| Here are another seven signs of eminent | | | | Sign 11 - The System locks-up during |
| hard drive failure. If your hard drive | | | | boot up, repeatedly |
| is having any of these seven symptoms | | | | Okay, even the best of machines, even |
| then you must take immediate action to | | | | brand-new-outta-the-box ones will |
| backup your files... | | | | misbehave by locking up occasionally. |
| "Back up my hard drive? How do I put it | | | | Occasionally... If you start have |
| in reverse?" ~ Unknown | | | | lockups every other time you boot up |
| While doing regular backups is very | | | | your machine, the drive can be having |
| important, sometimes people believe that | | | | lots of read/write errors that overwhelm |
| backups are some kind of magic bullet so | | | | it. Time to go shopping. |
| they let themselves get over confident | | | | Sign 12 - ScanDisk or a third-party |
| and let bad hardware issues get out of | | | | utility shows bad sectors |
| control. By paying attention and seeing | | | | Windows' drive diagnostic tool Scandisk |
| if your machine is experiencing any of | | | | if one of my faves. By running it and |
| these seven signs of eminent hard drive | | | | setting it to "automatically fix" |
| failure, you may be able to save | | | | errors, you can see if your drive has |
| yourself hours of wasted time and an | | | | physical bad "spots" or sectors on the |
| expensive repair bill. | | | | disk platters. You can also use a |
| Sign 8 - Disappearing files and folders | | | | third-party program. All the major hard |
| As a drive goes bad it will often | | | | drive manufacturers have free utilities |
| display subtle indications of trouble. | | | | on their websites. |
| One of the most overlooked are | | | | Sign 13 - Error message: Disk can't find |
| "vanishing" files or folders. If you | | | | the Windows Master File Table (MFT) or |
| notice that you can never find your | | | | Master Boot Record (MBR) |
| files anymore or that folders you "know" | | | | You may have a bit of luck with this |
| were there are now gone, then your hard | | | | one. The good news, a virus or piece of |
| drive maybe slip sliding away. | | | | spyware has taken over your drive and |
| Sign 9 - Folder and file names that have | | | | rewritten or "hidden" the MFT (on |
| been scrambled and changed | | | | Windows 2000 and later) or MBR (Windows |
| A related issue is that you can find the | | | | 98/Me and earlier). You may be to repair |
| folder or file you want...or at least | | | | this with some technical help. The bad |
| you think you have. The filename is | | | | news, is that the MFT/MBR files rarely |
| messed up but when you open it, it's the | | | | get corrupted or become infected, so |
| letter you were looking for. But you | | | | this is almost a sign of drive gone bad. |
| have a set way of labeling your files it | | | | Sign 14 - The drive is running hot |
| is way wrong. A sign of things going | | | | This one sign you probably will never |
| badly quickly. | | | | notice since, it requires that the case |
| Sign 10 - You experience really loooong | | | | be removed from your computer. Instead |
| waits to access folders and files | | | | of sign this should actually be |
| Another related issue. You can find the | | | | classified as a more of a test. If you |
| file fine but you notice that over the | | | | notice any of the other problems |
| last little bit, it's been taking | | | | mentioned above, then you can pop your |
| practically forever to open folders or | | | | PC case and lay your hand on top of hard |
| files. Once you click on a file, you can | | | | drive while in operation. It should be |
| get up, grab a coffee, and read the | | | | warm but not hot to the touch. A hot |
| front page of daily paper before it | | | | device is positive physical sign of |
| opens up. Just joking, but accessing | | | | early failure. |
| files are noticeably slower. | | | | |