NFIB

Early Warning Signs of Hard Drive Failure
04/ 15/ 2002

By Jeff Moses

I went into my home office over the holidays to do a little work. After turning on my computer, I noticed a big problem. My computer was frozen, locked up, nothing was happening. After restarting, the problem was still there. My hard drive had crashed.

I wasn't actually sure of that fact until a day later, but after consulting with various tech support people, my hard drive was declared officially gone, and along with it, all of my data. I don't know the cause of the crash, although I had experienced numerous freezes over the past several months, mostly while on the Internet with other programs on.

After talking with tech support experts, I learned that there are several distinct warning signs of an impending hard drive failure. Recognizing them can help you avoid the pain and headache associated with a computer crash.

Here are a few of the warning signs:

1. Frequent freezes. You lose complete control of mouse and keyboard. In a freeze, your cursor remains stationary and does not respond. You have no option but to force quit, then restart.

2. Losing files. If you know you were working on a file a day earlier, but it's not on your computer today, your hard drive may be showing signs of failure. Another symptom is losing recently saved parts of files. If you frequently find yourself thinking: "I know I saved that little section I added to the document, but it's not there now," you're experiencing what could be the forerunner of a crash.

3. Lockup during boot up. Computer experts have assured me that all computers -- even new computers in pristine condition -- sometimes lock as they're booting up. But if it happens frequently, consider it a danger signal.

It's possible, of course, that these problems and others may be software-related and not due to oncoming hardware failure. But they happen to your computer frequently, it's advisable to consult with experts. Take your computer in to a store, or have someone visit you at your business. They should check your software for incompatibilities or degradation.

At the same time, they should check your drives for fragmentation and possible physical damage. Hard drives don't like even a dot of dust, which can work its way into the innards of your computer without your knowledge. Physical damage can occur from bumps, drops or shakes.

Programs such as Norton Utilities can diagnose and sometimes even repair possible software degradation and hard disk fragmentation. But when warning signs persist, consult with an expert. It could prevent a mountain of trouble.

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