When a computer’s HDD drive fails, the data inside is at risk of being lost. The HDD is crucial to the way a PC works and if it is left unattended then it may cause more than just the HDD to fail.

How to detect if your HDD drive is failing and what type of failure it is.

 

There are 4 different types of failures Mechanical, Logical, Electronic, and Firmware.

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1. Mechanical

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Cause:

This failure can be caused by the hard drive experiencing physical damage.

It may also be caused by old age, overheating, or a manufacturer defect.

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Symptoms:

The mechanical failure can be identified if:

• The Hard drive makes a regular clicking sound when first powered on. This lasts approximately 20 seconds before the disk powers down.

• The hard drive beeps or buzzes when first powered on and the disk doesn’t spin.



2. Logical

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Cause:

This failure may occur when data structures on the hard disk have been corrupted due to the disk having not been ejected from the system correctly. It can also be caused by some areas of the hard drive not being readable due to the development of bad sectors.

 

Symptoms:

The logical failure can be identified if:

• The files and folders are not accessible.

• The files and folders will not copy correctly.

• The CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) errors will be reported.

• Files and or folders may have been deleted or overwritten.

 

3. Electronic

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Causes:

The failure may occur if a power surge has caused damage to the computer.It can also be caused if the wrong power cable has been plugged in.

 

Symptoms:

The electric failure can be identified if:

• The drive won’t spin when it is powered on.

• The hard drive becomes very hot.

• The HDD is not recognised by the computer.

 

4. Firmware

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Cause:

A firmware failure can only occur if the firmware (or ‘microcode’) that runs the drive has become corrupted. If this is the case, then it is likely the result of software errors that exist in the firmware.

 

Symptoms:

A firmware failure can be identified if:

• The drive is recognised by the computer incorrectly.

• The capacity of the drive is reported incorrectly.

 

What should you do?

The first thing to do is to power off the hard drive to prevent any further damage and to not let anyone who doesn’t know what they are doing use it. These measures will effectively improve the chances of a successful data recovery.

 

Is it possible to recover the data?

Yes, most of the time it can be fixed. When it comes down to fixing an HDD, you often get only one shot at it. We have more than enough skills, knowledge, and expertise to recover the data. As well as advanced equipment which will greatly help us pull this off.

 

Are there circumstances that may lower the likelihood of saving data?

Yes, if the heads inside the hard drive are damaged, the success rate is lower. This is the case with some of the mechanical failures, in these cases, if the disk platter surface is in good condition, the likelihood is generally good. In some of the more severe cases, the success rates are very low, but we will try our best to recover lost data.