how your computer runs. A computer repair service can help you decide if SSD is the right upgrade for your computer.
