Methods of preventing failure and data corruption
The previous section highlighted the main ways in which
hard disk failure and data corruption can occur. The following section
details some possible preventative measures and courses of action
to take with regards to hard disk failure:
-
Back up data - Although this will not prevent a
hard disk failure, all information should be backed up to another
medium so that in the event of a failure and worse case scenario
of a complete data loss, the data can always be recovered from elsewhere.
Back up methods can include saving to a DVD, CD, USB memory stick
etc, even to another hard disk on another computer.
-
Install two hard disks on the same computer - It
is possible to install two hard disks on a computer and place them
under a RAID configuration. The term RAID (redundant array of independent
disks) means that data can be stored or replicated among the drives
so that when one drive fails, the other one works and still holds
the data that may have been lost should there have been only one
hard drive.
-
General maintenance - As described in the human
error section, care should be taken to ensure that computers are
not exposed to extreme changes in temperature, they should be kept
cool and away from any dust or other contamination that could possibly
get inside and cause problems. Care should always be taken when
handling and moving computers to avoid any sudden knocks etc. In
addition, hard disks have a limited life span, so if the hard drive
is only a few years old it would be a good idea to buy a new one.
Sometimes it may seem like the hard disk does not spin.
This could be because the heads have become ‘glued’ to
the platters; this is quite common in particular in older hard disks.
If this happens, turning the computer on and off a few times can often
fix the problem. Alternatively the hard disk may appear to stop running
all of a sudden. If this is the case it could be a problem with the
power connector or it could be more of a serious malfunction. It is
therefore a good idea to check all the equipment and it may so be
required that a new hard disk is required.
Conclusion
This essay has highlighted, first of all the need and
importance of computers in today’s society and how there is
an increased pressure and stress placed computers from an architectural
perspective to store huge amounts of data. The advances in technology
mean that the capabilities of computer hard drives are increasing
both in terms of speed and storage capacity, but these technological
advances cannot unfortunately eradicate the possibility for hard disk
failure, which is ultimately inevitable. The benefit is that hard
disk failures can be avoided as much as possible though a good knowledge
of how they work (i.e. knowing that they will need replacing after
a few years of use) and taking care and caution in using them. Furthermore,
the majority of hard disk failures do not automatically result in
a complete data loss, often the information can be recovered by making
the necessary repair or by taking quick action on the fault. Alternatively,
it is not possible to completely prevent hard disk failures from occurring
and in the case of severe failures such as a head crash data can be
rendered completely unrecoverable. Finally, although this can result
in what might be deemed as a disaster, backing up data or taking the
precautions of configuring the hard drive (e.g. RAID mirror configuration)
reduces the impact of the hindrance that such a failure can cause.
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Above: IDE cables can be very brittle things. Make sure you use a
good quality one.
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