Hard disk is one of the core components of any computers and it can contain huge amount of data. The files are stored in such a way that they can be acquired at any time. Unfortunately, there are times when the hard disk is corrupted or a possible hard disk failure occurred and you would stand a very high chance of losing all your precious data. Continue reading to find out more about the major hard disk problems and their respective solutions.
Hard disk problems are often neglected
Most of us don’t think about the security of hard disk unless something goes wrong. But this moment is acute, especially if we are talking about b2b security. We assume instantly that the hard disk has crashed when we see nothing but a blank screen on the monitor. When the stored information cannot be accessed easily, we can say that a hard disk problem has occurred.
Reasons of hard disk failure
There are a number of reasons of hard disk failure. Some of the reasons are virus attack, poor power supply, corrupted operating system, damaged block etc. The hard disks may fail due to worn out parts. The most common reason of HDD failure is head crash, where the read-write head of the device touches the platter and scratches the data storage surface. A head crash may result in data loss and one should recover the data with proper equipment.
Air filter problem is another cause of HDD failure. If the air filter fails to filter the dust particles from atmosphere, they get settled on the platter causing the head to crash.
Symptoms of hard disk failure
Hard disk failure can occur either gradually or catastrophically. It is difficult to diagnose gradual HDD failure, as its symptoms such as slowing down of PC, corrupted files etc. may be caused by other issues like malware or viruses. The increasing number of bad sectors may result in hard disk corruption. The HDD adds the bad sectors gradually to its defect table and eventually stops working. HDD may fail in a number of ways, which can be limited, progressive, total or immediate. In most of the cases, the data can be partially or totally recovered. In severe cases, the data may get completely destroyed.
Here is a list of possible hard disk problems and their solutions that everyone should know :–
1. Corrupted files on hard disk
Sometimes, the files become inaccessible by the user as the operating system fails to boot up properly. The reasons for this could be shutting down the device unethically, closing the running program accidentally, power failure, use of corrupted software etc. All these things could potentially contributed a lot in corrupting the hard disk files.
Solution :– Always shut down the system by following a specific way. Avoid installing suspected software and malicious programs into your hard disk. Clean the hard disk on a regular basis to remove unwanted programs.
Read also: How to Retrieve Deleted Files from Hard Drive
2. Virus threat
Virus attack is one of the major problems that are faced by HDD. This problem occurs when the hard disk is attacked by a virus or malware program. It even spreads to other systems across the network. Your system may get virus from other media, external drives, network etc. If the user takes back-up of files that contain virus, then the system gets re-infected and results in hard disk failure.
Solution :– The best solution for this problem is updating the system on a regular basis with the help of a reliable anti-virus program. It is necessary to update the anti-virus program frequently so that it can detect almost all kinds of viruses and malware programs.
3. Unexpected computer crashes
This may occur when the hard disk has too many bad sectors and blocks. Sometimes, the hard disk may crash as the spindle motor stops rotating. You will notice symptoms like – clicking sounds from HDD, invisible files and folders etc. The heads may not be able to identify the sectors the user is searching for hence, are making contact with the platters. This problem occurs when the hard disk is formatted more than its limit or is too old to operate.
Solution :– To get rid of this problem, users must update their system on a regular basis by using a reliable software program. It is recommended to replace the HDD after 3-4 years of usage to avoid this problem.
Read also: Tips to Maintain Your Hard Disk and Prevent Sudden Crashes on Windows
4. Computer fails to detect hard disk or BIOS
When the UPS fails to deliver the required power supply or gives very high power supply, the BIOS cannot detect the hard drive. The HDD fails to spin up in such situations. You may even have problem with the mother board.
Solution :– To avoid this problem, make sure that your system is getting adequate power supply. You can troubleshoot this problem by using UPS of a reputed brand. A good course of action is to replace the IDE, ATA, or SCSI cable. You can even switch the drive to another power plug.
Read also: HDD Not Showing Up in Disk Management, Why and How to Fix
5. Manufacturing fault
This kind of problem occurs with a new hard disk when it is delivered to the customer without testing. The hard disk may work well initially, but after a few months, it becomes non-responsive.
Solution :- The solution to this problem is proper testing. Buyers should get the hard disk tested before bringing it home. In case you faced more problems after installing the hard disk and all the solutions didn’t seem to work, it should be replaced.
6. Heat and dust
This is one of the hard disk problems that occur frequently. Due to excess usage, the system gets heated to the peak point. Sometimes, lack of ventilation and faulty CPU fan also cause this problem.
Solution :– Make sure that the CPU fans are in proper condition. Check whether the processor is getting sufficient cooling or not. Users can make use of SMART tools that notify them about the condition of the hard disk and risks that the hard disk may face in future.
Conclusion
Most of the aforementioned hard disk problems can be fixed with the suggested solutions. However, if the damage is severe, then maybe it’s about time you get a brand new hard disk.
Nice information about Hard Drives and their protection. These problems usually take place with Sata HDD. Nowadays Solid State Hard Drive are coming that are relatively faster and have less chances of any failure.
But of course they are expensive too.
Thanks for writing this helpful article 🙂
Agreed Jordan! I have been slowly trying to migrate over to SSD for many of the above possible problems. Also, SSD technology is much faster and makes for a great experience.
hello peter
that’s great info shared no doubt, these are the main hard Disk Failure problems. i was totally unaware about some of these Problems. thanks for sharing. it in right time. 🙂
You are most welcome, Sahil 🙂
My computer started to crash randomly without any reason lately, and it was driving me mad as I kept losing my work before I could save it. I was kind of guessing the system’s getting old, and was contemplating on the new computers in the market. You made me realize that I haven’t updated my system for a whole year as I disabled the auto updates since the day I bought it!
Good thing you salvaged your computer before purchasing a new one! Your one-year old system is still fresh, and should at least last you a couple more years before it can be considered old.
I have seen a hard disk crash because the computer was not shut down properly, and have been cautious about any external or internal storage devices! This is a very helpful read! Thanks!
I have seen this hardware failure problem once, and I lost all of my important data and also spend some amount of money to work it properly. From that day, I am using my laptop very carefully and also update it regularly. These tips are very useful.
Hey peter, I have windows 8 laptop and I am facing one problem with my laptop that sometimes when I turn on my laptop, i hear beep sounds and it do not startup the laptop. After shaking a bit it works fine. I know this is somewhat funny but it seriously works for me. Do you think it is hard disk problem ? Please reply me as soon as possible, I am really worried.
My hard drive have 150GB space. I have not that much dat store on it. but by the time it lost space what could be the problem i have norton anti virus. pls
I was formatting my external Hard Drive suddenly my Laptop crashed and the process was not responding. Eventually the process got cancelled and now the Laptop is not recognizing the HDD… Any reasons for the issue and any solutions that anyone can offer …
i have a little issue with my laptop motherboard, it charge and work normal but once there’s power failure my pc will short down … please help…
Your laptop battery must be really bad. Try replacing the battery with another one. If the problem persists, then locate a nearby computer engineer to help you check it.
hi..
I have an hard disk problem.. on my laptop
I try to ON my laptop they directly go to BIOS menu, HDD can’t be detect on my window, try another way to put OS same problem will occurs, HDD cant show in window.
what is the problem?
how could i solve that?
Your hard disk has failed. The best solution is to replace the hard disk with a new one. Although an engineer could try and see if he could revive the hard disk for you, but even at that, there’s no guarantee of the hard disk serving you for long.
sir while running time suddenly my computer get struck and blinking of hard disk light stop after some time it run normally . and then again struck .i format my system a lot and no virus then also same problem please help me