Read how to tell if your hard drive is nearing the end of its life how to prevent a possible failure and not lose important data. Computer technologies have become so firmly established in our daily lives that many can no longer imagine a day without them. They are used for work and entertainment, covering various aspects of our lives. The main result of the development of computer technology are personal computers. They are involved in many production processes, development and creation of a diverse information array of data, assist in training, are used to obtain and store various information, are used for leisure and games, etc.
Content:
The essence of the problem
The logical continuation of personal computers were additional devices that are used by the user, depending on the need. Laptops allow the user to always have at hand a full-fledged personal computer, made in a portable (mobile) version. It has all the advantages of a desktop computer and allows the user to process any amount of data, regardless of their structure and content (working with documents, processing video files, editing images, creating projects and presentations, and much more). Modern mobile phones are not only a means of communication, but also serve as small pocket personal computers used to solve various problems.
Manufacturers of personal computers and components for them are constantly striving to improve their products. And they regularly offer users more modern devices that have a larger set of features compared to previous versions.
An important element of personal computers, along with the performance and speed of information processing, is the amount of hard disk memory, which is used as a user data storage.
Each of us has valuable files, such as personal documents, photos, videos or audio files, and we usually store them on hard drives. Few people know that most electronic storage devices, including hard drives, have a rather limited lifespan compared to older ways of storing information such as stone, papyrus, paper, etc. The average life of a stationary hard drive today is about 5 to 10 years, depending on the type of drive and its manufacturer. And this period is quickly reduced if the drive is subject to strong fluctuations in temperature, humidity and movement, because it is not stationary.
Since most people today own laptops and external hard drives that are moved quite often, a realistic hard drive life is probably around 3 to 5 years. This is a very short time for reliable storage of important data.
At best, a hard drive fails gradually, allowing you to quickly respond to changes in the operation of such a drive, copy your data and replace the storage device before a fatal failure occurs and the hard drive permanently deteriorates. There are many signs that point to the gradual failure of your hard drive.
If you don't know how long your hard drive will be in working condition, then read this article. We will try to list the main signs that will help you identify the approaching disappointing finale (complete hard drive crash), so that such a problem does not take you by surprise at the most inopportune moment.
Slow computer response, frequent freezes, blue screen of death
These are very non-specific signs that can be caused by a million different things. However, no matter what is causing these symptoms, we recommend that you create a backup immediately. If these problems occur after performing fresh installations or in safe mode Windows, then it is almost certainly due to bad hardware and possibly an impending hard drive failure.
Corrupted data
If you start to find files that won't open and are corrupted, even if they save without errors or files suddenly disappear, then you should be worried. While, again, this could be due to a variety of other issues, it is also a typical sign of a gradual hard drive failure.
Increasing the number of bad sectors
Bad sectors are areas of the hard drive that do not maintain data integrity. They are automatically masked by the operating system and are therefore difficult to identify, especially when large disks are used. Therefore, if you have actually encountered bad sectors, this is definitely a bad sign.
You can run a manual disk check to identify errors that the operating system Windows haven't noticed yet. IN Windows 10, and earlier versions of the operating system, open File Explorer "This computer" and right click on the drive or partition you want to check. Select a section from the pop-up menu "Properties".
In the window that opens, go to the tab "Service" and press the button "Check…".
Additionally in the operating system Windows you can check for errors in the file system and the presence of bad sectors using a standard application "chkdsk".
Strange noises
When you hear strange sounds coming from your hard drive, it may already be too late. The repetitive sound, also known as the click of death, is caused by the disk head as it tries to write data and stops due to errors while doing so. Grinding or squealing noises indicate that parts of the equipment, such as bearings or a spindle motor, have become unusable.
S.M.A.R.T. data
There are tools designed to assess the health of a hard drive and predict when it will fail. Technology S.M.A.R.T. is a self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology that monitors the main characteristics of the drive, giving each its own reliability rating. Unfortunately, like most of the other methods listed above, the technology S.M.A.R.T. unreliable in predicting hard drive failure. Very often, a hard drive crash happens before a warning is received. S.M.A.R.T. Check S.M.A.R.T. the status of your hard drive, and if you see a corresponding error, then it is likely that your drive will be permanently damaged in the near future.
I think my hard drive is failing, what should I do?
So, are you worried that a possible hard drive failure is close at hand? True, even if you do not think about it, it is most likely impossible to avoid a possible hard drive failure. The only thing you can do in such a situation is to regularly back up your data on a second hard drive. The chance of both drives failing at the same time is very small. An exception may be a fatal set of circumstances or natural disasters such as floods or fires. In these cases, it is better to keep a copy of the most important data in another physical location, such as in the office or on a remote server (for example, using an online data backup solution).
Try to prevent possible failure of your hard drive
Don't rely on hard drive failure symptoms or various software to tell you if your drive is likely to fail. Most likely, it will happen unexpectedly and without any warning signs. Instead of trying to predict a possible malfunction, you should take care to regularly create backup copies of your data. In this case, you will be prepared for possible troubles.
The main causes of failures of external hard drives. Ways to extend their life
Those users of personal computers who are tired of facing a constant lack of free space on the computer's hard drive are now increasingly thinking about purchasing an external hard drive (hereinafter referred to as VHD). And there are many reasons for this: when you delete your favorite films and TV shows, you have to almost literally tear them away from your heart, leave only what we most often listen to from music collections, fans of virtual entertainment have to uninstall half-passed games that were left until better times. And someone simply no longer has enough volume of the existing flash memory.
Going on the Internet in search of reviews about the VZhD, we may come across a decent amount of horror stories that tell about the frequent breakdowns of these devices. And, perhaps, it will even scare someone away from acquiring this very useful device. In response, we can only say that any equipment can fail. And most often the breakdown occurs due to improper operation of the device and non-compliance with some elementary rules. It is also necessary to take into account a number of factors when buying a VZD. We will talk about these factors first.
One of the most important points is compactness. When visiting a website or coming to a store, we can often see that HDRs of the same capacity can have significantly different sizes and appearance.
For example, one model may resemble in its shape and volume a slightly reduced system unit of your computer.
At the same time, the other can fit, if not in the breast pocket of an office shirt (although there are some), then in the inner pocket of a denim jacket or the pockets of a suit jacket - easily.
Hitachi HXSMEA5001ABB
After that, we may have a perfectly fair question: why are they so different? And do I need an additional system unit in miniature at home, which has an active cooling system, the fan (cooler) of which emits, though light, but still additional noise? (Now desktop versions of the VZhD are also actively gaining popularity, which do not use a cooler for cooling, but are limited to a well-thought-out ventilation system.) Or do you still save space on your desktop and buy a stylish and almost space-saving little one lying on a nearby shelf?
It would seem that the answer is obvious. However, not everything here is so simple, and made on the basis of only appearance choice can cause your new acquisition to fail quickly. This can happen if we do not take into account a number of other equally important nuances.
Consider an example from Everyday life. Recently, an acquaintance complained that two new external hard drives, which he bought almost simultaneously, failed within six months. The service life of each of them was less than three months. Why did this happen? Let's figure it out.
What we have? Two miniature broken VZhD form factors 2.5 inches, 500 GB each. Manufacturers are different, but each of them is a recognized global brand. It seems unlikely that my friend got two defective hard drives in a row. Let's see how they were used.
Let's start with the fact that the friend I'm talking about is an active PC user and constantly works with a large amount of various data. Accordingly, he exploited the VZhD very, very intensively - he often recorded, read and played back multimedia files (movies, music, etc.). Plus, both models were constantly connected to the computer and were used with approximately the same load as the main internal hard drive.
Pretty soon the problems started. At one VZhD, when playing films, the connection with the computer was spontaneously lost, fragments of the video file disappeared by themselves. The device began to make a loud noise and wink with the indicator. The worst thing is that copying various files from the VZD itself stopped working. An error message began to appear: "Unable to read from disk or file." And, of course, according to the law of meanness, important data was stored on it, which became impossible to work with. Therefore, in order to restore them, I had to resort to the help of special workshops. And their services are far from the cheapest - restoring lost data can easily cost you an amount corresponding to the cost of a couple of VZhDs themselves, or even significantly more. The second instance, after some time after the start of operation, simply became unavailable. When trying to access it, a system message appeared: “There is no access to drive G. The file or folder is damaged. Reading is impossible.
The main reason for the incident was the wrong choice of the mode of operation of these devices. Let's start with the fact that there are two main types of external hard drives - 3.5-inch HDD and 2.5-inch HDD.
TO VZD form factor 3.5 inches include those models that have a larger size.
3.5 inch external hard drive
They use mains power to operate, that is, they are equipped with their own power supply and a cord for connecting to an outlet. The presence of an outlet for these models is most often a prerequisite for their functioning. Also, this form factor can be equipped with an active cooling system (a small fan inside the case that prevents the HDR from overheating). VZhD of this format can be used for permanent and long-term work. Therefore, if you expect to use the device as an additional hard drive for a computer or media player, then the 3.5-inch form factor is your choice.
On the other hand, the main disadvantage of these disks is their lack of mobility. Due to the significant mass, it may not be particularly convenient to carry this device, even within the apartment. Add to this the power cord that gets under your feet, the search for an outlet or extension cord to connect the device and, of course, the size - such HDRs will not fit in your pocket. These significant points make 3.5-inch external hard drives rather inconvenient for use as a portable mobile device such as a flash card.
But an almost ideal choice for a mobile information storage would be VZD form factor 2.5 inches.
2.5 inch external hard drive
Their main advantages are just a small size and weight with rather large amounts of information that they can store (on this moment up to 1.5 TB). They easily fit in almost any pocket, do not require an outlet, use one small cord, with which they are powered and exchange information with a computer via a USB port.
The disadvantages of this form factor, oddly enough, also stem from the small volume of the case. The absence of a normal cooling system leads to excessive overheating of the HDD, which, in turn, may cause premature failure of the device - this is exactly what happened with my friend's hard drives. We conclude that VZhD of this format must be purchased if we need a lightweight mobile solution, primarily for storing backup information and its operational use. At the same time, it is not worth using a 2.5-inch form factor HDD as a permanently connected and constantly working hard drive - this is fraught with equipment failure. This recommendation is especially relevant on hot summer days, when the temperature outside, and for someone, perhaps at home, can easily reach more than thirty degrees that way.
And, of course, for the long and safe operation of your device, you must follow the basic safety rules.
Rule one. Shutdown must be carried out strictly according to the instructions. If you are going to disable HDD from a Windows computer, then this should be done through the menu in the notification area, also known as the system tray. In the same way as when properly disconnecting the flash card, move the cursor to the lower right corner of the screen, go to the system tray menu and right-click on the external device connection icon. Next, left-click on the "Extract" menu item. We are waiting for a message from the system “Equipment can be removed”, then disconnect the VZD.
Rule two. In no case should the device be dropped or shaken during operation. It is also highly desirable to take into account the presence of nearby small children and pets. For example, my cat loves to be next to me and lie on my lap when I work on the computer. At the same time, he really likes to twitch his paw or try hanging and dangling wires from the keyboard, headphones, etc. on the tooth. He can suddenly jump onto the table with the monitor if something attracts him on the screen. So with all the respect that I have for the animal, I have to make sure that he is not around while working with VZD.
Rule three. Do not allow moisture to enter the device. And if in winter you brought the VZhD from the street, then you should not immediately turn on the device, in order to avoid the formation of condensate on the disk plates. In general, when working with VZhD, one should always remember that this is an extremely sensitive device, and treat it accordingly. Even the advertised shock-resistant models simply fail if they are dropped during operation.
We should also talk about the types of connections for external hard drives to a computer.
USB 2.0 And USB 3.0 are by far the most common interfaces.
The main difference between them is that USB 3.0 is significantly faster than USB 2.0, and allows data transfer at almost the same speed as when connected via the SATA interface used by an internal hard drive. Accordingly, the cost of models that support this standard is higher than that of models using USB 2.0.
The main disadvantage of the USB 3.0 standard is its low prevalence today compared to USB 2.0. Although in the not so distant future the situation is likely to change. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with the USB 2.0 standard, so working with a USB 3.0 HDD is also possible on all systems that support USB 2.0, but the speed will be typical of USB 2.0.
Of the types of connections that are not as common as the USB standard, FireWire and eSATA interfaces are relatively common. They are found mainly among the 3.5-inch HDD form factor and are an addition to the USB interface, although, of course, they can be used as the main type of connection, since they have a number of their own advantages over connecting via a USB port.
FireWire (IEEE 1394)- a fairly old standard, it appeared back in the mid-nineties.
FireWire (IEEE 1394)
Most often, FireWire was used to capture the video signal and even made it possible to process it in real time. This interface is especially popular among Macintosh users. For some types of operations, it shows a higher speed compared to USB 2.0. It has a number of different internal standards. Usage a large number internal standards, specifications, and connector types make the FireWire interface significantly less popular than connecting via a USB port. Lack of full versatility is the main disadvantage when using FireWire.
Much more promising than FireWire is the eSATA interface. eSATA is a modified version of the SATA interface used for internal connection.
eSATA“Sharpened” for convenient connection of external peripherals. The presence of only one type of connector and a slightly higher data transfer rate compared to USB 3.0 make this standard the main competitor to the USB interface. The main disadvantage of eSATA is the lack of power. Therefore, an external drive using this connection standard also requires power through the USB port or from the mains.
So let's sum up. With the huge selection that shops and manufacturers offer today, choosing the right device for you in terms of price, quality, appearance, data volume, etc. will not be difficult. The main thing is to correctly determine exactly how you are going to operate the VZD: if as a constantly working additional hard drive, then we select the VZD of the 3.5-inch form factor with mains power. If, first of all, mobility and small size are important to you, then we get a 2.5-inch form factor HDD, which will have enough power from the USB port.
Average life of external and internal HDDs A hard disk has a limited lifespan due to many factors that affect it during operation. With our tips, you can increase the number of HDD working hours to failure. An external hard drive can have a maximum lifespan of 10 years. The presence of excessive moisture in the environment, external influences and powerful magnets that may be located near the device have a negative impact on the performance and, accordingly, the rapid wear of the drive.
The internal hard drive, however, has a lifespan of 5 to 10 years, depending on its size and operating condition. The service life depends on the heat generated during operation and how well or poorly the heat is removed from the drive. Choice system block you should pay special attention if you want to extend the life of your components.
If you use a solid state drive in your computer, you can expect a maximum lifespan of about 10 years. But remember that the life of an SSD, unlike a HDD, is limited to a certain number of write cycles. So in theory, an SSD might not outlast a larger, slower hard drive.
Cloud storage has an almost infinite lifespan. But in this case, you will face certain risks, such as, for example, the bankruptcy of the provider or hacker attacks. How do you take care of your HDDs? I periodically defragment Monitor the temperature of the heating and clean the system unit in a timely manner Worried in advance about reducing harmful vibration and bought a good PC case All answers are about me View results Loading... if you use it correctly. Below we have summarized some tips for you. defragmentation. Since the hard drive is used almost daily, it will not be superfluous to defragment it at least once a quarter.
Overheat warning. The hard disk should not get too hot during normal operation, otherwise its life will be significantly reduced. Do not forget to monitor the temperature of the hard drive and, if necessary, update the cooling system in the system unit or on the external HDD box. It is often enough to simply clean the insides of your computer.
Repair of a damaged disk. If you think that the disk is faulty, you can check it with special utilities and repair it. Sometimes the remagnetization of sectors allows you to return to life the HDD, which began to "crumble". Although, we do not recommend storing important data on such drives. It is better to immediately replace them and not play with fate.
SSD optimization. Those who use SSDs can find tips on optimizing SSDs on our site, which will not only increase their lifespan, but also slightly improve their performance in general. See also: 7 most capacious 2.5-inch hard drives: HDD rating 2017
4 Tips for Handling Hard Drives and SSDs Can Magnetic Fields Damage an HDD?
When you reinstall the system, when it crashes the system, you have to format the hard drives, and each format harms the hard drive. When you format a hard disk, the disk is demagnetized. Tip for the hard drive to last longer, when installing the system, split it into at least two local disks, then in the event of a system failure, you will format only that partition of the local disk where you have the system installed.
Currently, all firms produce hard drives with a minimum service life of five years. Nevertheless, there are still on sale, those that are designed for 3 years of service. If you tell us which disk you have, you can answer how long it will last.
As practice has shown, the real service life of hard drives ranges from 3 years to 10 or more. It is noticed that the disks of older models are quite hardy. New ones quite often fail, having worked for less than 5 years.
An average of 5 years old. I have a hard drive on my old computer that is already 10 years old. It still works.
Extending the life of your hard drive (HDD) on your computer
The hard drive is one of the most important parts of your computer. It stores all your data, as well as the system itself. The performance of the entire system as a whole depends on its uninterrupted operation and safety. Therefore, it is important to keep it and take care of it, as well as for the whole computer in principle. In this article, I will give you some recommendations on how to do this so that your hard drive will serve you for a long time.
- Shop. It must be well-reviewed and have positive reviews. It should sell only what is related to computers.
UPS (UPS) - will help not only the hard drive and PSU, but the entire computer as a whole. You will never say with certainty - “But I have everything in order with the power grid and there will be no drops. I recently replaced my wiring. Nobody is immune from this. Power surges occur even when connected to the iron network. Therefore, if you want your data to be preserved (in the best case) and nothing burned out in the PC (in the worst case), then do not regret 2000 rubles and buy a UPS.
RMB on a local drive in My Computer
Free legal advice:
Go to tab Service and click Run Defrag.
You can also use other third-party programs for this purpose. For example, the most popular in this area are Defraggler, Smart Defrag, O&O Defrag, Auslogics Disk Defrag.
But seriously - try to avoid moving the system unit and laptop while they are working. And do not expose to blows during work (you can turn off the computer / laptop and then do whatever you want).
If your hard drive is already more than 3 years old (or maybe less / more), then you can clean it, as I did recently.
To do this, open the system unit, pull out our hard drive from there.
Free legal advice:
and unscrew the back cover
to clear the board. In the figure, I showed the most common places where all sorts of rubbish oxide accumulates over time and needs to be cleaned.
I used a simple eraser for this, and then carefully removed everything with a brush (traces of an eraser and oxide).
I don't think I need to explain why.
Here's what a hard drive should look like in perfect condition. More precisely, his fee =)
Free legal advice:
Western Digital (WD) disc colors
Data recovery with
- Copy and Move to folder VICTOR day and 2 hours ago
11
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE, EVERYTHING WORKS PERFECTLY!
THERE IS ONLY ONE MORE REQUEST, I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!
I HAVE WINDOWS 8, EVERYTHING WORKS, BUT.
RECENTLY I NOTICED THAT IN THE DESKTOP CONTEXT MENU THE LINE "PIN TO THE TASKSBANK" DISAPPEARED, I DID NOT EVEN NOTICE WHEN AND HOW IT HAPPENED! BEFORE IT WAS AND I QUIETLY POSTED ANY SHORTCUTS AND EVERYTHING ON THE TASK PANEL USING THIS ITEM.
Free legal advice:
AND NOW IT'S JUST NOT.
I wanted to change from English to Russian, nothing happened
Thank you! I wonder why it can't be done by simply moving the user's folder.
Free legal advice:
64
For some users, the hard drive is the most important computer element. It contains all valuable data. Without the use of such a drive, work is impossible. modern computers. To prolong the life of your hard drive, you must follow certain rules and guidelines.
Features of the HDD
HDDs are high-tech devices that include electronic and mechanical parts. The presence of the slightest desynchronization in the coordinated work of these parts can disable the disk. Modern HDDs are quite tiny, which is why they can be easily broken. To do this, just drop the drive or hit it by negligence.
Free legal advice:
By itself, a hard drive cannot fail quickly. Clusters begin to crumble after 4-5 years of operation, but this is an unlikely factor. Most often, hard drives fail due to improper operation. HDDs are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations. Often, poor power supply causes hard drive failure. Let's look at the main ways to increase disk life.
Using a Reliable Power Supply
The first tip to increase the life of your drive is to use quality energy. The power supply is responsible for this. When choosing components, users try to highlight the excellent parameters of the process and video card, and choose a power supply only for power. This method is fundamentally wrong.
There are many cheap Chinese models on the market. With a banal overload or the slightest power surge (when all components are used at full capacity), they simply fail. There are times when power supplies explode from overload. In such cases, the chance for components to remain intact is quite small. Therefore, you should choose reliable and expensive power supplies from reputable companies. For example, Zalman makes excellent power supplies that you can trust.
When purchasing a power supply or hard drive, you must claim the warranty. These components are very sensitive and most often fail.
Uninterruptable power source
Even if you have no problems with the power grid in your house, it is advisable to use an uninterruptible power supply. Similar problems are possible in the future. Power surges and surges occur instantly and quite unexpectedly, and only an uninterruptible power supply can protect equipment and a hard drive. The device is able to save hard drives from breakdowns and ensure the preservation of valuable information on media.
Direct work with a computer
Fragmented files are created on the hard drive due to the following operations:
Free legal advice:
The device itself does not overwrite files, but uses free space to create them. It turns out that in order to read the necessary information, the hard disk head needs to work more intensively. This is an overload that can be avoided with defragmentation. To carry out the defragmentation process, just go to the "Disk Properties" section and select the "Service" tab.
Temperature control
The operating temperature range in hard drives is extremely narrow. Here the minimum temperature is 20⁰С. The following operating ranges are distinguished in different devices:
- For HDD in a laptop - from 30 to 45⁰С.
- For personal computers - from 30 to 40⁰С.
It is allowed to increase the temperature during operation by 5⁰С, but this is work for wear. The higher the operating temperature, the more wear and tear on the hard drive. If the temperature rises to 60⁰С, then the hard drive will be limited to a few minutes. The reason lies in the manufacture of parts from various materials.
To resolve the issue in personal computers, it is necessary to install an additional cooler in front of the hard drive. This is a great way to control temperature.
Most laptops simple option the cooling system will be cleaned. You can purchase a special type of cooling pad.
Free legal advice:
The hard drive is very important detail in any computer. It is required to ensure uninterrupted operation for the safety of the entire system. Proper handling and compliance will ensure the longevity of the drive.
Your response is very important for the further development of the site. Thank you.
What is the average life of a hard drive?
A hard drive is necessary for the operation of a PC, like any other component, but, like all components, it has a certain resource of work. The service life of an HDD can be affected by various factors. In this article, we have summarized for you the basic information on this topic and present it in a concise format.
Average life span of external and internal HDDs
The hard drive has a limited lifespan, as it is affected by many factors during the operation of the device. With our tips, you can increase the number of HDD working hours to failure.
Free legal advice:
- An external hard drive can have a maximum lifespan of 10 years. The presence of excessive moisture in the environment, external influences and powerful magnets that may be located near the device have a negative impact on the performance and, accordingly, the rapid wear of the drive.
- The internal hard drive, however, has a lifespan of 5 to 10 years, depending on its size and operating condition. The service life depends on the heat generated during operation and how well or poorly the heat is removed from the drive. The choice of the system unit should be given special attention if you want to extend the life of your components.
- If you use a solid state drive in your computer, you can expect a maximum lifespan of about 10 years. But remember that the life of an SSD, unlike a HDD, is limited to a certain number of write cycles. So in theory, an SSD might not outlast a larger, slower hard drive.
- Cloud storage has an almost infinite lifespan. But in this case, you will face certain risks, such as, for example, the bankruptcy of the provider or hacker attacks.
Proper maintenance of the HDD will help prolong its life.
You can maximize the life of your hard drive if you use it correctly. Below we have summarized some tips for you.
- defragmentation. Since the hard drive is used almost daily, it will not be superfluous to defragment it at least once a quarter.
- Overheat warning. The hard disk should not get too hot during normal operation, otherwise its life will be significantly reduced. Do not forget to monitor the temperature of the hard drive and, if necessary, update the cooling system in the system unit or on the external HDD box. It is often enough to simply clean the insides of your computer.
- Repair of a damaged disk. If you think that the disk is faulty, you can check it with special utilities and repair it. Sometimes the remagnetization of sectors allows you to return to life the HDD, which began to "crumble". Although, we do not recommend storing important data on such drives. It is better to immediately replace them and not play with fate.
- SSD optimization. Those who use SSDs can find tips on optimizing SSDs on our site, which will not only increase their lifespan, but also slightly improve their performance in general.
COMMENTS
What nonsense? It all depends on the manufacturer and model of the disk and the phases of the moon in production. 14 years - Seagate 80 Gb Barracuda 7200.7 those that survived (almost 70%) are not going to die ... but almost half of the WD Green 500gb did not live up to 5 years.
Everything that matters every day
Free legal advice:
Special offersFrom Germany at a reasonable price
HDD Lifetime - Hard Drives, HDD
Good day! The other day there was such a situation - the hard drive began to boot to 100%. I thought to solve the problem programmatically.
There is a flash drive from Silicon Power for 8 GB. I stick into the computer 1-2 per month. How much more is enough and what do you think is the most "reliable".
Good afternoon. Didn't find a similar issue here. In general, there is an old HDD. I want to get something very important from him. The problem is that I even.
Free legal advice:
I have win 7 home x64 persons. Stands on an old hdd - here are its characteristics: Driver Description WDC WD5000AADS-00M2B0 ATA Device Date.
You need to install an additional large-capacity hard drive on your computer, which will be actively used every day. I have an idea.
Salute comrades! GIVEN: 1st HDD is connected via IDE 2nd HDD is connected via SATA Currently: to select OS.
theoretically, it is necessary to choose a hdd with a maximum time to failure (MTBF), practically - for all manufacturers - a lottery.
For example, WD in the new RE4 series of two-terabyte mtbf = 1.2 million hours, that is, in theory, it is guaranteed to die in 137 years
Free legal advice:
I would like a plate of some kind. at least approximately
I would like a plate of some kind. at least approximately
google with this pattern:
Manufacturer [Model] MTBF
For example, the warranty is 1 year.
Free legal advice:
This does not mean that the HDD will die after a year of operation.
I'm going to use the MHDD utility to create an image of the internal HDD from a bootable CD, and I need the HDD image to be written.
Hello, please tell me how to copy data from Playstation3 HDD to computer HDD? There is no Playstation3 itself, only hard from.
Good day! A couple of months ago, I installed an SSD screw and installed a system on it, a small file washer remained on the HDD. AND.
HDD 80 GB is full, leaving a small space for the swap file, a lot of necessary information, namely, settings related to the operating system.
Free legal advice:
Hard disk life
Almost all users know everything about hard drives and what they are for. However, not all users know how to extend the life of a hard drive. And this article provides 14 basic recommendations or rules that will help you extend the life of your computer's hard drive.
1. The HDD is a high-tech device with a symbiotic fusion of two components: an electronic part and a mechanical part. The slightest desynchronization in their well-coordinated work disables the disk. Miniaturization of the HDD is so high that in order to irreversibly destroy the HDD as an information store, it is enough just to hit it. Or drop. Intentionally or by negligence, it doesn't matter. It is important that you remember this point. If you ever need to instantly destroy information, then hit the disk. And better on the spindle of the disk.
2. Temperature control. The operating temperature range for HDDs is extremely narrow. Minimum temperature 20 °C. Below is not recommended. Operating range - for laptop HDDs from 30 to 45 °С, for HDDs from personal PCs °С. It is allowed to work for some time when the temperature rises by 5 °C. But this is considered work for wear and tear. And the higher the temperature, the more wear and tear your HDD undergoes. But this scale is not infinite. If the 60 °C mark is exceeded, it is almost guaranteed that the life of the HDD is limited to a few minutes. The reason for this reaction to temperature is that HDD parts are made from different materials. And they have different expansion ratio. But if there is a problem, then there are ways to deal with it. In a PC, it is enough to install an additional cooler, opposite the disks. And that solves the problem. With laptops, there are several ways. The easiest is to clean the cooling system. It is not much more difficult to buy a cooling pad for laptops. It has one or two coolers, powered by USB. And observe the following rules: put the laptop on a flat surface, do not put it on a sofa or bed. Provide airflow to the HDD. But you can not overcool the hard drive. The lower limit during operation is 20 °C. In general, the HDD in the system is the most vulnerable component to thermal loads. If you have the opportunity, then it is better not to turn off the computer at all. Turned it on on Monday morning and turned it off in the evening. On Friday. This mode of operation is favorable for the disk not only in terms of reducing the number of temperature drops, but it is a very gentle mode in relation to the engine. Any engine, no matter if the car or HDD is experiencing maximum load at the start of the movement. We must overcome the inertia of rest. Then the movement is only supported. During extended working hours, do not use Disk Disable Mode. It's the same stop. Just set the monitor to turn off after a period of inactivity. It is harmful for the monitor to be in working condition for a long time, for the disk it is harmful to turn it on and off.
3. Vibration is the slow death of HDD. There is a golden rule - in all rotating mechanisms there is a vibration. The more it weighs, and the faster the rotation speed, the greater the vibration. The largest from CD / DVD drives, further down to the smallest cooler. But the vibration is summed up and transmitted through the common parts of the case to all PC components. On the HDD through the mount. And on a hard drive, vibration is especially destructive for the following reason. As we already mentioned, the HDD has a mechanical component - a system of plates and a reading head. The gaps between moving parts are characterized by nanometer distances. During vibration, these gaps can decrease or shift relative to each other. After all, they have an independent mount. But it shows up negative impact vibrations immediately. It has a cumulative effect, i.e. accumulates. This problem can be dealt with in two ways. You can reduce vibration by buying expensive coolers. And you can install water cooling in the system. This qualitatively reduces vibration and noise issues. To reduce vibration, it is very good to fix the hard drive with screws with rubber gasket. And an important issue when fastening is the degree of tightening of the screws. The disk must of course be fixed rigidly. But this is not the place where you need to demonstrate your power achievements. If you overdo it with tightening, you can even achieve that the cover will “lead” relative to the body. This is of course not a common occurrence. But the heroes in Rus' have not yet died out.
Free legal advice:
4. Control the position of the disk. All HDDs upon release are tested in a strictly horizontal position, with the electronics board pointing down. This is the optimal position. But all manufacturers allow operation in a vertical position without significant performance degradation. The HDD must not be fixed with a deviation from the vertical or horizontal of more than 5°. With this orientation, the position of the internal mechanical parts will be very vulnerable. And this method of installation usually reduces the life of the HDD, depending on the operation, to two to three weeks. And it is quite dangerous to turn the HDD upside down. There are two dangers here. The first is for the spindle. This is an unnatural burden for him. In this position, there are cases of leakage of lubricant onto the nearest plate. The second is for electronics. In this position, HDD cooling deteriorates. And this leads to overheating of the electronics.
5. Drive power. In general, this is such a question that should be considered in the same vein as all components of a computer. There is a fairly simple way to choose a power supply. There is a free eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite on the Internet, the interface is very clear (http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp). And from myself I’ll add that to the result given, add percent power. This is such a buffer stock. Suddenly, the calculator or the manufacturer of the power supply made a mistake. Choosing a manufacturer is a thankless task. You can take a cheap Chinese PSU and it will work flawlessly for several years, or you can take an expensive branded PSU and it can burn out in a month. But, at expensive, there is a guarantee and a protection unit. And Chinese is cheap. The choice is yours. But remember that a faulty PSU can easily burn your HDD.
6. Monitor the health of your hard drives. There are two options here:
a) External control over cleanliness. It is necessary to regularly clean the hard drive from dust. Of course, not with such regularity, as expected, brush your teeth. Make it a rule to clean your computer every quarter.
b) Monitoring the operation of the disk itself. Most new HDDs have a built-in controller, independent of the operating system and the user, who monitors the functioning of the hard disk. All data on the operation of the HDD is stored in a file. Likewise, once a quarter, along with cleaning the computer and disk, view these indicators. To do this, there are many free programs, such as Everest. The program is well understood by the average user. If something is wrong, then this item is highlighted in alarming red. For temperature, this is acceptable (although not desirable), but if something else, then it's up to you to decide what to do: our advice is to go to the workshop. The disease is easier to prevent than to cure.
7. The service life of a hard drive is not unlimited. Typically, the HDD resource lasts for five years. But five years in speeds modern world it's such a long time! If it's possible to find an advertising magazine for years, look at the standard equipment of the PC of that time. Now flash drives are already on sale (expensive, of course), but with approximately the same amount of memory. But after all, few people will simply throw out the old HDD, just because it is old. After reading this paragraph, at least you are not storing important data on an old hard drive.
Free legal advice:
8. The main protection against loss of information from the hard drive is backup. HDD is iron. And iron was created for that to break at a certain moment. If you had a collection of movies on a dead HDD, then you can restore it by simply downloading it from a torrent. But if photos, or your videos, or another important information? Here, in order not to lose it completely, copy the most important thing to another HDD or to DVD discs. Remember: God saves the safe.
9. External HDDs are no different from built-in ones. They are more exposed to risk factors due to their mobility. And when using them, it is very important not to allow the cord to be simply pulled out of the system. It's not like pulling the plug! Quite often this is the cause of the breakdown. A man was in a hurry somewhere, pulled the cable out of the port and that's it. The disk may no longer work. Always use a safe shutdown.
The following points will relate to solid state drives - SSD. Of course, they are still expensive, but many different myths have developed around them. Here we will continue to refute something, and confirm something.
10. The question of reliability. SSD is certainly more reliable than HDD, but only physically. SSDs don't have the same temperature range as HDDs. They are not afraid of moisture and shock (in moderation, of course). They are much faster. This is about the advantages of SSD. Everything else is cons. Let's take a closer look.
11. SSD has a hard limit on the number of write cycles. For those that are commercially available, this figure is about the order of write-rewrite cycles. And then just reading. In order for everything to fall into place, it is necessary to clarify. If you put the operating system and programs on the SSD, you will be simply stunned by the speed. The joy of your truth will be short enough in time. If you do not comply with sufficiently strict restrictions, then your joy will last for 3-4 weeks. And if you put it as an archival storage, then why then such speed for such money? It's like buying a fast car and driving it in the summer in Sochi (there in the summer if there is no Putin, then there are traffic jams, and if Putin arrives, then traffic is blocked). Therefore, putting an SSD as the main drive, you will have only one question - will I be able to work on a PC today? Here, of course, it should be mentioned that there are two types of solid state drives: MLC (this is what is on sale for more than affordable price) and SLC. Without going into the subtleties of their architecture, let's just say: the latter have an order of magnitude more resource - write-rewrite cycles, but they are more prone to errors. And their price is outrageous.
Free legal advice:
12. The controller is the weak point of the SSD. If to speak plain language, then an SSD is a big flash drive. But to control it, you need a controller. It ensures that information is distributed evenly across the entire SSD array. This placement is required due to the fact that some data is read more often - some less often. And so that the resource of all record cells decreases simultaneously, the data is in the most fragmented form. Maximum fragmentation is the normal state of an SSD. And only the controller knows where and what part of any file is located. Without a controller, this is not information, but just some bytes and bits. Now here's the fun part. The controller may just burn out. This is a very common SSD failure. Or the controller software may fail. Not immediately, but after a day or a month of normal operation of the solid state drive. This is just "iron" and its property is failures. So if this happens, then no one will ever in the foreseeable future be able to recover the data that you had saved on the SSD. Depending on the breakdown of the HDD and the availability of money, the information on it can be restored in most cases. Only it will be very expensive. But no matter how much you want, and no matter how much you offer, you will not succeed in recovering data on an SSD if the controller fails. Perhaps only this one minus outweighs all the pluses of an SSD.
13. Energy saving. The difference in power consumption between SSD and HDD is so negligible that it is not even considered as a plus or minus. To be precise, in write mode, the SSD wins, and in idle mode, it loses.
14. To take or not to take? That is the question. This is where you will have to decide for yourself. If the cons didn’t scare you and you have an extra couple of hundred bucks in your pocket, then go ahead. But remember, we warned you. Our opinion is based on the evolution of hard drives. For example, there is a photo of the first HDD on the Internet. It weighed somewhere around a ton and stored, scary for those times, 3 megabytes of information. And in just 50 years, gigantic changes have taken place. And SSDs have only been on the market for 6 years. So let's wait for real, qualitative changes. After the cons that are described above, all the noise around the SSD is just an advertising campaign to increase the income of manufacturers. 🙂
Did you like it? Share with your friends on social networks by clicking on these buttons!
I didn’t think that hard drives had such a short life (5 years). And where do they fail faster on stationary computers or on laptops? And how to check how much hard is left approximately to live? It turns out that when he dies, then all the information also disappears?
It is difficult to say where the hard drive will fail faster - on a computer or laptop. The disk can fly all of a sudden for various reasons and regardless of the device on which it is installed. At the expense of checking the disk life, there may be some special programs for this. If the disk dies, then some of the information can still be saved. It all depends on the degree of damage to the hard drive.
Free legal advice:
There are 2 disks of 2TB each, I work for a long time, the temperature is sometimes 46, otherwise you won’t work for hours, shutdowns are not an option. I have 2 questions: 1. What is the allowable filling of disks, especially the system one. Or, rather, navigate by the red indicators. 2. An external drive (3 inside, sorry, but out of temperature and vibration) will be used to download (edited on PC) movies, store them and watch them on TV (maximum 3 per day). Is 5400 speed and USB power enough for a stable picture? Or, no questions asked, 3.5 inches and a speed of 7200, with an external power supply with a guarantee (rather, for complacency)? Thank you.
In principle, the disk can be filled completely, but it is undesirable. Better focus on the red indicator of the system. At the expense of an external drive, then 7200 rpm will be better in terms of speed, but here it's up to you. Just for movies, take a high-quality and reliable hard drive.
External 3.5 inches - not a lot ... And if you take a regular one and place it in the case, or is it not worth the candle? So, in my case, take an external 3.5 (7200) with external power?
Alexander! There is no question here - is the game worth the candle or not. It all depends on your decision, and of course on the power of the computer. If the computer has free space, it has enough power and it will pull another hard drive, then you can install it in the system unit case. If not, then an external drive is recommended.
As for the hard drive itself, I would recommend a Western Digital drive (it doesn’t matter - external or internal) with a speed of at least 7200 and, most importantly, that the drive supports the USB 3.0 standard (the speed of this standard is several times higher than for USB 2.0). And how many inches the disk is 3.5″ or 2.5″ is not important here. If you don't have a lot of 3.5″ drives, then you can use 2.5″ drives if you wish.
My PC stuffing is good. It began with the fact that both disks turned red. There is a place for installing the 3rd, I doubted temperature regime, and comrades recommended not to take risks with the 3rd inside, but to take an external one. Hence all the encroachments on V.Zh.D. But you can’t attach a file here, it would show the internal space with the HDD.
Alexander, if there is at least some doubt, then take an external hard drive. So it will be safer and the problem will be solved!
Why did 3 comments disappear? First they were reflected, then they disappeared, or their number per day was limited. Can I attach a file?
All new comments are moderated by the administrator, and then appear on the blog. You can't attach files here, you can only comment.
Greetings, dear readers! Despite the perfection of modern computer components, all of them, like any electronics, have one significant disadvantage. Each has a limited lifespan. Using the device longer than the prescribed measure is more luck than a pattern.
This is a disadvantage when viewed from the side of an ordinary user. For manufacturers, this phenomenon is a huge plus, since the demand for parts will always exist. Today I will talk about the life of the HDD and what affects its lifespan.
Cache size
Buffer memory allows you to reduce the number of system calls to hard, as it stores frequently used files. Accordingly, the larger the cache size, the less often the hard drive is used, activating its mechanisms.
For a modern high-performance computer hard drive, 128 MB of cache is simply a chic size. However, 64 MB is also a good option, especially if you are buying a budget model.
Rotational speed
The faster the disc spindle rotates, the faster the wear of the mechanical parts, as well as the drive motor. That is why designers set low speed in server disks - usually 5200 rpm. Fast drives consume more power and heat up more, which affects their lifespan.
Operating mode
How many hours a hard drive will last depends largely on the user. First of all, you should pay attention to such factors:
- Power unit. Insufficient supplied power or a malfunction in the PSU can cause the hard drive to fail. For this reason, it is recommended to use not only a high-quality power supply of the appropriate power, but also an uninterruptible power supply and, optionally, a voltage stabilizer.
- Moisture. High humidity can cause failure not only of the HDD, but of any electronics. Short circuit- an unpredictable thing. Especially at risk are laptop owners who periodically spill tea or beer on the device.
- Heat sink. The normal operating temperature of the hard drive should not exceed 65°C. The reason for poor heat dissipation can be both improper placement of the computer, and ordinary dust that has accumulated inside the case. Don't forget to clean regularly!
- Magnets. A strong magnet located in close proximity to a hard drive can demagnetize it. It is impossible to use such a device in the future.
- The number of rewrite cycles. Any magnetic storage device, starting with the ancient tape recorder reels, has this limitation. When the resource is exhausted, the hard begins to lose volume - at first gradually, then it fails completely.
- defragmentation. During operation, when saving and deleting files, their fragments end up in different places on the disk. From the point of view of operation, it is better if the whole file occupies a certain place on the disk, and the hard drive head does not have to read it piece by piece from all clusters. Therefore, do not forget to defragment - using regular Windows tools or third-party utilities.
Average hard drive life
In general, under normal operating conditions, the life of a hard drive is from five to ten years. Of course, in this case, no one is immune from a manufacturing defect and premature failure of the device.
Most manufacturers - Seagate, Samsung, etc. provide a warranty on hard drives for a period of two to three years. WD alone guarantees trouble-free operation for a five-year period (of course, not for all models).
