hard drive health.
hard drive health.
Hard drives are commonly installed in desktop computers, mobile devices, consumer electronics, and enterprise storage arrays in data centers.
Hard drives are crucial for maintaining data, so it's important to keep them healthy. Regular hard drive health checkups are necessary to prevent serious data loss consequences caused by hard drive failures.
The good news is that a hard drive's health can be maintained without requiring too much time or resources.
how long do hard drives last.
Most hard drives have a lifespan of three to five years, with the biggest drop-offs occurring between years 3 and 4. Beyond year 4, the projected failure rate shows that approximately 50% of drives will fail after year 6.
Although survival rates eventually reach zero and there are outliers like malware causing early failure, regular maintenance remains the best strategy for extending lifespans.
how to increase the lifespan of your hard drive.
Here are some steps that can help you to increase the lifespan of your hard drives:
1. run check disk (CHKDSK) scan.
After a certain period of use, your hard drive will inevitably have errors such as partition table, file system errors, hardware, or software issues. These hard drive errors can consequently lead to a decrease in the HDD lifespan and data loss. However, by regularly running a 'chkdsk' scan, you can fix most disk errors and improve the HDD's lifespan. This command can also retrieve readable information from bad sectors, remap them, and fix cross-linked files.
Still, there are special situations when using ‘chkdsk’ might not be a good idea. If you are unsure whether to run ‘chkdsk’ or not, seek advice from a professional to avoid unintended consequences.
2. actively monitor your hard drive.
You should actively monitor your hard drive health by keeping an eye on the SMART parameters. There are many different hard drive health check software programs available that can actively monitor all the critical SMART parameters of your hard drive in real-time and keep you informed about the drive's health. They can also monitor the hard drive temperature to prevent damage from overheating. By understanding SMART parameter attributes, you can take appropriate measures to improve hard disk health and safeguard against data loss.
3. think twice before downloading / installing software.
Web security is becoming increasingly important. Before downloading software online, be extra careful to ensure it is from a verifiable source to avoid installing a virus or malware that can damage the whole system. Whether you are in the office or using your personal computer, be sure to use reputable anti-virus software and a firewall to manage incoming traffic and access to the computer. Keep both programs up-to-date and running all the time.
In addition to security, a computer uses both memory and hard drive space to run software and speed-up load times. By limiting the hard drive space used for unneeded software, you can keep the drive and computer running quickly.
4. update the operating system (OS).
Updating your operating system ensures that you have critical updates to make your system run better and eliminate issues that could ultimately cause hard drive failure. An outdated operating system can lead to problems with drive security and functionality, so it is important to regularly update your computer's operating system.
OS updates usually include critical security updates and patches to fix current threats, and ignoring these updates can create problems that may eventually lead to hard drive failure. To avoid these issues, don't delay when you receive a notification to update your operating system. In operating systems like macOS and Microsoft Windows, settings can typically be configured to install updates automatically.
To ensure a smooth upgrade, check for hardware and software compatibility, back up your data, and consider the potential impact on your workflow before proceeding.
5. remove unnecessary programs.
Make it a habit to regularly check the programs installed on your computer's hard drive. Are there any programs that you don't use or need anymore? It is common to have programs that are left unused for some time, taking up valuable hard drive space. By regularly checking and deleting unwanted programs, you can free up space on your hard drive and improve your computer's performance.
6. remove the temporary files.
During normal operation, most operating systems create several temporary files. While you can remove some of these files using the built-in tools and clean the hard disk, others such as file fragments, memory dumps, browser cache, cookies, log files, and the recycle bin can accumulate over time.
To keep your hard drive free of unnecessary clutter, it is a good idea to use a third-party disk cleaner app. These tools can automatically remove accumulated temporary files and other unnecessary data, freeing up valuable hard drive space.
7. remove duplicate files from your hard disk.
Delete any duplicate files that exist on your hard drive. Keeping duplicate files increases disk usage, fragmentation, and ultimately deteriorates HDD performance and health. To make this process easier, you can use a 'Duplicate File Finder/Remover' utility that helps you locate and remove duplicate files on your hard drive, including files that are identical but are saved with different names.
8. defragment hard drives.
As time passes, your hard drive becomes increasingly fragmented with data, causing it to work slower, harder, and less efficiently. When you save files, they are not necessarily stored in a specific order, and the hard drive uses the first available empty space, including space created after deleting files. However, not all of the available space is utilized fully, which scatters data across the hard drive and makes it harder to access stored data, thereby slowing the computer's performance.
Fragmentation can significantly deteriorate your hard drive's health, as new data is stored in fragments that cause the read head to move excessively and increase disk spin speed, resulting in additional wear and tear and overheating, which is a major cause of drive failure.
Therefore, it is necessary to defragment your hard drive regularly to keep it in good condition.
9. avoid overheating and protect from dust.
To ensure that computer hardware lasts longer and works properly, two things are necessary: airflow to prevent overheating, and keeping components free of dust.
If air vents are covered by piles of paper or if the computer is placed under a desk, the hard drive can overheat. To prevent this, it is important to check the ventilation and uncover all the air vents to ensure proper computer performance.
In addition, if a computer is filled with dust that is choking off the fans or mechanisms, it can overheat, causing components to fail. It is important to clean on and around the computer regularly using compressed air and a microfiber cloth to prevent dust and other debris from causing issues.
Overheating and exposure to dust can both cause hard disks to malfunction, shortening their lifespan. Therefore, it is important to keep external hard drives, computers, and servers in a clean, cool, dry, and open space.
If symptoms of overheating persist after checking ventilation, do not boot up the drive. Overheating can be caused by hardware issues like actuator heads, and attempting self-repairs or booting the drive can cause further damage.
10. utilizing power save and sleep modes.
Hard drive maintenance frequently raises the question of whether to put a computer to sleep or turn it off.
The process of shutting down and booting up demands a lot of work from the hard drive, and frequent switching between these modes can take its toll over time.
Experts recommend minimizing the number of times you boot up and shut down your computer. As a general rule, shut down your computer if you are not going to use it for a day, but if you are going away for just a few hours, it is best to put it on sleep mode instead. Power sleep and save modes can minimize the time a hard drive runs, thereby extending its lifespan.
11. stay away from static.
Computer components and peripherals are highly sensitive to static electricity, which can cause damage comparable to a lightning strike. This is especially true during winter months or in regions with drier air. Even as little as 10 volts of static electricity can harm drive microchips, while humans cannot feel it until 1,500 volts.
Therefore, before plugging in your computer or server power supply, ensure that the power socket is properly grounded. A static shock can harm your internal or external hard drive and other computer components.
If you experience even the slightest shock when touching metal around you, be sure to wear a grounding bracelet before touching any hardware in your computer. Alternatively, touch any grounded metal part, such as copper, iron, or Power Supply Unit (PSU) screws, before touching your computer.
This also applies to other surfaces that produce static electricity, such as televisions, stereo speakers, and household appliances.
12. protect from power surges.
A sudden power outage and power surge can prove to be extremely damaging to the hard disk in your system.
A power surge occurs when the voltage spikes above the normal level, which can happen within a few nanoseconds and cause deadly damage to your hard drive.
Power outages mostly occur when you force shutdown a system or unplug the drive while it is spinning or in use. This may also occur if the system crashes due to software or hardware failure. This unexpected power loss can lead to file system errors and mechanical failure in older hard drives, where the actuator head gets stuck to the platter.
To prevent disk errors and increase the health of a hard drive, always eject the external drive safely before unplugging it.
To avoid sudden system shutdowns and damage, use an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) device. A UPS not only keeps your system on after power failure but also safeguards against voltage fluctuations and surges.
13. keep backup copies.
As the saying goes, hope for the best but always prepare for the worst.
Hard drive failure can happen unexpectedly, and losing important data can be devastating. Therefore, it is crucial to have a solid backup plan in place. This can include using external storage devices such as USB drives or external hard drives, or backing up to digital cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. For businesses, having a reliable backup strategy is especially essential as it can protect against data loss and ensure business continuity.
The above measures can help increase the lifespan and health of your HDD. However, it is not always possible to control every situation. Like any other device, your hard drive can stop functioning one day due to various reasons.
Unfortunately, data loss is inevitable and may happen anytime. Therefore, it is essential to always maintain regular backups of your important data.
In the event of data loss, if you do not have a backup, or if it does not contain the required files, Kotar Data Recovery experts can help you retrieve your important data.
