Why Hard Drives Fail, Crash, Corrupt, and Click

Hard drives fail and crash and corrupt data all the time. The bigger hard drives get, the more likely it is it will fail during its “expected” lifespan.
When you hear the hard drive click or make weird noises, it’s time to immediately back up everything!

There are many ways a hard drive will tell you the “end is near” but you need to it listen carefully. But why do hard drives fail and crash in the first place?

Common Causes of Hard Drive Failure and Data Corruption

Naturally the main function of backup software is to prevent data loss as much as possible. You need to

have a good sense of all common risks of data loss because most forms of data loss are preventable.

Fire

Storms

Floods

Software faults and errors, including the operating system

Accidental deletion by users

Hard drive faults: head crash, deterioration, etc. The expected lifetime of hard drives is usually under two years.

Virus and malware damage.

Static discharge. For example, on days with low humidity below 40% and carpets installed in the office. Vacuum cleaners and other devices may be statically charged as well. Be aware of this when near a computer.

Humidity levels and condensation. Ideal levels should be kept between 40% and 60%. High humidity levels can cause condensation. Dry levels can damage electronic parts.

Electric shock caused by lightning strike to exterior structures in the vicinity of the building or power lines.

Electric surge caused by lightning or defect electric appliances connected in the same office or household.

Water damage. Fire sprinklers, flooding, or other leaks.

Temperature. Do not expose computers to temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) or above 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) because electronic parts may overheat. Low temperatures may lead to condensation.

Mechanic shock. For example, a notebook may be dropped or a desktop may be struck accidently while the hard drives are spinning.

Magnetic fields. Magnetic fields caused by older TV sets or wiring can damage the sensitive plates inside hard drives or electronic components on motherboards.

Incomplete data transport. For example data is copied to a new computer and users may not notice that the transfer was not complete.

Data Corruption

Not shutting down Windows correctly, for example, after a power outage, can lead to data corruption. Bad sectors are another common issue. After some time, sectors wear out and cannot be accessed anymore. If there’s data on these sectors, is likely to be lost and the file containing that sector is now corrupt.

Use “chkdsk C: /b” command perhaps twice a year to scan for bad sectors. If it finds any, immediately replace the drive. If you are lucky, you may find “disk warnings” in Windows Event Viewer logs. Those warnings are to be taken seriously, and experience tell us these are really errors, not warnings. First copy all your data elsewhere and then run a chkdsk bad sector if you want to confirm bad sectors are present.

Clicking and Noise

Another sign that the hard drive troubles are around the corner are noises coming from the drive. Humming, clicking, and any other ‘unusual’ noise is a surefire sign the hard drive will fail very soon.

BackupChain Protects Against Data Loss

In order to protect the data on your PC or server, you need BackupChain backup software to create a hard drive backup on a schedule automatically.
BackupChain also offers cloud server backup, Windows server backup, and online backup.
If you work with virtual machines, you can backup up a VM live without shutting it down. For example, a HyperV backup and VMware Workstation backup can be done live without affecting the VM.
Another great feature to protect you against data loss is version backup. Version backup basically keeps track of all changes made to a file over time, so you can go back in time and restore an older copy.
Moreover, we also offer a free FTP client that you can use to access FTP sites via a mapped drive.
Download BackupChain for free today!