Even though the hard drive stores data, it isn't perfect by any means. Hard drive failure is very common with all computers, with no real way to prevent it. Although there are several different reasons why a hard drive can fail, the most common is overheating. Viruses and crashes are common as well, along with theft and accidental deletion.
With the older style and mechanics of hard drives, the RPM speed was low, meaning that the drives wouldn't overheat. The hard drives we use now days, have speeds between 7,200 and 10,000 RPM, meaning that they can get quite hot when they start working. Computers of this day and age come with fans to cool everything down, with most hard drives including temperature sensors as well, so you can keep track of just how hot your hard drive becomes.
With hard drives today, overheating is a very common problem. The faster hard drives come with speeds of 10,000 RPM, which can make the temperature soar above 70 degrees F, really heating things up inside the drive. The mechanics on the inside are built to withstand the heat, although if things become too hot, you'll encounter problems. If a drive becomes too hot and ends up losing the data, it may be next to impossible to retrieve the information - no matter how good your data recovery specialists may be.
One area that suffers from the drive overheating is the platters, which are magnetic media. Platters are what carry the data throughout the hard drive. Platters are constructed from optical glass, aluminum, or ceramic and normally coated with a layer of magnetic material. Once the hard drive begins to heat up, the platters will start to expand, which changes their size. When this happens, the magnetic surface on the platters will get destroyed, which results in a loss of data. If the physical area of the platters are damaged, it will result in unreadable sectors.
Other areas of the hard drive that can be damaged due to overheating are the read and write heads, head actuator, and the controller chip. Hard drives are very sophisticated pieces of hardware, and can't handle overheating. The read and write heads are a common example, as they can easily render the drive useless if they become damaged.
To prevent your hard drive from overheating, you should always make sure that it is cooled properly and well ventilated. You can always get additional fans and coolers, which will improve both ventilation and the flow of air in your computer. You can buy fans and coolers at very affordable prices, which makes them an ideal investment for keeping your hard drive or hard drives cool.
You can also get software that monitors the temperature of your hard drive as well. Whether it's software, or additional fans, you should always ensure that your hard drives are kept cool. By keeping them cool, you'll greatly reduce the amount of crashes. You'll also increase the stability of your hard drive as well, which will make your entire computer perform much better.
Deciding on the appropriate hard drive is a personal decision made according to an individual's computing needs. These days, 40 gigabyte, 80 gig, 100 gig and even larger are common. When pricing hard drives, it is common to see very little price differences between smaller size drives and larger. For instance, the price difference between a 40 gig and a 80 gig may be only twenty dollars. An old rule of thumb among the computing community has always been to buy the largest hard drive that you could possibly afford since everyone loads and uses more software than they initially imagine they will, and since that will put off the need to upgrade the computer the following year. However, if your budget is limited remember that a 40 or 80 gig hard drive is plenty for the average user.
These hard drive sizes would astound a computer user from the 1980's or early 1990's. Back then hard drives were sized in megabytes, not gigabytes. The original IBM PC commonly had a ten Meg or twenty Meg drive, and when the thirty Meg drive came out it was considered absolutely gigantic. However, that was a time of smaller programs, less software and before Windows dominated the home computer world.
When choosing a hard drive you should always remember that the type we are most familiar with is called Parallel ATA type. A new type, serial ATA, is gaining popularity. This type is much faster (as much as twenty percent) and has other benefits including improved airflow. Your hard drive will need flowing air because it is constantly rotating at extremely high speeds and generates heat. The airflow helps the hard drive stay cool and run properly.
Most of the name brand hard drives are fine quality and it is hard to go wrong if they are purchased from an authorized reseller. If you buy your hard drive from an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or from a discount store be sure to check out the warranty.
When choosing a new hard drive, keep several things in mind: size measured in gigabytes, size physically measured in inches, speed, and brand.
When looking at brands, there are many good choices. Choose a brand you've heard of and trust. Possibilities from good companies include Maxtor, Quantum, Western Digital, Fijutsu, Toshiba, and IBM among others.
When looking at price, remember the old adage "you get what you pay for." A wise shopper will look around for the best price, but price isn't the only thing here. A low price without a warranty, or from a dealer you don't trust, could just cost you more in the long run. Fortunately with hard drives the manufacturer provides warranties on new drives, but a company willing to back up their product and replace a defective drive out of inventory can save you lots of hassle and downtime.
Size of drive in gigs, as said before, will have little price difference in certain increments and are usually very small. Figure out what each gig is costing you on each drive. Take a calculator into the store and do the math, then make your choice. Size physically is important because you must have a hard drive that fits the slot in your particular computer. Hard drives come in two primary sizes. The smaller, standard size is the size of a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive. The larger type is the size of a CD ROM drive. Larger drives tend to cost less, but most computers have enough slots for smaller, standard drives and most computer users consider them a little more preferable.
Speed is used to describe the revolution speed of the spinning hard drive. The faster the better of course, but check out the price difference when going from a relatively slow hard drive to a faster drive and see if the price difference is really worth it. After all, the hard drive is really spending most of its time waiting for you to type in data.
In summary, choosing a hard drive is as individual as choosing a car, but most people want as much size and speed as they can afford. Ask your friends, check online message boards, and perhaps members of a local computer users group to see what other people's experiences have been, analyze all of your options and then make a wise decision.
Both Bozenaj & Chris Landolfi are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.