Nothing can describe the dreadful sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when your beloved computer’s hard drive stops working. Immediately you think of the data you cannot access or the work that has yet to be done. The good news is that your files are likely to still be accessible, there are solutions to fix a damaged hard drive and hard drive repair specialists can always be called upon to help. Read on to learn the most common causes for hard drive failures, plus some simple steps you can take to try and retrieve your data.

Common Causes For Broken Hard Drives

You would think that with a name that includes the word “hard,” that the item would at least be a tad bit durable, right? Well, unfortunately, that is not the case. Hard drives are actually quite sensitive and susceptible to damage. Hard drive crashes can generally be broken down into two categories: physical crashes and logical crashes.

Physical Hard Drive Crashes

Simply put, four major factors contribute to physical hard drive failures:

  • High Temperature: Abnormally high temperatures within your machine can lead to issues with your hard drive’s functioning. Check to ensure that your computer’s air filters are clear and have good airflow and if your computer fan is operating. When did you last hear it click on? Does it start then stop abruptly? Or make a strange noise?
  • Water Damage: While water damage doesn’t usually impact a hard drive itself, it can prevent access to data if the device’s hardware prevents it from booting. A good rule of thumb for all electronic devices is to keep liquids as far away from them as possible.
  • Impact: You’ve fallen asleep watching a movie in bed, and you hear a crash. Maybe you thought you were being responsible and stowed your computer on the floor before dozing off, just to step on it the following morning. Well, any high impact or collision can cause a physical hard drive failure.
  • Age: This is the most common reason for hard drives to fail. Unfortunately, hard drives degrade over time and the older they are, the more likely they are to fail.

It should be noted that some of the issues that arise from physical hard drive crashes can be avoided by replacing your hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs tend to be smaller, have fewer moving parts, and therefore, can be more durable in the long-run.

Logical Hard Drive Crashes

Often in the case of a logical failure, your hard disk works without issue, but your operating system (OI) does not have access to any data.

With this sort of problem, you might be greeted by the notorious blue screen, notice that your UI is sluggish, or that you’ve lost data. The main culprits for logical hard drive failures are attacks from computer viruses or damage caused by malware. But it could also be human error in the form of accidental deletions or changes to the hard drive formatting or partitioning.

If an external drive fails, it prevents the hard drive from accessing data. And if an internal drive fails, it prevents the computer from starting completely. It can be confusing to determine if the problem lays with a laptop or the hard drive itself. This is where specialist help comes in handy.

Okay, so enough about the reasons why your hard drive doesn’t work. Let’s move on to how to repair your hard drive.

Steps To Take To Try And Fix Your Hard Drive

Here are a couple of steps you can take to try and retrieve your data. The further down the list you go, the more complex the steps are. We would not recommend you attempting DIY software and hardware repairs (steps 4 and 5) without the relevant knowledge, as you could risk losing your data permanently. If in doubt, it is always best to take your hard drive straight to a hard drive repairs specialist.

Step 1: Look For Damage

Are you working on your laptop poolside? Is there any spilled liquid or moisture? Have you got the fear-inducing “blue screen of death” in front of you? Examining your machine for physical damage can help root out the problem. Physical cues could be:

  • Dents on the body of the machine
  • Cracks on the screen or monitor
  • Burns or scorch marks on the inside

Step 2: Check Power And Restart

The go-to solution in any IT professional’s playbook is to check the power source. Is everything plugged in correctly, like your computer itself or the components on the inside?
Make sure your machine is plugged into a reliable power source. Completely power off and hard reboot your machine. Do this by pressing and holding the power button for approximately 5 seconds. Then wait 30 seconds before pushing the power button once again.

Step 3: Try To Access The External Drive

Purchase a hard disk case, such as this one from Amazon, to try and access your hard drive as an external drive. You’ll need to remove your drive, place it in the hard disk case and connect it to another device, such as a games console or TV to access your files. Note, this will only work if you don’t have a built-in hard drive.
H2: Steps Not To Be Attempted Without Adequate Knowledge
The following two steps are more advanced, and should not be attempted if you do not know what you are doing, as you risk irreversible data loss. If in doubt and important data is at risk, it is best to take your hard drive straight to a hard drive repair specialist, who will have all of the necessary knowledge to help retrieve your missing data.

Step 4: DIY Software Repair

Whether you are on Windows or Mac, there are also methods to do a software check and repair of your external hard drive and internal hard drives from the comfort of your home. However, this is not recommended for the faint of heart as these programmes are aimed at people with software know-how.

On Windows

Using Windows Tools is the most reliable way to check the condition of your hard drive. The hard drive is analyzed to detect and recover files found in defective areas. If your hard drive is 100% inaccessible, using a free software program called TestDisk can help you find the problem and repair it. You should note that albeit free, this program can be a bit convoluted to use.

On Mac

On the OSX operating system, the Self Monitoring Analysis and Repair Technology System (SMART) can be used to get health reports of your disk. SMART can tell you if a drive is failing or has some fatal error to the actual hardware. When you locate the problem, and whether you are on a Windows or Mac, there are various tools you can use to try and resolve the issue. If you think it has all gone over your head, then considering professional data recovery services could be the next step.

Step 5: DIY Hardware Repair

If your goal is to keep the repairs “in house”, then doing the hardware repairs yourself is always a possibility. However, you should note that the process could be complicated and should only be undertaken if you possess the right tools and know-how to succeed. Otherwise, you might cause more hurt than help to your machine.

Is your computer still under warranty? Opening up the machine to attempt your own repairs could void your warranty. We recommend you verify with your service provider before attempting to do any hardware repair yourself.

Turn To The Professionals For Peace Of Mind

So, nothing seems to be working. You’ve consulted forums, called friends and prayed to the gods of damaged hard drives. Maybe you have calmly and cooly decided to skip straight to this step and hire a professional. Well, you’re in luck. Fixfactor is here to help you with just about any technical problem you might encounter with your hard drive. Book an appointment today to get your hard drive fixed by our specialist hard drive repairs team.