Keeping a hard drive for a good long time isn’t really that difficult. You’ll of course want to check out part 1 of this article, located here, and also take advantage of those hard disk tips.
So, for tip #1, you’ll always want to Ensure that you effectively manage the space on your hard drive.
Delete any files that you no longer require and ensure that the primary hard disk drive of your computer only contains the data that you especially need (and should probably be backing up). You are not required to store everything in the same location; instead, you can keep some files on external drives or on sites that offer cloud storage.
Modern operating systems like Windows and iOS have built-in tools to defragment your hard drive. When large files are cut up into multiple smaller files, this process is called fragmentation (leaving files fragmented). These smaller pieces are not always stored on the same physical segment, or even the same physical disk within the hard drive enclosure. Sometimes they are stored on a different disk entirely. Because of this, load times can be prolonged as the hard disk works harder to seek out and rebuild files.
However, it is important to note that you should only defragment your drive if it is absolutely necessary to do so; therefore, make regular use of the tool that comes standard with your operating system to perform scans on the drive and check for fragmented files.
Tip number 2 is a simple one: when it comes to data storage, you should always remember the 3-2-1 Rule.
This means that you need three copies of your data, each of which must be stored on a different medium, and at least one of those copies must be kept in a location that is not your primary workplace or home.
If you follow this one easy rule, you can keep your data safe. In the event that one of your hard drives fails, you have at least two other copies of the data backed up elsewhere. You’ll also want to schedule this process, of course, perhaps by using Google Calendar. If you work with your files a lot, make sure your minimum backup period is once per week. Heck, if you’re doing critical stuff like video, photos or writing, consider twice a week as a good backup interval.
As data recovery services specialists, we have a great deal of knowledge and expertise in this field. We have assisted hundreds of customers, and as a result, we are aware that faulty hard drives, mistakes, or damage are not the most common causes of data loss.
The single most common reason for loss of data is the failure to create a backup copy of important files and data.
How to Extend the Working Life of your Hard Drive: Summary
As we’ve seen, the lifespan of a hard drive is determined by a number of different factors. The good news, however, is that these factors aren’t nearly as difficult to manage as you might think. Age and general wear and tear are factors that you have little control over, but everything else is entirely within your sphere of influence. You might be able to extend the life of your hard drive by an order of magnitude or more simply by making a few straightforward adjustments to the way you store information.