The computer hard drive is a consumable but at the same time an important part of the system that needs proper care. Portal makeuseof.com speakWhat can damage an HDD before its time and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Turning off the computer incorrectly
However, the advice is clear: under no circumstances should you turn off your PC by unplugging the power cable. A sudden shutdown will cause the hard drive's write and read heads to fail, which could potentially lead to damage to sectors of the drive and damage to the device's mechanical parts. Try to always shut down your computer properly, either through the Start menu or a hotkey combination. And if power outages are frequent in your area, consider purchasing an uninterruptible power source.
The hard drive cannot fill its capacity
Poor disk space management is slowly killing every hard drive. If there is no more disk space, Windows cannot create temporary files and perform certain maintenance procedures. The system will begin to chaotically search for any free space to complete the simplest, basic tasks, which significantly increases the load on the hard drive. Try to keep at least 10-15% of the total volume intact to avoid problems.
Don't overheat the drive
An overheating hard drive may look like everything is fine but will be completely unusable within a few months. Storage devices contain precision mechanical parts that contract and expand in response to temperature changes. If these components get too hot, the distance between the reader and the disk will change, which can lead to data corruption and permanent damage.
Periodically check the temperature your hard drive reaches. Any number above 55 degrees Celsius is a cause for concern and above 60 degrees is a cause for alarm.
Do not move your PC while it is on
Tiny read and write heads are placed just a few nanometers from the platter, spinning at 7,200 rpm inside the hard drive. Any sudden movement or vibration can cause the heads to collide with the drive surface – causing serious damage. And even gentle, careful movements can cause problems. If you don't want your drive to wear out prematurely, always turn off your PC before moving it in any way.
Defragment your hard drive regularly
Sometimes Windows doesn't find a solid sector when saving files, and the operating system has to split the data into chunks that are stored in different parts of the hard drive. The HDD reader must continuously jump from one point to another to recover these fragmented files. Conversely, overuse will wear out the drive's mechanical parts and negatively affect PC performance.
Luckily, Windows has built-in defragmentation tools that help reorganize scattered data into coherent blocks. Defragging at least once a month is a great method to help prolong the life of your hard drive.
