How to Use Your Hard Disk for a Long Time?

All hard disks have usage lifetimes and it is inevitable that they will become unusable after a certain period. In addition, we cannot conclude that all disks will have the same lifetime. The average lifetime of an unused hard drive without manufacturer error is 6 years.

Let's look at the most common causes of hard drive failures and what you can do to prevent them. You don't want to struggle to recover your data from a broken hard disk, right?

This article is written for fixed hard disks. We are preparing a different article for SSDs and portable hard disks.

• Physical Damage:

The fastest way to make a hard drive useless is physical trauma. Hard disks are more fragile and sensitive than you think. They contain moving parts that can fail at the slightest shock. A small movement applied while the hard drive is rotating may be enough to cause a physical problem on the disk.

What can you do about this?

For maximum security, never remove hard disks from the computer case while it is open after mounting them. If you need to remove the disk, turn off your computer and use appropriate tools.

Never move, shake or jolt the case while your computer is on. Secure it in a safe place to prevent accidental collisions.

Laptop hard disks are more durable than desktop and external hard disks. You don't need to be as sensitive as walking on an eggshell when carrying your laptop, but be careful. When the disk is active, hitting your computer on a table or anywhere can cause data loss or corruption of your data on the disk.

• Excessive Temperature

Like most computer components, hard drives are manufactured to operate within a certain temperature range. This temperature varies depending on the disk model and manufacturer.

The main problem for the disk is to ensure that it stays in a safe temperature environment. The temperature of the room where your computer is located may be suitable for you. However, your computer may not be able to provide proper airflow in its own case. In this case, it is possible to create a temperature hotter than the ambient temperature. Even if you feel comfortable, this may not be the case for your computer's components.

What can you do about this?

First, you need to open your computer case (while your computer is off) and clean the accumulated dust. You can use compressed air for this. Then, make sure your fans are working. Fans draw air from one side of the case while expelling air from the other side, that is, they regulate air circulation.

Laptops are in worse condition than desktop computers. The small size of the case means dust accumulates faster. Therefore, it is important that the inside of the case is clean. Also, always keep your laptop on a hard, flat surface to minimize dust accumulation and maximize air circulation. If you neglect this, you may cause your laptop to become unusable faster.

• File Fragmentation

File fragmentation is not a direct cause of hard drive damage. However, it causes your hard drive to work more by making it difficult to find all the parts containing the file. The disk working more also results in rapid wear and tear. This result may not occur immediately, but as the frequency increases, this will be inevitable.

What can you do about this?

Short answer: defragmentation. Although fragmentation is less of a problem on NTFS drives than FAT32 drives in the past, it is still a topic that should not be ignored as part of computer maintenance. Not sure how to defragment? There are many methods for this. You can get these methods from the internet. However, remember that defragmenting too often is a common computer mistake made by users. Defragment your drives only when they reach a 5-10% fragmentation rate.

In addition, after the defragmentation process, files can be loaded faster on the hard drive, so it will also speed up your computer. Also, when you need to recover a file, the defragmentation process can help make it even easier.

• Computer On-Off Frequency

The most challenging movement for a hard drive is booting and shutting down. More specifically, frequently making a downward tilting motion can cause wear and tear in addition to wear.

What can you do about this?

You probably don't want to keep your hard disks running all the time and turn them on and off more than once a day.

As a general rule, if you're not going to use it for more than a day, turn off your computer. If you're going away for a few hours, put your computer to sleep mode.

5- Electrical Power Fluctuations

Electrical voltage is not always constant. There are times when the voltage rises above normal levels. This period can last even a few nanoseconds. This occurrence is called a surge. The important thing for us here is that surges can damage electronic devices, including computer components. An electrical surge at a bad time can cause your hard drive to burn. The larger the surge, the greater the damage.

What can you do about this?

Use a Surge Protector. This device detects electrical surges and removes them from devices. Are all surge protectors reliable? No, they are not. The first of these is material quality. This feature is important in these sockets, which are usually made of durable and fire-resistant materials. In addition, the "Joule" value is also important. This value expresses the current protection life of the socket to you. Sockets with low Joule values lose their current protection feature in a shorter time, while those with high Joule values are more durable and can protect your device against high voltage for a longer time. You can also prefer versions with LED lights showing the Joule status. This way you can track whether the socket is still providing current protection.

Finally;

Of course, it is possible that your hard disk drive will fail even after evaluating our recommendations. We are talking about possibilities and situations that you can prevent here. If you pay attention to the warnings we mentioned above, you will be able to use your hard disks for a longer time. If you notice anything unusual on your hard disk, you can consult us 24/7. You can get information from our call center +902129161222 Tekniknokta experts are ready to help you in every way!

So what did you do to extend the life of your hard drives? If you have any recommendations and failure stories you have experienced, please share them with us by writing them in the comments section!