Hard Drive Failure: Causes & Solutions Explained


When a system’s hard drive fails or data is lost, the cause is either physical or logical. Also, if you want to recover the hard drive’s data, then the methods to do so will vary depending on how the hard drive failure. Additionally, you must use the recovery method to recover your hard drive’s data, per its failure prototypes. It is vital to know the exact differences between the physical and logical recoveries of the hard drive.

But, if your system’s hard drive has failed and you’re unsure if it’s a logical or physical problem, don’t fret. Pat yourself on the back as you have dropped in the right place. Here, in this context, we are going to discuss all the potential causes and aspects of a hard drive failure. Also, this article will guide you on both failed hard drives. So, we recommend scrolling down and reading on to learn more!

Know About Crashed Hard Drive or Hard Drive Failure:

A hard drive crash or failure is when your system’s hard drive stops working. Since conventional hard drives use physical parts to read and write data, it’s common for one or more to fail. A record player can spin at most 78 RPM. A typical drive, though, would spin about 7,200 or 5,400 times in a minute.

The hard drive’s discs run at a very high speed. The write and read heads work within nanometers of the platters that store the data. To put this in perspective, the hard drive’s heads are less than a hair’s diameter from the data platter. Also, they do not decay with age. The hard drive may crash or fail at any time.

Types of Hard Drive Failure:

Generally, there are only two major types of hard drive failures. The first is the physical hard drive failure, and the second is a logical hard drive failure. You need a grasp of two crucial hard drive failure types. Moreover, this can help you use an ideal method to recover the data on the hard drive.

So, take a look at the passage below in detail to know more about the physical and logical hard drive failures.

  1. Physical Hard Drive Failure

System malfunctions occur when the electric instrument crashes or the hard drive fails. Generally, this involves the shifting and moving components of the hard drive. The hard drive’s moving parts may fail due to a head crash. Also, quitting the system while the hard drive is running may cause a serious head crash.

  1. Logical Hard Drive Failure

This is the most common type of hard drive failure, and most people come up with this general hard drive issue. These failures come from corruption or other technical errors in the file system. This hard drive failure occurs if you format it or delete a key registry entry by mistake.

If malware and viruses corrupt the system, the hard drive will fail. Also, the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) will recognize the hard drive. But it cannot boot up.

Here are some potential causes of hard drive failure.

You may come up with several types of causes that lead to hard drive failure. This post lists common and possible causes of failed hard drives. They are both physical and logical. Moreover, these causes are the most common ones. If your hard drive has stopped working as usual, then you are not able to access the data on the hard drive.

It is vital to connect with an expert data recovery company before trying any methods ourselves. Also, the first attempt to recover the hard drive data has the best chance of success. Thus, do not take any chances and lose the data on your hard drive. Hence, opt for the best data recovery in Dubai for the most efficient and reliable services.

Logical Causes of Hard Drive Failure

It is essential to know the effective causes of hard drive failure before retrieving it. Hence, take a look at the causes listed below:

  1. You may accidentally delete the files.

  2. Involuntary formatting of the hard drive separation (or volume).

  3. System technical glitches are a consequence of a virus and malware intrusions.

  4. The corrupt operating system version of the system.

  5. The system’s hard drive may not work due to corrupted files and folders.

  6. Invalid records in the file allocation tables of the system.

  7. Destruction of a file system’s structure.

  8. Malware, Trojans, viruses, and many more.

  9. Software technical bugs.

Physical Causes of Hard Drive Failure

Here is a complete list of physical causes of hard drive failures that you should be aware of.

  1. The corruption may relate to the firmware.

  2. Electrical issues mimic the PCB’s function: electrical surges or power spikes.

  3. The BIOS of the system cannot recognize the hard drive.

  4. Corruption of the preamplifier circuit of the write and read heads.

  5. Corrupted plating of the system (scratched surface).

  6. Sometimes, the system’s hard drive may fail due to defects from the manufacturer.

  7. Tracking technical glitches in the system.

  8. Inaccessible data or information sectors and blocks.

  9. The errors may have a connection to the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check).

  10. Corruption of the head disk assembly of the system.

  11. Seized spindle bearing and motor of the hard drive malfunction.

  12. Fraudulent service area.

  13. Head crash: this occurs when a hard drive’s write and read heads touch the platters, erasing the data.

Some common warning signs and symptoms of hard drive failures.

Identify a failing hard drive by recognizing common symptoms and circumstances. Furthermore, this may help you avert various types of minor technical bugs on the hard drive. Moreover, this is the only way to predict a hard drive’s failure before it loses your data.

So, without delay, let’s look at the common signs of hard drive failure.

  1. Common but intermittent crashes, especially whenever the Windows operating system is booting up.

  2. You may get cryptic error messages about the hard drives while moving or copying files.

  3. Files and folders have interspersed and modified titles.

  4. Vanishing folders and files from the system.

  5. Your system may take a long time to access folders and files.

  6. The system’s hard disk stays silent for a long time after you request data by opening a folder and a file.

  7. Garbled output from open files or printing on the system.

  8. The system’s hard drive screeches because of a malfunctioning bearing.

S.M.A.R.T.: Unique Process for Data Recovery

Sometimes, the data recovery on a crashed or failed hard drive can be very tough and complicated. In such a case, the newest hard drives have advanced tech. It can help recover data from a crashed or failed hard drive. In this advanced technology era, modern hard drives have S.M.A.R.T. in-built technology. The S.M.A.R.T. stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. Also, this tech is standard on all the latest hard drives. It gives each device a level of physical status monitoring.

Also, the self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T.) in your system’s BIOS is vital. This exclusive monitoring technology can only tell you if the system’s hard drive is ‘OK’ at boot. It relies on its internal S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics. This monitoring tech can protect or recover data from a failing hard drive. If you still face problems, find a reliable data recovery service in Dubai. They can best guide you.

Summing Up

This article provides thorough support for “My hard drive failed” situations. How do I know whether it’s a logical or physical problem? In this informative blog, we discuss all the aspects of the failed or crashed hard drive. We also list common causes and symptoms of hard drive failures. This can help you find the right type of hardware failure. You can then use the best method to recover the hard drive’s data.

So, please read the above section. It covers all views on the hard drive failure. It will ease your pain and help you. If you have any questions or feedback, please comment below.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why isn’t my computer detecting my HDD? 

If your system can’t detect the HDD, it may have a connectivity issue. Generally, there are two types of hard disk drive (HDD) failure. One is a physical hard drive failure, and the other is a logical hard drive failure. It can be almost impossible to fix a crashed hard drive with a physical error. Resolve logical hard drive issues by applying technical solutions.

If your system does not find your hard drive, try some easy, effective ways to test and repair the connection.

2. How do you fix a hard drive failure?

As earlier explained, the hard disk drive can fail or crash due to various types of causes. So, there are many fixes to get rid of this annoying issue. Also, you must find some quick, effective methods. They should ensure a top solution. Here we are about to mention some of the easiest and most effective ways to fix a hard drive failure. The ways are as follows:

1: Change the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) boot order.

2: Strip out new hardware; inspect data cables and jumpers with precision.

3: Verify the hard disk drive to check for failures.

4: Perform the steps to run the ‘chkdsk’ command.

Open chat
UrbanClap is here to help.
Just tell us your need.
Call Now Button

GET FREE QUOTE


Phone No *

Your Email

Submit Your Query *