Five ways to extend the life of your Hard Drive-
*Research and buy a quality uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with surge protection. Storms or bad power sources can cause power spikes and result in fast and complete drive failure. Many UPS devices offer software that lets you turn off the system during a power outage. Utilize this service to best protect your investment and data.
Be sure the air around your system is ideal for long-term usage. Avoid big swings in humidity and temperature, and ensure there is adequate airflow. Check around the venting of your drives and computer to be sure there isn't something blocking it. If you live in a dry climate, then consider adding some humidity to the air to avoid the risk of static shocks. You can also simply touch a nearby metal object before using your computer in order to get rid of the static charge.
*The next step is to be sure the air around your system is ideal for long-term usage. Avoid big swings in humidity and temperature, and ensure there is adequate airflow. Check around the venting of your drives and computer to be sure there isn't something blocking it. If you live in a dry climate, then consider adding some humidity to the air to avoid the risk of static shocks. You can also simply touch a nearby metal object before using your computer in order to get rid of the static charge.
*Power management features are important because they allow the hard drive to go into sleep mode and rest when not in use. You can also turn the computer off entirely, especially overnight. Drives that are not running are not wearing down, so get in the habit of powering off.
*Be careful handling computers and external HDDs. Only move them if you have to (and create a backup first). While HDDs are convenient, it's best to designate one as your "travel" drive and then one or two other ones as your main storage drives.
*Monitoring of the drive is vital, so install a SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis Reporting Technology) tool to see if a drive is close to being on the fritz. If you experience read and write errors, excessive noise, or a change in motor speed, this is your "patient" telling you it's time for replacement.
