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HARD DISK DISASTERS By Dick Maybach, member
Brookdale Computer User Group, New Jersey
http://www.bcug.com/ N2nd(at)att.net
Hard disk
failure is the
most serious PC problem, because it jeopardizes all your data. Even if
everything else in your PC dies, if your hard disk is good, you can
just move
it to a new machine and be back in business as though nothing had
happened.
The first
problem is to
recognize hard disk failure. Look for one or more of the following
symptoms.
A squealing or
clicking noise – you will have to open your system case to find where
the noise is coming from. Diskette and CD-ROM drives and fans can
produce similar noises.
- A
longer than usual time to boot up.
- A
longer than usual time to open a folder or file.
- Spontaneous
file or folder name changes.
- Frequent
error messages.
- Missing
or corrupted files or folders.
- Frequent
“blue screens of death”.
If
these begin to appear,
immediately copy your data files (most likely your My Documents
folder)
to another device, preferably one with removable media, such as a
CD-ROM or a
DVD. Do not turn off your PC and do not spend time trying to diagnose
the
problem before saving your data. Every second you delay increases the
likelihood that more data will be lost.
Clearly,
the best defense is
to back up your data before you have a problem. However, few people do
this,
and even if you do, it may have been some time since your last backup.
If
your hard disk fails
before you can save your data, all is not lost. If your data is very
valuable,
for example if it’s customer data, you can send your disk to a
commercial firm
that specializes in data recovery. This service will cost from several
hundred
to several thousand dollars, but usually there is no fee unless they
are at
least partially successful. If you decide to do this, shut of your PC
immediately and contact the firm for instructions. If your data is
worth less
than this amount, there are two things you can try that may work.
Remove the hard drive from the system unit
and give it a light tap by holding a screwdriver by its blade and
tapping the unit with the handle. Reinstall the hard drive and reboot.
- Remove
the drive and place it in a freezer for several minutes, until it is
cold to the touch. Reinstall and reboot.
If
either of these works,
move your data to a safe place immediately.
If
you have only a partial
disk failure, save as much data as you can; then try the following.
Restart your PC, but before Windows boots
get into the BIOS setup utility. If you watch the screen carefully, you
should see directions on how to do this. Often you will press F2 or
F10. Look for an area called Utilities or something similar and run any
drive diagnostics available.
- Run
CHKDSK. (Click on Start, then on Run…, and at the
prompt type
“chkdsk x: /r”, where x: is the drive in difficulty. If c: is problem
drive, you will probably see a message that chkdsk can’t check the
drive now, but will offer to check it the next time you restart. Answer
“y” and reboot.
- Run
diagnostics supplied by your drive manufacturer, or if you don’t have
one, use Western Digital’s Data Lifeguard Diagnostics, available free
from http://westerndigital.com.
Versions are available for both Windows and DOS.
You
can take some simple
steps to prolong the life of all your PC components.
Keep the system unit clean, especially if
it sits on the floor. Once every month or two open the system case and
remove any dust and debris with a vacuum. I prefer this to compressed
air, which just moves the dirt to a new resting place.
- Don’t
move your PC while it’s operating; especially, don’t jar it.
- Use
a power surge protector or preferably an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS). The latter are widely available for $100 or so. Besides reducing
stress on your components, one of these will save your data if the
power fails. I always had a UPS at work, and every so often I would see
the lights blink and hear streams of profanity from other offices whose
occupants did not have one.
Modern
PC components are
quite reliable, and the chances are that you will replace your computer
before
anything fails. However, you should have a plan in case there is a
problem. Similarly,
the chances are that you will replace your car without ever having an
accident
yet you still wear a seatbelt, and carry insurance.
There
is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as
long as it
is kept in context with proper credit given the author.
The Editorial Committee of the Association of
Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of
which
this group is a member, brings this article to you.
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