Causes, Symptoms & Fixes for Hard Disk Failure- Find Easy Steps to Recover Data

Hard drives are important storage drives for data transfers and backup operations. However, due to corruption or system error, your hard drive may stop working or fail completely.

A hard drive failure can have different causes, including system corruption, file system errors, etc. Before failing, the hard disk may show different signs and symptoms that must be addressed promptly to prevent critical data loss. Users can fix a damaged or failed hard drive by identifying the reasons behind the problem and ensuring its timely repair and recovery.

Here, we discuss the major causes behind hard drive failure and its common indications. You will also learn how to recover data in such a scenario.

Major Reasons for Internal or External Hard Disk Failure

A hard drive failure occurs after bad sectors accumulate in the disk due to aging or a sudden crash. This may result in irrevocable damage to the disk platter surface, ultimately causing permanent data loss in most cases. If you have a backup of your drive, your data will be safe even if the drive fails. However, in case of backup unavailability, recovering data from a crashed or failed hard drive as soon as possible becomes essential.

Some of the major reasons for hard drive failure include:

1. Firmware Faults

Firmware bugs or physical damage to the disk platter can damage the firmware and lead to hard drive failure. The reasons behind firmware faults include improper power supply, virus attack, accidental shutdown, interruption during firmware upgrades, or manufacturing faults. You might observe the following symptoms, usually with a brand new hard disk:.

Symptoms:                   

• Drive freezes at startup.
• The system can’t detect or identify the hard disk at all.
• The system fails to boot or hang up during the booting procedure.

Solution:

Users can contact the hard disk manufacturer and ask for Return Authorization (RA), but the disk needs to be under warranty. However, manufacturers generally don’t provide any guarantee regarding the safety of your data. For more information, please refer to the warranty-cum-guarantee policy provided by the manufacturer. Further, to recover your data in case of hard drive failure, we recommend using a professional data recovery tool.

2. Electronic Failure or Power Surge

A sudden spike or drop in the voltage provided to the hard drive can severely damage its components and even render it irreparable. This happens when you use an unreliable power source or there is a frequent interruption in the flow of electricity

Symptoms: 

• Sudden startup failure
• System BIOS can’t detect the hard drive
• The hard drive isn’t able to spin up.

Solution: Make sure that the system hardware is getting a proper power supply. You can fix this error by using UPS from a trusted brand. Also, turn off your system properly when not in use

3. Overheating

This error may occur due to a faulty CPU fan, improper ventilation, high-voltage power supply, high temperature, virus infection, or the development of bad sectors. These reasons can heat up the hard drive components, make its elements expand in size, and cause the head of the hard drive to come in contact with the disk platter. This leads to a head crash and a subsequent hard disk failure.

Symptoms:                                

• Your system frequently reboots or freezes
• Fans are either moving too slowly or not at all
• Your system hardware is making clicking sounds or noise
• Your system gets heated soon after starting

Solution:

Ensure that the CPU fans are working properly. Double-check that sufficient cooling is delivered to the processor and peripherals. You can also try applying thermal paste between the heat sinks of the CPU fan to make it run smoothly.

4. Mechanical Failure

Mechanical failure in your hard drive can be caused by moving parts, malware or virus attacks, bad sectors, improper power supply, and other reasons. These reasons could lead to hard drive failure or damaged and/or corrupted data.

Earlier, several rootkit viruses were introduced that used to become active with system boot-up. They used to corrupt the system’s functioning at the BIOS level. However, Windows’ latest versions (8/10/11) can now efficiently detect and remove such malware using UEFI technology.

Symptoms:                                                                                

• Total system freeze
• Grinding or clicking sounds from the hard drive
• Files & folders become invisible or corrupt
• Appearance of black screen while booting

Solution:

You must update your system daily or weekly. Keep your antivirus software updated and scan your computer to analyze malicious activities or virus attacks. Replace your hard drive every 3 to 4 years.

5. Corrupted System Files

The use of malicious or faulty apps, accidental closure of running programs, unethical ways of shutting down the PC, power surges, etc., are reasons that lead to system file corruption and cause the hard disk to stop working or crash.

Symptoms:                                                

• The files become corrupt or damaged.
• The hard drive is inaccessible.

Solution:

Always shut down your PC in the standard manner. This will prevent the command kernel from powering the remaining CPU equipment. Close all the running programs before shutting down the system to avoid installing faulty software or malicious applications. 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. These may include modifications in the system registry settings, installation of buggy OS, alteration in system file attributes, accidental deletion of files or directories, etc. Most of these errors are hard to repair.

Human errors might cause severe damage to the hard disk and lead to permanent data loss. Hence, proceed with the most efficient data recovery software to scan at an advanced level and recover data even from a damaged or failed hard drive.

Data Recovery from Corrupt or Failed Hard Drive –

Logical Reasons

If your hard drive has failed or crashed, and you don’t have a data backup, you could lose your important files and documents. Sometimes, you may feel that the hard drive has failed, but it has only become raw or inaccessible. This can happen due to some logical reasons like software bugs, virus attacks or malware, file or system corruption, accidental deletion or format, etc. You can follow the given methods below to find out the exact reason behind the hard drive corruption or failure and also recover lost data from the drive.

Method 1: Carefully Connect the Hard Drive

Sometimes, when we connect the hard drive to the system, it doesn’t appear 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 an issue with the connecting port. Remove the drive, connect it to a different system, boot that PC, and check if the hard drive is showing up now in the File Explorer. If the hard drive still doesn’t appear in File Explorer, try the following method.

Method 2: Fix Unallocated Drive

If the hard disk doesn’t show up in File Explorer, but shows unallocated in  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’, select the desired file system, and click Next.

6. Click Finish and your hard drive is ready to use.

Now, check whether you can access the hard drive. If the drive becomes accessible, you will still be unable to access your data as the hard drive has been formatted while resolving its unallocated state.

You can recover your data from a formatted hard drive easily using a professional data recovery software.

Data Recovery from Corrupt or Failed Hard Drive –

Physical Reasons

A hard drive can also fail or crash due to mechanical or other physical reasons. In such a case, the drive is not visible in the Disk Management; hence, data recovery would not be possible.

You need a professional data recovery service provider to recover your data from a severely damaged, crashed, or dead hard drive.

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 sounds. In such situations, you might even lose the chance of taking data backups on another device. Hence, follow the given tips to protect your data from permanent loss:

• Stop using the drive when you encounter any of the symptoms mentioned in this post.
• Unplug or remove the drive from the CPU, and keep it in a clean and safe environment.
• Ensure no ‘hot spots’ or marks are on the external controller board.
• You can also search and confirm that no drive parts are broken or damaged.
• Take regular data backups, and keep a professional data recovery tool handy.
• Take precautions while handling external drives and laptops to prevent damage due to sudden drops.

Conclusion

A hard drive can get easily corrupted or fail for various reasons. If you do not have data backups, you may lose important files, documents, etc. In this blog, we discussed the major reasons for hard drive failure, the signs and symptoms of disk failure, and solutions to recover lost data due to this. You may also find some useful tips to prevent data loss and hard disk failure. However, if the drive is already dead, take the help of a professional data recovery service provider to help you retrieve your data.

If case you have any queries, please write to us in the comment section below. Stay tuned for more relevant updates!

Was this article helpful?

YES0

NO

About The Author

Satyeshu Kumar

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.