One of the worst things that can happen to a computer or server is a hard drive failure. This is when the main data reading, writing, and storage component of a computer crashes.
This can cause the loss of all data on a system if it’s not been backed up. And depending upon the severity of the issue, this can mean an expensive Louisiana computer repair, or you may lose all use of the device, and have no choice but to purchase a new PC.
According to Backblaze, hard drive failure rates rose significantly last year, with 75% of various drive models experiencing a rise in the failure rate between 2018 and 2019.
One reason that hard drive crashes seems to come out of nowhere, is that people don’t understand the warning signs and often believe hard drives will last longer than they actually do.
For example, when computers reach 3-4 years, the hard drive failure rate increases significantly, going from 1.4% between years 2-3 to 11.8% by the beginning of year 4.
Of course, many factors impact how long a hard drive will last, including:
- Manufacturer/quality
- Type of use
- Age of drive
- Ongoing PC maintenance
Choosing a poor quality, cheap computer, can often mean a shorter hard drive lifespan.
Red Flags That Your Hard Drive is Going to Crash
It’s important to know the warning signs of a hard drive crash so you can plan for an upgrade and migration to a new computer well before your PC goes down.
When you see any of these warning signs, you can bring your computer into our shop, and we’ll let you know if there are any repairs or upgrades we can do to avoid having to buy a new computer.
If you see any of these warning signs, come to us for a PC checkup!
Strange Noises and “Whirring” Sounds
If you are hearing your hard drive “whirring” or making strange noises when it shouldn’t be, that is an indication that something mechanical may be wrong with the drive.
If you have a traditional drive (HDD), it has moving parts that can wear out, causing the read/write operations to fail. Depending upon the issues, parts may be able to be replaced or you can possibly replace the drive with a solid-state drive (SSD), which has no moving parts.
Frequent Application Crashes
If you begin having problems with applications locking up or crashing, requiring you to restart the app or entirely reboot, this is another warning sign that something may be wrong with your hard drive.
Folder or File Names Being Scrambled or Disappearing
When a hard drive is having trouble accessing data as it should, it can appear in the form of scrambled folder or file names. Another thing that can happen is when you look in a folder, files may be missing. Then, then when you reboot and look again, they’re back.
This is a big red flag that the hard drive is no longer operating properly and heading for a total failure.
Computer Becomes Sluggish
There are a number of reasons that a computer can be slow, and one of these is an impending hard drive failure.
If you notice your computer taking longer to open programs and taking longer overall to search or access files, you should have this looked at right away.
Computer Reboots Itself
Another warning sign of an impending hard drive crash is if you begin experiencing unexpected reboots. This may be accompanied by a message that the system rebooted due to some type of critical issue.
When a computer auto-reboots, it’s a sign of some type of serious trouble, so much that the system felt the need to shut down completely.
Problems Making Firmware Updates
If you’re continually getting an “update failed” message when you try to update your computer’s firmware, this is another sign that something could be amiss with your hard drive.
Firmware is software updates that control physical components of your system like the BIOS controller or graphics card. Being unable to install these updates can leave your system at risk and indicate a hard drive problem.
Strange Warning Messages
Sometimes you’ll see a system warning message that won’t reboot your computer automatically, but it’s an indicator that something is wrong.
If you begin seeing strange system messages, it’s a good idea to screenshot those and send them to Carl’s Computer Care. We’ll take a look and let you know if this is an urgent drive issue that needs to be addressed before a crash happens.
Don’t Risk Data Loss, Bring Your Computer to Us for a Checkup!
Carl’s Computer Care has expert technicians that can check out any number of strange signs and let you know exactly what they mean and what you need to do to avoid a hard drive failure or data loss.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation! Call 225-315-3498 or reach us online.