Why Computer Hard Drives Fail

This month’s article deals with one of the most common causes of computer problems, hard disk failures, and in my experience represents over 70% of the hardware failures I encounter. Hard disk failure on most computers is inevitable, and just as your shoes wear out so does your hard drive. Having said that I’ve seen hard drives older than ten years that are still working perfectly well. This article will deal with some of the common causes of early hard disk failure, and how you can reduce the chances of this occurring. Click the video link at the bottom of the article to see how a hard disk actually works.

Causes
The primary cause of hard disk failures is human ! In other words if your hard disk fails it is very likely you could have prevented it or even more likely that you could have anticipated and planned for it. I’m not laying all the blame on computer users but in my experience 90% of hard disk failures could have, if caught early, meant a lot less data loss and problems recovering files. Put another way if you suddenly fainted once you woke up you’d be contacting a doctor. When your computer crashes or appears abnormal to you likewise you should seek professional advice. Of all the parts in your computer your hard disk is the must vulnerable. Here is the list of the most common causes of failure.

·    Rough handling – including using your laptop in bed, moving your laptop around without fully powering it down. 
·    Heat –  Most common in laptops. Duvets often block the air flow causing overheating as does running your laptops for excessive amounts of time.
·    Electrical Problems – A silent but deadly killer electrical spikes, surges, and brown outs will kill your drive.

 Prevention
Rough Handling – Never move your laptop or desktop while it is running. If you are moving between rooms shutdown the laptop fully, move to the new location, place your laptop on a flat surface and don’t move it until you’ve finished.
Heat – Modern laptops and desktops generate a huge amount of heat for their size. So ensure you do not block the air intake and exhaust vents. Do not use your laptop to the point where it becomes excessively.
Electrical Problems – Purchase a good surge protector (I recommend Belkin) and use it always with your laptop and desktop. Surge protectors will prevent 90% of electrical problems and are a must for all computer users.

Video Link - How Your Hard Disk Works