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Hard disk crashes can take place due to a variety of reasons. Let us have a look at some of them.

 

Why do Hard Disk Crashes Occur?

 

·          Frequently, the hard drive gets physically damaged due to head crashes. A head crash is said to have occurred when the read/write head present within the hard disk comes in contact with the platters. This leads to physical damage to the platters and thus, the data present in the damaged portion is lost permanently.

 

·          Apart from the platters and the read/write head, the hard disk contains certain other components such as ICs (Integrated Circuits), motor. Failure of these components can also lead to data loss.

 

·          Failure of the air filter is another reason for hard disk crash. When functioning properly, the filter maintains the moisture and air pressure levels within the hard disk. However, sometimes dust particles may enter the hard disk and settle on the platter. If the read/write head moves over these particles then it may cause severe damage to the platter.

 

·          Hard drives that have been used for long periods of time have their parts worn out and thus fail. Usually, the time for which the hard drive is expected to run under normal conditions is printed in the manual that accompanies it.

 

·          Apart from the above reasons, physical damage can be caused to the hard drives by high temperatures and fire. In some cases, the hard disk may not suffer large amount of physical damage but the data present in it might get lost.

 

·          Application of strong external magnetic fields to the hard drive also results in loss of data present within it.

 

·          Other causes for physical damage are entry of moisture into the hard drive, falls or shocks and power surges while the hard drive is functioning.

 

What is to be done after a Hard Disk Crash?

 

Here are a few tips that may help you save your data after a hard disk crash.

 

·          One may encounter situations in which some sounds emanate from the CPU. This probably indicates that there is a contact between the read/write head and one of the platters. In such cases, it is preferable to switch off the computer immediately as keeping it running may damage the hard drive further.

 

·          If the computer refuses to boot, it does not always mean that the hard drive has crashed. You may try restarting the computer. If the same does not work then, you can try checking all the connections between the various components. Also, some cable may have been damaged due to a power surge. If that is the case then, the same will have to be replaced.

 

·          The CPU may produce some long or short beeps before locking. These beeps are codes that represent the error. The same can be checked with the computer manufacturer in order to get details of the probable error.

 

·          You can try booting the computer through a bootable floppy or CD and then execute the system recovery program However, in many cases, system recovery formats the C drive and thus, makes all the data present within it inaccessible. If such is the case then, the requisite data recovery software would have to be installed in order to recover the stored data.

 

·          Finally backup of important data is one of the methods of preventing its loss. Data can be backed up into a different drive within the hard disk itself or it can be backed up to an external data storage medium such as CDs or portable hard drives.

 

How can Data be extracted from a Crashed Hard Drive?

 

If the hard drive has suffered from physical damage then a data recovery company will have to be hired in order to recover data from it. If the damage is repairable then, the concerned components of the hard drive will be replaced or repaired and any logical errors will be corrected. This will enable the hard drive to function again.

 

If the same is not possible then, data is recovered bitwise from the hard drive and stored onto another device. Thus, you will only be able to recover the data present within the hard drive and might be needed to discard the drive.

 

Always remember that a hard drive crash does not imply that the data is lost permanently. It is very essential that you do not panic under such circumstances and seek technical assistance if you cannot get the computer running again.