Any unfamiliar noises coming from your machine should be a cause for concern. Unfortunately, people often do not pay heed to these comparatively less significant signals given by their system, and end up paying a heavy price for it. One such situation is being discussed in detail below, along with some points on how the crisis may be tackled.



Scratching Noises

The data inside our standard desktop or laptop is stored inside the internal hard drive, which is a digital mass storage device usually kept inside the computer case that also houses the CPU, motherboard and memory cards. It contains the Operating System (OS) as well as all the data and programmes that we are using. This makes the hard disk the most important part of the machine. Any damage done to it would damage the data too.

A scratching sound is produced when the hard disk crashes and the read or write head sticks to the now unbalanced platters, scratching their mirror finish surfaces on which the data is written. The hard disk is itself a very delicate object. Any scratch, dust, moisture, heat or shock may cause fatal damage to the data on the hard drive. These scratches are therefore lifting chunks of data physically off the computer, and this may not be recoverable.

What Should be Done?

In the typical case, the monitor will display the ?blue screen of death?, i.e. it will just be blank and the mouse or keyboard will receive no response.

• Immediately switch off the machine by pulling the plug. Do not attempt to put in a shut down command or use DOS prompt.



• Disconnect all peripheral gadgets such as camera, printer, scanner and UPS by unplugging from the power strip or board.



• You should not tamper with or take out the hard disk from its protective casing under any circumstances. While removing the hard disk from the machine, make sure everything is switched off.



• If you are unsure as to how to remove the disk or not feeling too confident on handling it, do not try to do it.



• Call a professional data recovery company as soon as you can if you want to get back your data. Please remember that recovery software will not help you with a situation of data loss through physical reasons.



• It is better to consult the recovery company about the transportation of the disk. It may get damaged even more if you post it indiscriminately without proper packaging to cushion the already damaged platters. If they give any instructions in this, follow them specifically. One small mistake can kill all the data forever.

Why Do Hard Disks Crash

Many of us think that the hard disk is an infallible gadget and physical damage is impossible to it, unless we throw the computer out of the window of a high rise. This is a wrong notion since hard disk failure is the most common cause of data loss world wide, and even the best companies do not give a warranty beyond five years.

There are many reasons as to why a hard disk crashes. But broadly speaking, these may all be divided into two groups ? physical and logical ? indicating hardware and software related issues respectively. It is easier to recover data after a logical loss. A physical loss, depending on the circumstance, may even be fatal for the data. Let's take a look at Physical and Logical Data Loss:

• Physical Data Loss ? This can happen if the hard disk is exposed to heat, humidity, moisture, dust, shock, electric discharge, power failure, or malfunctioning of related hardware. This last instance includes situations where the read or write head have stopped working.



• Logical Data Loss ? This can happen when one accidentally deletes files or formats the disk or its partition, when there is a virus attack, file fragmentation, or when the OS has failed. Much of this happens through human errors, i.e. accidental deletions etc. Unfortunate but true, misapplication or manhandling of recovery software might damage whatever data might still be intact and crash your disk.

If you notice something amiss with your system, do not take it lightly, a stitch in time may save nine.