Does your hard drive have a problem? Here are the main causes of defects.
THEhard drive is a mass storage device that allows you to store data and information. It is present inside PCs, servers, notebooks, although in recent years it has often been replaced with faster SSDs. The hard drive is a mechanical component consisting of a number of elements which are listed below.
Each HDD has multiple parallel plates on which information is written. They are identifiable by a specific number. The single plate is composed of numerous concentric rings which form the so-called tracks.
By joining all the tracks with the same number, but of different plates, the cylinder is obtained. Each plate is divided into circular sectors, which together form a block.
In addition to the dishes, to allow the correct hard disk operation, inside there are also: a motor that allows the rotation of the plates, a head for writing and reading information, an actuator that allows the movement of the arm of the thesis.
Finally, there is a printed circuit with the electronic components necessary to operate the hard disk, with the connection to the power supply and the data cable to be plugged onto the motherboard of the PC. The connection interface can be for example IDE, SATA, SCSI.
In the following image you can see the internal structure hard drive. The same structure also applies to external hard drives, which usually connect to the PC via USB cable.
It is easy to understand that hard drives are particularly delicate, because they have numerous mechanical parts and are sensitive to any type of impact. Furthermore, the space inside the HDD is really small, so at the slightest jolt you risk provoking major damage to the components. It is not easy to recover data from a crashed or damaged hard drive, so it is essential to prevent problems by protecting and monitoring the health of the hard drive.
Now that you know how the hard drive is formed, we can evaluate some of the main problems that can plague these devices, trying to find solutions.
Mechanical problem of the hard disk
I mechanical problems they can be caused by the internal components of the disc. They manifest themselves with noises, metallic screeches, and are symptoms not to be underestimated. In fact in these situations the hard disk could be close to failure. The noise could also be caused by the motor, by some noisy bearings or by the head scratching the platters. They are very frequent inconveniences if the PC or notebook has been dropped, damaging the hard disk.
Under these circumstances, freezes, PC crashes, Windows blue screens and file loss can occur. So it is very important to do a backup before it's too late and replace the disk with a new model.
If it is too late, so it is no longer possible to access the data but you only hear a noise, you should never open the hard disk, but it is advisable to contact experts to repair internal damage to the disk.
Electronic or logical problem with the hard disk
If the hard disk is not recognized by the system during boot or by connecting it to Windows in the case of an external hard disk, the problem may be related to the firmware. In these circumstances we speak of logical malfunctions, and in addition to the software part it can be caused by the electronics.
In theory, the repair is not very complicated, but you must always contact experienced and competent people to repair any damage on the printed circuit board (PCB). They could be electronic components burnt and malfunctioning to be replaced.
Troubleshoot hard drive problems: conclusions
The hard drive is a delicate device that needs care and attention over time. It is important to immediately notice any damage or problems, however save the data with a backup before it's too late.
If your hard drive is damaged, makes strange noises and is not recognized by your system, you can contact us for advice. We will do everything possible to recover the data and repair any mechanical or electronic failures.
