Is your external hard drive in good condition? Here are some helpful tips to prevent problems.
The external hard drive is used very often to store data and backup your PC. For this reason it is necessary to determine if it is a hard disk in good condition, and also to evaluate any problems to avoid data loss. Thanks to the following tips, it is possible to identify the main problems and identify faults in the external support, saving any backups.
1. Evaluate the status of the hard drive
The first thing to check is the status of the external hard drive. Through the use of some free software it is possible to look at the main parameters of the disk, analyzing if there are problems. With the monitoring system S.M.A.R.T. the reliability indexes are detected, and further suggestions are recommended to solve damages and malfunctions of the external disk. So with a completely free program you can define the main problems of a disk, preventing the onset of damage and sudden failures.
2. Assess your surroundings
The external hard drive is usually placed near the PC. It is important to avoid placing the disc in dangerous areas, where it could fall or receive sudden vibrations and jolts. Hard drives are very delicate and can be easily damaged by being dropped or severely impacted. In addition, places that are too hot or humid must be avoided to avoid damage.
3. Reduce the amount of data
To extend the life of the hard drive, it is preferable to avoid filling the disk up to its own maximum capacity. Therefore it is advisable to delete useless data, saving only the strictly essential information. The rest of the less important files can be compressed using, for example, compression software.
4. Check the life cycle
If a hard drive is used for many hours, it is important to pay attention to its life cycle. Also through SMART technology it is possible to see the working hours of a disk, and check if the media is more subject to a malfunction.
5. Shut down the external drive properly
When connecting an external hard drive, the operating system indicates the connection with an icon in the notification area. When you want to turn off the disk, before physically disconnecting the device it is important to complete any phase of writing and reading, and then you must eject the hard drive with safe removal. Otherwise, important information could be lost, compromising the saved data. Only then can the holder be disconnected or switched off.
Preventing External Hard Drive Damage: Conclusions
Thanks to these simple tips it is possible to avoid damaging theexternal hard disk, regularly checking its state of health and verifying its correct functioning.
If your external or internal hard drive is malfunctioning, you can contact us to recover the files. We can operate on any medium using the most advanced equipment in the industry.
