Data Recovery Info

Hard Drive Precautions

Computers, just like any type of machinery experiences wear and tear. The moveable parts in the hard disk drive such as the read/write head and spindle motor are in most cases the first parts to break down.

There are precautions that you can take to extend the life of a hard drive. More than half of all computer problems happen because of vibration and shock to the hard disk drives. When a computer is operating and receives a shock or jolt, it can cause the read/write head to scratch the disk surface. This happens mainly when computer equipment is being transported from one place to another.

Transporting computer equipment or machinery can be done safely if it is removed from its installation panel, packed in special protective packaging and then transported separately from other equipment or machinery.

• When installing or re-installing computer equipment make sure to re-install a panel computer only after any other equipment or machinery has been securely fixed in place.
• Never set up your computer panel in equipment that is moveable.
• Never move a computer while it is in operation.
• Handle a hard disk drive with caution, minor shock such as dropping the disk can be disastrous.

Temperature
Another reason for hard drive failure can be caused by sudden temperature and humidity changes. This can cause condensation inside the drive causing damage to your computer and result in lost data or computer failure. Disk surface material can also evaporate that can cause the head to adhere to the disk surface especially when a hard drive has not been used for a long period of time.

Computer application software can cause corruption of hard disk data. By checking your disks regularly with a disk diagnosis utility such as the Windows Scandisk utility you can minimize your chances for these types of problems occurring.

Improper shutdown of your computer can result in hard disk data loss.