Hard disk failure is one of the most frustrating situations a user can ever confront. Sometimes it may lead to permanent data loss and bring you to tears. A hard disk is the most important part of the computer. So any sort of issue or corruption can cause severe problems. In this article, we’ll talk about the most common reasons for hard disk failure. Also, we’ll learn how to fix corrupt hard disk to recover data from it. But before that, let’s discuss hard disk and its significance.

Hard disk is a data storage device that can store a very large amount of data and information, and give you quick access to them. It works as the principal storage media device of a computer system. All your data which are stored on the hard drive, stay in it regardless of the fact that the system is turned off. I’ve discussed the importance of hard disk below:

Importance of Hard Disk

• The hard drive allows your computer system to start. Without a hard drive, a computer system fails to boot up.
• Because of the hard disk drive, a computer system can store all your data and information safely.
• All the functions and actions of your computer depend on the hard disk. Without a hard disk, a computer system fails to work or function.

Hard Disk Crash

Being a hardware device, a hard disk drive is prone to crash and other severe issues which include corruption and malfunction. A situation of hard disk crash can make all your data inaccessible. Even the computer system fails to boot from the hard drive. Generally, computer users get confused by operating system crash and hard disk crash. They think both are same. But in reality, they ain’t. In fact, there’s a contrast between them. Logical failure is the reason behind operating system crash. No matters which operating system you’re using, i.e. Windows, Mac or Linux. On the other hand, hard disk crash occurs due to physical failure. In both these situations, you just can’t access your information, though it’s still available on the hard disk.

Click Hard Disk Drive Failure to read the complete information on Wikipedia page.

Determine Hard Disk Failure

To begin with, you have to decide the factor of hard disk failure, i.e. logical failure or physical failure, which causes the hard disk crash on your computer system. At whatever point a system crashes down, it basically fails to boot to the operating system. Error messages can help you know the cause of the crash, i.e. either logical or physical. As physical failure causes a crash in system hard disk, you have to think about it. Whenever a computer system fails to boot and you get a few hints of clicking, grinding or whirring noise, this means it’s a physical failure. Until unless the real cause is diagnosed and resolved, neither boot your computer system nor reload the operating system.

Users can also read this blog post FAT Data Recovery through FAT Recovery Software

Reasons for Hard Disk Failure

There are several reasons which may cause hard disk failure, ranging from manufacturer’s fault to human errors.

Manufacturer’s Fault

You purchase a brand new hard disk from a well-known hard disk manufacturer. After a few days of purchasing, your hard disk stops working. You get a crash on your hard disk. It sounds unusual, but this can happen if there’s any manufacturer’s fault in it. Usually, what happens, vendors deliver or sells hard disks to their customers without proper testing or examining. 

Check for the symptoms given below:

• Your computer system fails to detect or recognize the hard disk.
• You computer system fails to boot or it hangs while the booting process is running.

Solution: In a case of hard disk crash due to manufacturer’s fault, you must contact the manufacturer or the person from whom you’ve purchased the hard disk. You may also need to contact the Customer Care Center for hard disk replacement. You’ll get a replacement for your faulty hard disk. But this time make sure the hard disk is properly checked or examined before you get it. Though you’ll get a new hard disk, you’ll lose all your data previously stored in the faulty hard disk. The hard disk manufacturer will not be liable to recover your data from the faulty hard disk. 

Overheating

Overheating in your hard disk is one of the most common reasons behind hard disk failure. The situation of hard disk crash due to overheating occurs frequently. Improper maintenance of your system, poor quality of cabinet box, faulty CPU fans, etc. can cause overheating in your system hard disk. Sometimes high power supply can also cause overheating in your system and can affect your hard disk.

Check for the symptoms given below:

• Your CPU fans are moving very slowly or not moving at all.
• You find that some clicking sounds and other unexpected noises are arising from your system while booting.

Solution: If overheating is the cause of your hard disk crash, you need to check the fans in your cabinet. They must be working in a good condition. Faulty CPU fans cause overheating, so avoid them. Don’t forget to give proper maintenance to your computer system in a regular manner. Always use a good quality of cabinet box that contains enough fans for proper cooling of your computer system. Using SMART (Self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology) tools are highly recommended.

Unexpected Power Failure

Unexpected power failure can cause minor or sometimes serious damage to your system hard disk, and result in hard disk failure. Sometimes low or high power supply can cause your system be turned off in an unexpected manner. This mostly happens if you’re not using a UPS or using a poor quality UPS device. Poor quality UPS may not be able to provide the required power supply to the computer system.

Check for the symptoms below:

• Your system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) fails to detect your system hard disk.
• Your system hard disk becomes unable to spin.

Solution: Make sure there is no interruption between your computer system and main power supply. Check whether your computer machine is getting the required power supply or not.

Always use a UPS device with your computer system that provides power backup to your system in the event of sudden power failure.

Mechanical Failure

Mechanical failure in your hard disk drive usually occurs due to some internal causes which include bad sectors in hard disk, spindle motor fails to perform rotation, power supply issues, and many others. An old hard disk may cause many critical issues and problems, or if you have formatted the hard disk more than the specified limit, your hard disk might be in severe danger.

Check for the symptoms given below:

• Your hard disk drive starts making click sounds.
• You can’t view the files and folders in your computer system.

Solution: To avoid mechanical failure from hard disk, make sure you update your computer system in a regular manner. Use an Antivirus program to scan your computer system for viruses and don’t forget to update it time by time. Never let your hard disk be old enough, i.e. replace your system hard disk after 3-4 years even if the hard disk is in good condition.

Corrupt/Invalid Data

Your computer data can become corrupt or invalid due to various reasons, such as abnormal system shutdown, accidental cancellation of running program, use of untrustworthy malware or freeware programs, frequent power failure, virus infection/attacks, many others. Any of these reasons can play an important role in corruption. And after that, your hard disk becomes unstable and starts functioning in a proper manner.

Check for the symptoms given below:

• You can’t open or access your files and folders saved on your computer.
• Your operating system fails to boot.

Solution: Never ever turn off your PC in an abnormal manner. Always use the specified way to shut down the computer system. Don’t make haste to closing the running application or programs. Give the required time to programs to get properly canceled. Avoid installing the applications which are downloaded from the untrustworthy source.

Human Errors

Human error means the mistakes done by a human which can cause serious damage to the system and its hard drive. Such mistakes include modification in the registry files of the system, alteration in files’ attributes of the system and many others. Sometimes an unauthorized person can access your computer and make it faulty or damage. You must consider human error one of the main causes of data loss or corruption. 

The symptoms of human errors can’t be explained. 

Solution: You can avoid human errors by following some simple things which include: avoid any type of unwanted modification/alteration to the system files, avoid formatting the hard disk more than its specified limit, never let any unauthorized person use your computer in your absence or even in presence.

Professional Recovery Solution

Above are the most common reasons behind hard disk failure. Finally, the question is “how to recover data from a crashed hard drive”. Do you have any fix for it? Generally, people recommend data recovery services at the time of hard disk failure. You have two options here: either you can hire data recovery experts for recovering your data from corrupt hard disk, or you can just do it by yourself. There are many software vendors in the market which provide professional tools for Windows data recovery. SysInfoTools Software is one of them, a trustworthy name in the market for providing Windows utilities for different purposes like data recovery, email management, and email migration. You can try its amazing Windows Data Recovery software that can recover corrupt, lost as well as deleted data from hard disk drives with ease.

Why choose this software?

Just have a quick look at the key features of Windows data recovery software:

• Support recovery from corrupt hard disk drives containing NTFS (New Technology File System) and FAT (File Allocation Table) file systems;
• Support both partition table formats: MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table);
• Multiple recovery modes to fix the different level of corruption, i.e. Standard & Advanced for recovering data from FAT file system, and Standard, Advanced & Deep for recovering data from NTFS file system;
• Smart preview of recovered data in a tree-structure mode;
• Auto-search feature for searching particular files or types in the tree structure;
• Free evaluation of the software before purchasing its licensed version.

Important note: Before purchasing licensed version, I would recommend users to first download the free demo version of this software. By using demo version, you can see what you could recover from the hard disk drive and its volumes before you can actually pay for the software.

Watch the online video tutorial below