6 Worst Reasons for Hard Disk Failure and Data Recovery Solutions
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Hard drives are generally used to store large files, back up data, and to save important business files to keep them safe and secure. But, what if your hard drive suddenly stops working or fails? You may lose access to your crucial data. Hence, taking timely backup of your data should be your top priority.
So what are the worst reasons for hard drive failure? And how do we restore our lost data when a hard disk suddenly stops working or crashes?
Read on to know 6 worst reasons for hard drive failure and their symptoms; and solutions to recover lost data from a failed hard drive.
6 Worst Reasons for Internal/ External Hard Disk Failure
A Hard drive may fail at any moment. It happens after accumulation of bad sectors in the disk due to aging or a sudden crash. This may result in irrevocable damage to the disk platter surface. The reasons behind hard drive failure may be different, but they result in permanent data loss in most cases. Hence, recovering data from a crashed or failed hard drive at the earliest is quite essential. Here is a list of major reasons that lead to hard disk failure, their symptoms, and solutions.
1. Firmware or Manufacturer Faults
This error occurs due to improper power supply, virus attack, accidental shutdown, interruption during firmware upgrades, or manufacturing faults. You might observe the following symptoms even in a brand new hard disk.
Symptoms:
- Drive freezes at startup.
- The system can’t detect/identify the hard disk at all.
- The system fails to boot/hang up in the middle of booting procedure.
Solution:
Users can contact the hard disk manufacturer and ask them for Return Authorization (RA), as the disk must be under warranty. However, manufacturers generally don’t provide any guarantee regarding safety of your data. For more information, please refer to the warranty/guarantee policy provided by the manufacturer. Further, to recover your data in case of hard drive failure, we would recommend a professional data recovery tool.
2. Electronic Failure or Power Surge
Sometimes, UPS is unable to deliver the required power supply. It’s either too high or too slow. This can also occur when you use an unreliable power source or there is frequent interruption in the flow of electricity.
Symptoms:
- Sudden startup failure
- System BIOS can’t detect the hard drive
- Hard drive isn’t able to spin up
Solution:
Make sure that the system hardware is getting proper power supply. You can fix this error by using UPS from a well-known brand. Also, turn off your system properly when not in use.
3. Overheating
This error may occur due to faulty CPU fan, improper ventilation, high-voltage power supply, high temperature, virus infection, and development of bad sectors. These reasons could heat up the system and lead to sudden hard disk failure.
Symptoms:
- Pc frequently reboots/freezes
- Fans are either moving too slow or not at all
- System hardware is making clicking sounds or noise
- Desktop or Laptop gets heated soon after starting
Solution:
Make sure that the CPU fans are working fine. Double check that sufficient cooling is delivered to the processor and their peripherals. You can also try applying thermal paste between heat sinks of the CPU fan to make it run smoothly.
4. Mechanical or Internal Failure
Mechanical failure in your hard drive can occur due to moving parts, malware or virus attack, bad sectors, improper power supply and so on. These reasons could lead to hard drive failure or damage and data corruption.
Earlier, several rootkit viruses were introduced that used to become active with turning on the system. They corrupted the system functioning at BIOS level. However, Windows latest versions (8/10) are efficient at detecting such malware and remove it using UEFI technology.
Symptoms:
- Total system freeze
- Grinding or clicking sounds from hard drive
- Files & Folders becoming invisible or corrupt
- Appearance of black screen while booting
Solution:
You must update your system on a daily or weekly basis. Keep your antivirus software updated and scan your computer to analyze malicious activities or virus attacks. Replace your hard drive every 3-4 years.
5. Corrupt File
Use of malicious or faulty apps, accidental closure of running programs, unethical way of shutting down the PC, power surges, etc. are reasons that lead to system file corruption and make the hard disk inaccessible.
Symptoms:
- The files become corrupt or damaged.
- The hard drive is inaccessible.
Solution:
Always shut down your PC in the standard manner. It will prevent command kernel to stop powering remaining CPU equipment. Close all the running programs before shutting down the system and avoid installation of faulty software or malicious applications into your PC. You can also fix your inaccessible hard drive to recover data.
6. Human Errors
Human errors are the most common cause of hard disk failure. Such errors may include modifying system registry settings, wrong installation of OS, alteration in system files attributes, accidental deletion of files or directories, etc. These type of errors are quite hard to repair.
Human errors might not only cause severe damage to hard disk, but could also lead to permanent data loss. Hence, to scan on advance level, and recover data from damaged or failed hard drive, proceed with the most efficient data recovery software.
Okay, the Drive Has Failed! Now What to Do?
If your hard drive has failed or crashed, and you don’t even have a backup of your data, you could lose your important files and documents. Sometimes, you may feel that the hard drive has failed, but in reality, it has only become raw or inaccessible due to some logical reasons like software bugs, virus attack or malware, file or system corruption, accidental deletion or format, etc. You can follow the given methods to find out the exact reason, and then recover lost data from drive.
Retrieve Your Data from Corrupt/ Failed Hard Drive
Method 1: Carefully Connect the Hard Drive
Sometimes, when we connect the hard drive to the system, it doesn’t show in File Explorer. It might happen if the drive is loosely connected to the port. To fix this, reconnect the hard disk carefully. If this doesn’t help either, there might be some issue with the connecting port. Remove the drive, reboot the system and reconnect the drive to check if it is showing up now in the File Explorer.
Method 2: Fix Unallocated Drive
If the hard disk doesn’t show up in the file explorer, but is shown unallocated in the Disk Management, follow the given steps to fix this error:
1. In the Disk Management window, right-click on Unallocated drive and select New Simple Volume.
2. In the New Simple Volume wizard, click Next.
3. Click Next again to specify the volume size.
4. Click Next and select ‘Assign the following drive letter.’ Choose a letter from the drop-down list, and click Next.
5. Select ‘Format this volume with the following settings’ and select the desired file system; click Next.
6. Click Finish and your hard drive is ready to use.
Now, you can access the hard drive. However, you won’t be able to access your data as the hard drive had been formatted while fixing the error. But don’t panic! You can recover your data from a formatted hard drive easily using a professional data recovery software.
However, if the drive is failed or crashed due to Mechanical or other physical reasons and the drive is not visible in Disk Management, data recovery through the software is not possible. To recover your data from a severely damaged, crashed or dead hard drive, you must refer to a professional data recovery service provider.
Tips To Prevent Data Loss from Failed Hard Drive
Sometimes, the hard disk can crash or become dead without even making any grinding or screeching sound. In such situations, you might even lose the chance of taking backup of your data on another device. Hence, follow the given tips to protect your data from permanent loss:
Tips:
- Stop using the drive when you encounter any symptoms mentioned in this post.
- Unplug or remove the drive from CPU, and keep it in a clean and safe environment.
- Make sure that there are no ‘hot spots’ or any mark on the external controller board.
- You can also search and confirm that no any drive parts are broken or damaged.
- Take regular backup of your data, and keep a professional data recovery tool handy.
- Take precaution while handling external drive and laptop to prevent damage due to sudden drop.
Wrapping Up
The hard drives are prone to corruption or failure at any moment. If you do not have backup of your data, you may lose important files, documents, and other stuff. In this blog, we mentioned 6 worst reasons of hard drive failure along with their symptoms and solutions to recover lost data. Some tips to prevent data loss and hard disk failure are also mentioned above. However, if the drive is already dead, take help of a professional data recovery service provider.
In case of any query, please write us in the comment section below. For more relevant updates, stay tuned!
About The Author
Satyeshu is a Windows blogger and data recovery expert. He is having good technical knowledge and experience in Windows data recovery. He writes about latest technical tips, Windows issues and tutorials.
Hi, in last 2 years my 6 hard disk has been damaged. My system is Intel Pent Dual CPS @1.60 Ghz 2 GB RAM
I was using samsung hard disk initially after that i am using Western Digital., last month I purchased new WD 1 Tb hard disk but after 1 month it got error( bad sectors) which is not removable by WD software (write zero)
I am using Luminous Home UPS and my CPU is on my table, (no jerking),
wt is probable cause and solution, someone suggested to change my mother board as there may be problm of Power Surge?
There is a long list of causes that could make your hard drive failed or dead, including both logical and mechanical. I’d always recommend to take the following precautions to make your hard drive life longer:
1. Make sure that GPU is functioning properly and doesn’t causing any power outage to hard drive.
2. Choose hard drive from trusted supplier.
3. Check and make sure that the hard drive configuration is perfectly suitable for currently configured CPU. Choosing old hard drive from your new build PC or vice versa may conflict the normal operation of any CPU and will make your hard drive fail suddenly.
4. Frequently check for internal temperature to make sure that everything is OK and internal equipments are cooled with proper fan supply.
For the time being, I’d recommend you to update all your system equipments like MOBO, RAM, GPU supply to the latest.
Hope it helps!!!!
Hi Team
I just bought a new hdd to replace my hp 530 hdd i have been using because i was running out of space with that one.so i installed the new hard drive and got this message :non sysyem disk error replace and press any key when ready.windows could not be installed and i tried running the hdd self test and got the hdd failure error.what should i do in this case
Thanx in advance
Replace the bad or failing hard drive. As its brand new and might still in warranty, you can ask for replacement from manufacturer.
The error mentioned above usually occurs when system were unable to locate boot files. Sometimes, any non booting device such as empty flash drive or floppy drive would also cause this. So, I’d also recommend you to remove any such drive first and then start the system.
Hope it helps
i have HP laptop,my hard disk failure problem caused 3 months ago and i replaced that failure hard disk.now again my hard disk got failure.can u please tell me why this failure occur frequently.
You should start with connecting your drive to another working computer and see if that hard drive is functioning there. If the drive works pretty well on the other machine, then your computer itself is the issue and you need to check for the issue like Windows problem, power cables, fan etc.
Starts with checking power supply and make sure that it’s not the issue. Power supply could fry internal equipment’s of your laptop and make them unable to run longer.
As you’re using laptop, there is very high probability of shaking which might damage the proper functioning. Always prefer to use your laptop in cool environment and flat space where you could put your laptop safely.
Last but not least, check for faulty mobo or bad supplier. Always purchase products from the trusted supplier.
Hope it helps.
Hi, I was using WD HDD.Suddenly,it shows me “3rd MASTER HARD DISK ERROR”. I tried alot and many says its a mechanical failure.
Is there anyway to get my data back because mostly say no to me and others requires hefty amount of money?..n second..how this failure is happened to me?..actually it occurs second time to me..earlier had a problem of no detection at the time of booting and later shows me this error..i do all defragments..and all other things..i have ups also..thats why,i really cant figure out why it happened to me again?
thanx in advance:)
First of all, its not a mechanical failure and could be easily resolved by setting the boot priority where hard drive should be at the top. Also make sure that, there is no external media i.e. USB, Flash Drive, ext. hard drive etc. connected to your computer while booting the system as well as check and make sure that the CD-ROM has no CD’s or DVD’s.
This problem mainly occurs because of wrong boot priority as after the POST screen, system tries to find the booting device which is your hard drive and its wrong priority make the system unbootable or the error message like the one you’ve mentioned above.
Good Luck!!
I had my sony viao since three year.In these years laptop work fine ,but yesterday I got a Smart utility notification, that harddisk is in critical condition,plz take the backup of ur system,and harddisk may be fail replace it.I want to ask that three year for s harddisk life is gud or average & I am using HDD-Regeneration tool repair for bad sector So this tool can rectify the error.plz reply
This indicates a problem with your hard drive (mechanical) and advises to take backup immediately as well as replace it with any new drive. Failing to do so, might damage all your stored data.
Hard drive is an electronic equipment’s and no one could have clear idea about when it can fail or become inaccessible. As you said, you’ve purchased 3 years ago, I strongly suspect that hard drive has developed some aging equipment’s i.e. bad sectors and blocks, failing head assembly, spindle motor etc. and could fail anytime. Therefore, take backup ASAP and replace it with any new hard drive from trusted supplier.
Good Luck!!
Hi, I bought a lenovo laptop 14 months ago. Now the problem ” Windows detected a hard disk problem” is coming. So, tell me what should I do?
“Hello Neha and welcome to Stellar Blog.
This indicate problems with your hard drive and requires replacement before its too late. What happened actually is, your hard drive is failing mechanically and/or its internal equipment like platter, read/write head or the PCB board is started wearing out (sorry for bit technical).
So, you’re advised to take backup or copy/move data from it right now. Just remove the hard drive and plug it back to another computer, download the professional recovery software to create clone/image of the entire drive and later then recover data from it. Get it from here
Good Luck!!!
“
I have a problem with my laptop that I bought about 20 months ago. It’s a Hp
The problem is that when I turn the power button on, Windows does not start up but I could hear the fan working, the power led lights up, and the DVD ROM also works. There is a small led light on the Caps Lock key that is blinking as well, but the small led light on the left side panel that usually lights up when the computer is on or starts up is not working at all. Nothing shows up on the screen, logo is displayed.
Could you please help me figure out what the problem really is, and the possible solutions to fix it?
Thank you very much.
“Dear Savi, key after starting the system) and see if it lets you access the computer.
Most probably, the problem is with your Windows as it might get damaged or corrupted. You could start repairing your system using system recovery options (Press and hold
If the first attempt fails, you can try advanced startup options like safe mode, Last known good configuration, safe mode with command prompt etc.
If all above fails, you need to remove the hard drive and connect it externally to another system and backup all your data. This is to ensure that you never lose your data. After then, install a fresh copy of Windows to completely fix the issue and remove virus/malware, if any.
Reply back if you need any further guidance.
Cheers.”
Dear Edgar,
The condition you stated above is because of a SMART HDD virus and your hard disk is just fine. Though, using it further might permanently deletes or damages your hard drive data.
Please format the hard disk immediately so you could access your hard disk.
However, you are still able to recover your data using efficient recovery software, go through the link mentioned below and try it. Read More
This requires simple steps to follow and soon you will able to see your formatted data.
Hope it helps!!
Hi, I have a Sony laptop which is more than 1 year old. The hard drive diganostic report says that my computer is in critical state (hard disk error detected). When i checked my files I found out that some files & folders are missing. Example: if i click on one folder you can see it is empty, but if you check the properties of said folder, you can see that there are 28 files and 2 folders. Please advise:
1) how can i recover my lost files & folders?
2) how can i solve the hard disk error?
3) what is the cause of hard disk error, is it a virus attack?
Appreciate your help.
SIR,
I HAVE HP PC IN THAT I SUFFER THE PROBLEM OF HARD DISK FAILURE IN A 6 MONTHS. CAN YOU TELL ME RIGHT REASON WHY THIS HAPPEN WITH ME.
Hi Priyanka,
There is lots of reasons why your hard drive fails. It might be a logical error in the drive or physical error.
As you said you are facing this issue from last 6 months so its very much possible that your hard drive got damaged and needs replacement.
If you are avail to run your system try Windows Data Recovery professional version on to the system and recover your data before hard drive replacement.
Thanks
First you must make sure that your comtpuer does not come with a start up disk. Sometimes your comtpuer will allow you to back up all of your files on DVD’s, that is recommended in case your comtpuer is so far gone and cannot reboot back to normal running order. You will need to make sure you have backed up all of your pictures and important files. This formatting procedure will delete everything you have. It takes your comtpuer back to normal as if it was brand new. System Restore helps you restore your comtpuer’s system files to an earlier point in time. It’s a way to undo system changes to your comtpuer without affecting your personal files, such as e‑mail, documents, or photos.