20/05/2016
HDD Care and Data Recovery Tips
1. Always back up your data to multiple devices. Create different copies of critical files and store them in separate physical devices (e.g. optical disks, external drives, SD cards). One copy is never enough. The key word here is redundancy. Remember Golden State Warriors' "Strength in Numbers" battle cry.
2. Fix the screws and mount your HDD into the drive bay firmly. There are usually four screws in all, two on each side. Never let a single screw do the job of four. A properly fixed drive will not shake or slide over in its place.
3. Keep your hard drive and computer chassis cool and properly ventilated. Drives work on certain operating temperatures. Keep it within acceptable working temperature and humidity levels. If you are using a laptop, invest on a laptop cooler to avoid overheat.
4. Regularly clean the exhaust holes and system fans from accumulated dirt.
5. Avoid turning on and off the power button in rapid succession.
6. Avoid using the reset button too often while the system is running.
7. Turn off your computer properly when not in use.
8. Invest on and use an uninterrupted power supply (UPS). Have at least the one that offers enough time to turn off the machine during power failure. An automatic voltage regulator (AVR) could only protect against electrical surges but not when electricity is cut off.
9. Run disk tools like chkdsk, fsck, and defragmentation once in a while when your disk drive is healthy.
10. DO NOT RUN destructive (write) operations or disk applications when your drive show signs of hard drive failure. A reformat will not cure a physically defective disk.
11. When your drive becomes unresponsive, slow, the power-on self test reported "Hard disk failure is imminent", or "SMART test failed" turn the machine off immediately. Have your drive check by a qualified and trained personnel. Continuous use of a defective drive might ruin any chance of data recovery.
12. If transporting the HDD, always use the original product container/box. Use an anti-static bag, bubble wrap or a combination of both. Be sure there is enough padding to protect the corners too.
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