A hard drive failure is difficult to detect if you don’t know the symptoms. Your computer or laptop may be doing all sorts of things, e.g., freezing, crashes and looping on reboot, some of which may lead to corruption or loss of data.
It’s best to make backup copies so you won’t experience a total loss. When the situation calls for it, you can rely on a data recovery Cape Town professional to retrieve important documents, photos and critical business data.
Here are some of the most common signs of a hard drive failure.
Hard Drive Failure – Signs to Look Out For
Frequent Freezing and Crashing
Programs, software and apps that were installed on a failed sector will most likely not respond, crash or not work at all. You’ll experience total inability to complete any task within the application until the problem has been fixed.
Slow, Laggy Response
In some cases, the app may load but they will be working slower than what’s acceptable. This means that the hard drive will have so many bad sectors that the computer is finding it difficult to retrieve the needed information. If the program constantly freezes, it’s time to check the hard drive’s integrity.
Loud Clicking Noises
When saving, transferring data or installing a program, you’ll sometimes hear audible clicking noises coming from the computer, which means that the head stop is colliding with the write/read heads. Without going into specifics, prolonged clicking can physically damage the hard disk and render it useless in the long run.
SMART Warnings
Getting this warning can tell you if what you’re experiencing is a hard drive malfunction or something else entirely. While not fool-proof, it’s best to take precautions, especially when dealing with sensitive and/or important files. Make sure you have the right backup software and consider getting it done on a regular basis for peace of mind.
