In a computer, the most delicate piece, the one that is ruined first and that is easier to break is the hard disk that represents the physical and real memory of each PC. When the hard disk breaks, the computer no longer works, it crashes often, crashes with a blue screen or, in the worst cases, it does not start right.
Not to mention that if it is the main disk that breaks, there is the risk of losing all the data if you do not have a backup and it also becomes necessary to reinstall Windows and start again from scratch.
In this article we will then see what to do when the computer's hard disk seems broken or no longer works well, to recover the data inside it and try to understand what happened to that hard disk, perhaps to make it look good again.
READ ALSO: File recovery from broken hard drive or dead computer
First of all it is worth checking the links
Whatever the type of attack, IDE (large attack), SATA (small attack) or USB, before throwing a hard disk it is better to check that the unit is connected correctly.
If it is an internal disk, open the computer case, while if it is an external hard disk you have to open the casing or the case.
When you open your computer, turn it off and unplug it from the power cord.
In addition, we must also discharge the static electricity of our body (just touch a metal that touches the ground).
If you have never opened a computer, you can read the guide on how to install a second hard disk.
Keep in mind that any hard drive, even internal, can be tried as an external drive on another computer using an IDE / SATA to USB adapter cable .
In this way it becomes very simple to see if the disk still works and if the data is still intact inside it.
Without an adapter, you can easily put the hard disk that does not work inside another computer by connecting it to the cable that pops up from the motherboard, next to the main one.
See, in another article, how to connect disks to your PC via USB: SATA adapters, cases and docking stations
While using the computer you can hear the sound of the hard disk .
If he is completely dead he will not hear anything while if he is turning the type of noise can already give an important signal on any problems.
A ticking sound, for example, is indicative of a head problem which is internal damage while a disc may appear dead due to a failure on the printed circuit board on the surface of the disc.
When a disk is correctly connected to the computer, the corresponding icon appears on Windows with the letter that can be clicked to explore the files inside it.
The disk that Windows "sees" as connected also appears in the internal Disk Management tool.
If the letter does not appear, it means that the disk has not been recognized, therefore, those who are more experienced can check in Device Management in the Hardware section of the Control Panel if at least something appears.
You can also use the BIOS to manually check if the drive is recognized by the computer.
After turning on the computer, enter the BIOS by pressing the right activation key, which could be Canc, ESC, F2 or F10, depending on the manufacturer.
Within the BIOS, navigate through the menus using the keyboard arrows to find the part where the types of drives connected to the computer are listed.
If the broken one was not the primary disk and you can turn on the computer, you can check if the disk that is not working is recognized by the diskpart command .
Open a Run window by pressing the Windows-E key combination and run the cmd command.
then write diskpart, press Enter and then in the new window write list volume and press Enter.
The list of units connected to the computer will appear.
If the broken disk is recognized and appears in the list, but it is not accessible, it is likely that Windows recognizes only the printed circuit board (so-called PCB), and that the disk is damaged and therefore not repairable.
A disk not recognized by Windows, which appears to be dead, may have a printed circuit problem that would also be repairable, even if with the risk of seeing all the data disappear.
Although I personally wouldn't go to repair the PCB of a broken hard drive, below is a 7 minute video that explains how to do it yourself, if possible.
Going back to the practical one, if what doesn't work is the boot disk and the hard disk of the computer does not load Windows, you must, first of all, use a program to recover the files .
In fact, it may be that the disk is not broken but has bad sectors.
In these cases you can either detach the disk and put it in another computer as mentioned above, or, more easily, use a recovery disk.
Among the best solutions we have seen:
- Restart Windows from DVD or USB disk with Windows PE
- Like Open folders and copy files on a PC that won't boot.
- The Hiren Boot CD to boot the computer using a series of simple tools to repair the computer from the software side.
Inside Hiren there is a mini Windows XP ideal for copying data from the old and ruined hard disk to another new one, external or internal.
- Recover data with Redo Backup Live
- Save everything using Linux.
An old disk or with bad sectors, but not broken can still be used as a second hard disk (not as a boot disk where to install Windows), as simple memory for temporary files that does not matter if they are lost.
However, this can only be done after checking that the computer does not crash due to the damaged disk.
In any case, a hard disk, after 5 years can be considered old and in any case if you notice the first signs of failure, you have to start thinking about its replacement.
The signs that a hard disk is malfunctioning may be the constant request from Windows to do the scandisk, sudden reboots of the computer while using programs that write to disk, strange noises from the head.
In another article there are some programs to check the health of the disks and perform a performance check.
For data security it is important to know which folders with important files you need to save in a backup and get one of the best free backup programs.
If nothing has worked, if the hard disk is relatively new or if there are important data inside, all that will remain is to contact a technician specialized in file recovery.
Unfortunately, the more time passes, the more the disks fill up with data and wear out and there is not much that can be done to avoid it.
A damaged or damaged disk is the most frequent cause of a computer that no longer starts and, as already described, a full or damaged disk is also the main reason why a computer, after a few years, becomes slower.
Let us know your experiences, if you have dealt with broken records or if you have saved desperate situations.
READ ALSO: Guide to repair your computer without going to the technician
