We
all are well aware that Hard Disk drive is a storage device used for
storing and retrieving digital information using rapidly rotating
disks known as platters coated with magnetic material. A HDD preserve
its data even when it is powered off or not in use. Data is read in a
random manner that means particular single blocks of data can be
stored, retrieved or accessed in any order somewhat sequentially.
It
consist of one or more hard swiftly rotating platters having magnetic
heads, arranged on a moving actuator arm to read and write data to
the surfaces.
What
is a HDD Failure ?
A
hard disk drive failure occurs when the drive malfunctions and the
stored information cannot be accessed with a properly configured
computer. A disk failure may also occur in between of normal
operation, or due to an external factor such as exposure to fire or
water or high magnetic fields, suffering a sharp impact ,
environmental contamination which leads to a head crash.
Causes
of the HDD Failure
As discussed above, the most notorious cause of hard-drive failure is the head crash. The internal read-and-write head of the device usually just flying above the surface touches a platter, or scratches the magnetic data-storage surface. A head crash leads to severe data loss and data recovery attempts may cause further damage if not done by a specialist with proper equipment. Hard-drive platters are coated with a very thin layer of non-electrostatic lubricant, so that the read-and-write head will simply rebound the surface of the platter so that a collision occur.
Whereas, this head Flickr only nano-meters away from the platter's surface which confirms the risk of collision. Another cause of failure can be a defective air filter. The air filters regulates the atmospheric pressure and moisture between the hard-drive cage and its outside environment. If the filter fails to catch a dust particle, then that tiny dust particle can cause a head crash if the head reach over it. After a hard-drive crash, each particle from the damaged platter and head media can cause a bad sector. In such cases, it may be possible to recover all data.
Types of HDD Failures:-
As discussed above, the most notorious cause of hard-drive failure is the head crash. The internal read-and-write head of the device usually just flying above the surface touches a platter, or scratches the magnetic data-storage surface. A head crash leads to severe data loss and data recovery attempts may cause further damage if not done by a specialist with proper equipment. Hard-drive platters are coated with a very thin layer of non-electrostatic lubricant, so that the read-and-write head will simply rebound the surface of the platter so that a collision occur.
Whereas, this head Flickr only nano-meters away from the platter's surface which confirms the risk of collision. Another cause of failure can be a defective air filter. The air filters regulates the atmospheric pressure and moisture between the hard-drive cage and its outside environment. If the filter fails to catch a dust particle, then that tiny dust particle can cause a head crash if the head reach over it. After a hard-drive crash, each particle from the damaged platter and head media can cause a bad sector. In such cases, it may be possible to recover all data.
Types of HDD Failures:-
Operating
system crash and a hard drive crash both are different from each
other
If
your are using Mac, Windows or Linux and your operating system
crashes then it is called as a Logical Failure.
And,
If your hard disk is not functioning properly or having some physical
issues and if hard drive itself malfunctions, then such situation is
known as Physical Failure.
In
both the ways the data is not easily accessible but still present on
the hard drive.
Of
course, you should have a backup or an image of your computer's hard
drive and if you don't have backup, still there is hope to get back
precious Gigabytes of data through a data recovery solution.
The
best way to prevent damage from a hard disk crash is to take a
cautious approach and back up the data stored on the drive.
Logical
Failure:- Logical failure is
when your computer BIOS can identify your hard drive but
unable to access it then this sort of failure is known as logical
failure. It may not be able to
mount the partition or Operating system can simply report that no
drive is present at all. In a logical failure the hard drives
electronic and mechanical components are all working properly. But
the failures occur due to defective media/bad platter or data
corruption.
In
some cases of logical failure a hard drive that rotates fine, but is
not even recognized by the computer’s BIOS as being present.
Almost
all logical failures can be retrieved without opening the hard drive.
Whereas there are a number of logical data recovery software programs
available in market. But, its important to know why your drive had a
logical failure before you proceed further to recover your data.
Physical
Failure?
A
physical failure is any time a drive can not be accessed because of
electronic malfunction or internal hardware failure.
These
failures results as drive being not recognized by the computer’s
BIOS or operating system, as well as repetitious clicking or grinding
noises. If your hard disk is producing such kind of unusual sound,
the you must power off your PC and don’t attempt to use it again
until you sent your HDD to a recovery center.
The
noises which a hard drive is producing is due to a head crash. A head
crash happens with the arms that read the data on the surface of your
hard drive’s platters smash into the rotating platter instead of
gliding across it on a cushion of air like they are supposed to.This
results in physical damage to that platters and can cause a complete
and permanent data loss.
The
only way to recover your data after a physical failure is to either
replace the damaged hard drive integral or move the data platters to
a donor drive where they can be recovered to a stable destination
drive. This kind of recovery process is performed in a cleanroom with
a special handling.
Hard
Drive Failure – Resolutions.
It
is not easy to fix a damaged Hard Disk Drive, there are a number of
things that you have to look into when it comes to hard drive
recovery. This is because hard drive problems could involve issues
with the logical and physical areas. Damage on the electronic circuit
board can leads to hard disk problems. Some cases of hard drive
failure requires several years of experience on hard disk recovery.
Consulting a hard disk recovery expert is the best way to get back
your data. You will have to pay for the hard disk repair service. But
if you are going to think about it, paying the services of an expert
is more sensible than threaten the condition of the device and data.
The hard disk recovery expert will go through the condition of the
device first. He will determine if the damage is still within control
and if the data can still be retrieved or not.
You
Can try following mentioned Free data Recovery Tools
1)
TestDisk(Windows/Mac/Linux)
2)
Recuva(Windows)
3)
PhotoRec(Windows/Mac/Linux
4) Restoration(Windows)
5)
Undelete Plus(Windows)