Your hard drive is the most important part of your computer? Why? It holds all of your documents, pictures, music, and e-mails. If you hard drive fails, the only way to recover files is by data recovery measures.
You may follow the following steps to see if your hard drive is failing:
- Listen: Listen for any grinding, clicking, or whirling noises. Whirling or grinding noises sometimes come from fans so make sure you can locate where your hard drive is located and listen for any noises and intermittent “stop and go” power sounds. 75% of failing hard drives are usually initially diagnosed by simply listening.
- Diagnose: Look for hard drive errors Go to Start->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Event Viewer Then, click on “System” on the left side and then scroll the list on the right for red error messages listing IDE, ATAPI, or hard drive related errors. These errors usually mean that the hard drive is starting to fail and you should back up your files ASAP.
- Observe: If you don’t hear weird sounds or see any errors, observe the overall environment. Has general software or Internet surfing gotten slower? Have files taken longer than normal to open? This could also be a sign of a failing hard drive.
These 3 steps usually help diagnose many hard drive failures. We recommend backing up your files and replace your hard drive right away if you have a failing hard drive. If you are not comfortable with this computer support, you may call a certified technical support company for further assistance. Also, if it’s too late, and your hard drive has failed, there is usually still a chance to recover your important files by enlisting a good data recovery company.