How long is the lifespan of the hard drive. Average life of the hard drive. Computer slowdown, frequent freezes, blue screen of death
Read how to determine if your hard drive is nearing the end of its useful life how to prevent a possible failure and not lose important data. Computer technology is so firmly entrenched in our daily life that many can no longer imagine a day without them. They are used for work and play, covering different aspects of our lives. The main result of the development of computer technology is personal computers. They are involved in many production processes, development and creation of a variety of information data sets, assist in training, are used to obtain and store various information, are used for leisure and games, etc.
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The essence of the problem
The logical continuation of personal computers was additional devices that are used by the user depending on the need arisen. Laptops allow the user to always have at his fingertips a full-fledged personal computer made in a portable (mobile) version. It has all the advantages of a desktop computer and allows the user to process any amount of data, regardless of their structure and content (working with documents, processing video files, editing images, creating projects and presentations, and much more). Modern Cell phones are not only a means of communication, but also perform the function of small pocket personal computers used for various tasks.
Manufacturers of personal computers and their components are constantly striving to improve their products. And they regularly offer users more modern devices with a wider range of capabilities compared to previous versions.
An important element of personal computers, along with the performance and speed of information processing, is the amount of hard disk memory, which is used as a storage for user data.
We each have valuable files such as personal documents, photos, videos or audio files, and we usually store them on hard drives. Few people know that most electronic storage devices, including hard drives, have a rather limited lifespan compared to older ways of storing information such as stone, papyrus, paper, etc. The average lifespan of a stationary hard drive today is about 5 to 10 years, depending on the drive type and manufacturer. And this period is quickly reduced if the drive is subject to strong fluctuations in temperature, humidity and movement, because they are not stationary.
Since most people today own laptops and external hard drives that are moved around quite often, the realistic lifespan of a hard drive is probably around 3 to 5 years. This is a very short time for reliable storage of important data.
At best, a hard drive deteriorates gradually, which gives you the ability to quickly react to changes in the operation of such a drive, copy your data and replace the storage device before a fatal failure occurs and the hard drive finally deteriorates. There are many signs that indicate a gradual failure of your hard drive.
If you don't know how long your hard drive will last, then read this article. We will try to list the main signs that will help you identify the approaching disappointing ending ( complete collapse hard drive) so that this problem does not catch you by surprise at the most inopportune moment.
Computer slowdown, frequent freezes, blue screen of death
These are very nonspecific symptoms that can be caused by a million different things. However, regardless of what is causing these symptoms, we recommend that you create a backup immediately. If these problems occur after performing new installations or safe mode Windows, then, almost certainly, this is due to poor hardware and, possibly, with an impending hard drive failure.
Corrupted data
If you start to find files that won't open and are corrupted, even if they save without errors or the files suddenly disappear, then you should be worried. While, again, this can be associated with a variety of other problems, it is also a typical sign of a hard drive failure.
Increase in the number of bad sectors
Bad sectors are areas of the hard drive that do not maintain data integrity. They are automatically masked by the operating system and therefore difficult to identify, especially in cases where large disks are used. Therefore, if you actually run into bad sectors, this is definitely a bad sign.
You can run a manual disk check to determine the errors that the operating system Windows haven't noticed yet. IN Windows 10, and earlier versions of the operating system, open the file explorer "This computer" and right click on the drive or partition you want to check. From the pop-up menu, select a section "Properties".
In the window that opens, go to the tab "Service" and press the button "Check…".
Additionally in the operating system Windows you can check for errors in file system and the presence of bad sectors using the standard application "Chkdsk".
Strange noises
When you hear strange noises coming from your hard drive, it may be too late. A repeating sound, also known as a click of death, is caused by the disk head as it tries to write data and stops due to errors while doing so. Grinding or squealing noises indicate that parts of the equipment, such as bearings or a spindle motor, have become unusable.
"S.M.A.R.T." data
There are tools designed to assess the health of a hard drive and predict when it will fail. Technology "S.M.A.R.T." Is a self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology that monitors the basic characteristics of a drive, giving each its own rating of reliability. Unfortunately, like most of the other methods listed above, the technology "S.M.A.R.T." unreliable in predicting hard drive failure. Very often, a hard disk crash happens before a warning is received. "S.M.A.R.T." Check "S.M.A.R.T." the status of your hard disk, and if you see a corresponding error, then there is a high probability that your disk, in the near future, will be completely damaged.
I think my hard drive is deteriorating, what should I do?
So, are you worried that a possible hard drive failure is on the way? However, even if you do not think about it, you will most likely not be able to avoid a possible hard disk failure. The only thing you can do in such a situation is to regularly back up your data on a second hard drive. The likelihood of both drives failing at the same time is very low. Fatal coincidences or natural disasters such as floods or fires can be an exception. In these cases, it is best to store a copy of your most important data in a different physical location, such as an office or a remote server (such as using an online data backup solution).
Try to prevent possible failure of your hard drive
Do not rely on signs of hard drive failure or various software to indicate if you are at risk of failing your drive. Most likely, it will happen unexpectedly and without any warning signs. Instead of trying to predict a possible failure, you should take care of regularly backing up your data. In this case, you will be prepared for possible troubles.
A hard drive has a limited lifespan due to many factors affecting it during use. With our tips, you can increase the number of hours your HDD fails.
- An external hard drive can have a maximum lifespan of 10 years. A negative impact on the performance and, accordingly, the rapid wear of the drive is caused by the presence of excessive moisture in the environment, external influences and powerful magnets that may be located near the device.
- The internal hard drive, however, has a lifespan of 5 to 10 years, depending on its size and operating condition. The service life depends on the heating that occurs during operation and on how well or poorly the heat is dissipated from the storage device. The choice of a system unit should be given special attention if you want to extend the life of your components.
- If you use a solid-state drive on your computer, you can expect a maximum service life of about 10 years. But remember that the life of an SSD, unlike an HDD, is limited to a certain number of rewriting cycles. So, in theory, an SSD might not outlive a larger, slower hard drive.
- Cloud storage has an almost infinite lifespan. But in this case, you will face certain risks, such as, for example, the bankruptcy of the provider or hacker attacks.
Proper use of the HDD will help extend its life
You can ensure the maximum life of your hard drive if you use it correctly. Below we have summarized some tips for you.
- Defragmentation. Since the hard drive is used almost daily, it will not be superfluous to defragment it at least once a quarter.
- Overheating prevention. The hard drive should not get too hot during normal operation, otherwise its lifespan will be significantly reduced. Do not forget to monitor the temperature of the hard drive and, if necessary, update the cooling system in the system unit or on the external HDD box. It is often enough to simply clean the insides of your computer.
- Repair of a damaged disk. If you think that the disk is defective, you can check it with special utilities and repair it. Sometimes the remagnetization of sectors allows you to return to life the HDD, which began to "crumble". Although, we do not recommend storing important data on such drives. Better to replace them right away and not play with fate.
- SSD optimization. Those who use solid state drives will be able to find on the pages of our site, which will not only increase their lifespan, but also slightly improve their performance in general.
Any technique has a certain service life, a computer is no exception. However, a PC is a set of certain components, each of which has its own operational life. Let's see what is the average service life of the computer system unit and its components separately.
Motherboard
The connecting link of all PC elements is the motherboard. For some users, it "lives" for only a year, for others - 10 years. However, the average service life of a "motherboard" is usually 5-6 years. Much depends on the intensity of the work of this board, and if you use the computer in moderation and do not load it around the clock with games, then the motherboard will be able to work even for 15 years.
In general, this component in the system unit is the longest-lived one. In fact, there is practically nothing to break there except for the bridges.
Computer hard drive life
This element is one of the weakest in terms of survivability. Modern models are designed to work from three years, although in practice they last longer. It has been noticed that older models were more durable, and modern discs fail without even having worked for 5 years.
Therefore, the average lifespan of a modern HDD is 5 years. This period is due to the design feature. Inside the disc there is a spindle and rigid circular plates attached to it, rotating at high speed. There is also a disc head - another movable element. There are too many moving parts in this component, which is afraid of shock and vibration.
However, modern SSDs have no moving parts, so they have a longer lifespan. However, SSD drives don't last forever. There, memory cells have a certain resource and are damaged when writing / deleting information. Nevertheless, with moderate use, such a disk will last for an average of 8 years.
Power Supply
This component can last for a very long time. Even today, the units that were purchased in 1998 are in operation. That is, this component has been serving without complaints and problems for about 20 years. This is possible even now. There are many models on the market from different manufacturers and at different prices.
Cheap units use low quality capacitors that can fail quickly. They also work ineffectively, which is why most of the energy consumed is spent not on powering components, but on heating the elements. This entails overheating of the parts of the power supply, because of which they can simply burn out. Therefore, cheap units operating without a power reserve (at the limit of capacity) can live for only 2 years. Note that there are a lot of such blocks on the market, and due to their low cost, they are in great demand. Of course, such components greatly reduce the average life of a computer.
Expensive models are extremely efficient and highly efficient. That is, in them most of the energy consumed goes to power the components, and not to heat the unit itself. Therefore, expensive reliable models may not even have a fan, since it is not needed there. The service life of this type of power supply unit can be 10-20 years.
CPU
10 years is the typical calculated CPU life. However, in the event that the motherboard is still working and is able to regulate voltages and frequencies, then with the implementation of an effective system for removing heat from the system unit, it is possible to increase the processor's service life up to 50 years. The problem, however, is that motherboard capacitors and power transistors don't last that long. And if in five years the motherboard breaks down, then it will be very difficult to find a similar motherboard for a still "live" processor.
In theory, a processor can run for a very long time if it is not overheated. Its only drawback (this applies to all semiconductor components) is the diffusion process, which limits the service life. This is expressed in the need to increase the voltage by a couple of tenths of a volt.
Video card
A video card is one of the most unreliable components. It can be put in second place in terms of the degree of "coverage". The first is confidently occupied by power supplies. The average lifespan of a video card in normal operation is 3 to 8 years. But it all depends on the degree of workload of the device. If you constantly play demanding games or generally extract cryptocurrency on it, then you don't have to rely on a long period of work. Such cards will work for 2-3 years.
Signs that the card is failing are as follows:
- The color rendition on the screen is disturbed.
- Thin streaks appear.
- The monitor turns off for a couple of seconds.
Overheating can be called one of the main breakdowns of the card. If you play games for days, then in the system unit without effective cooling the temperature rises significantly, which is why the fans on the video card itself do not have time to cope with heat dissipation. As a result, the GPU works all the time at high temperatures ah, which is very harmful for him. The video core will last much longer if the system unit is provided with efficient system removal of hot air.
In general, the service life of a computer is greatly underestimated due to a video card and a cheap power supply. If you do not take into account these components, then the period will increase significantly.
RAM
RAM has no lifespan. It is eternal. There is practically nothing to break. However, it may fail if high temperature inside the system unit or supplying the wrong voltage to it (this is when the motherboard fails). Also, the bar can physically break if touched.
Today, many users from old computers even have DDR SDRAM strips, which were produced sometime in 1993. They remain workers to this day. The only problem is that they are outdated. DDR4 SDRAM already exists today, although literally 3 years ago, DDR3 SDRAM was considered the newest. The problem with RAM is not its limited lifespan (which is just fine with that), but aging. So what for RAM in your PC, you don't have to worry at all - this is exactly the element that significantly increases the overall standard life of the computer. In 95% of cases when the computer is recycled, the RAM strips are still working, but no one needs it.
How do I extend the lifespan of my computer before decommissioning?
Any device needs to be monitored, and then it will work longer. As for the computer, first of all, it must be cleaned from dust. Many components can burn out due to a large layer of dust: processor, video card, motherboard. Because of it, the cooling efficiency of the components drops dramatically, which leads to overheating. Therefore, once every 3-4 months, the cover of the system unit must be removed and all dust that settles on the motherboard, video card, processor heatsink must be completely sucked out with a vacuum cleaner. This will extend the life of your computer.
From time to time, you need to programmatically clean the system and remove all unnecessary processes that are wasting on the CPU and GPU of the system. Their resource needs to be saved. It is advisable to use paid versions of antiviruses, which, in addition to scanning for viruses, are capable of optimizing the system, stopping unnecessary processes and even monitoring the user's safety on the Internet.
Defragment the hard disk once every 3-4 months. This process allows you to optimize the disk space, so that its head will not "jump" from one area to another. In theory, this will extend the "life" of the hard drive.
Conclusion
To summarize, the average life of a computer is 5 years. After this period, any of the components will surely fail. It can be repaired or replaced, but the breakdown time, for example, of a video card, will approach. However, if you follow the system and treat it carefully, then these terms can be postponed.
The hard drive is definitely one of the essential components of your computer. After all, this is where all the information is stored - documents and photos, installed programs and video files, games and text files. Hence, it is important to know the lifespan of the hard drive in order to worry about replacing the component with a new one at the right time. But the operating time of the device can also be significantly extended by its correct operation, simple measures. We will tell you how to do this below.
Hard disk life
It should be noted that for different types these drives are set to different times. Let's imagine the average lifespan of a hard drive:
- Interior. Service life is from 5 to 10 years. The time depends on the size of the drive and the conditions in which it is used. The most important indicator is warmth. Excessive heating of the device will significantly reduce its service life. Hence the conclusion: it is necessary to correctly organize the removal of warm air from the drive, to prevent its high temperatures. In order for all the components of the system to work properly, it is necessary to pay due attention to the choice of the system unit.
- External. How long does an external hard drive last? On average, this is 10 years. Excessive moisture has the most negative effect on the quick wear and tear of this device. environment, external influences(shocks, shaking, bumps, falls, etc.), the presence of strong magnets in the immediate vicinity of the object.
- Solid state. The lifespan of this type of hard disk is also 10 years. However, the life of an SSD (unlike a traditional HDD) is also limited by rewriting cycles. Therefore, in theory, an innovative solid-state drive can fail much earlier than a slower HDD.
Eternal Keeper of Information
Is there a drive that has unlimited lifespan? Yes, today the alternative is cloud storage. In this case, your information is stored on the server of the selected provider. Most often for a fee. But in this case, other risks threaten your data: hacker attack, provider bankruptcy, etc.
At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that the lifespan of the hard disk of a laptop and a PC can be extended independently. Below we will show you how to do this.
Shopping in a store
The shelf life of a hard drive largely depends on the model of hard drive you choose. Therefore, when buying a component in the salon, it is important to pay attention to the following characteristics of the device:
Power Supply
The lifespan of a hard drive in hours is, of course, difficult to determine. Even in years, this value can be presented only approximately.
Experts have long noticed that the speed of work, the "life" of an internal hard disk directly depends on the quality of the energy supplied to it. Accordingly, a reliable power supply must be installed in your computer.
Of course, many of us want to save money, especially on the market you can find more budget BP. But, as they say, the miser pays twice. It has already been established that cheap power supplies fail after about a year of operation. The most substandard, according to the assurances of experienced users, are considered to be power supply units of the NONAME type. Remember that not only the operation of the hard drive, but also all other system components will depend on the power supply.
UPS use
How to increase the lifespan of your hard drive? Experienced users are advised to use a UPS - uninterruptible power supply. It helps not only the hard drive and the power supply to function, but also all the components of the system as a whole.
Many users are confident in the wiring of their apartment, they believe that they are insured against drops. But, as practice shows, in no case will it be possible to get rid of power surges for good.
The cost of the UPS is relatively low - about 2,000 rubles. However, such a waste will help you save important data on your hard drive, save other PC components from overheating.
Defragmenting the hard drive
Working on a computer, we periodically have to delete, move, overwrite various elements. As a result, fragmented files remain on the hard drive. The fact is that the hard disk does not rewrite information on its own, but uses free space for a part of the document, writes down the rest.
Everything leads to the fact that the magnetic head of the device in the future has to work a couple of times more intensively in order to read the necessary information. And this leads to an early failure of the hard drive. How to avoid? By timely defragmenting disk space.
There is no need to "be wise" for this - the popular Windows OS already contains the corresponding utility. It's easy to use the program:
- Go to "My Computer", find the required local (internal hard) drive.
- Click on its name with the right mouse button.
- Go to the "Properties" section.
- Click on the "Service" tab.
- Now just click on "Defragment". That's all. Try to repeat this procedure periodically.
If for some reason the standard program does not suit you, then you can pay attention to similar third-party products: Defraggler, Smart Defrag, O&O Defrag, Auslogics Disk Defrag, etc.
Formatting the hard drive
How to Extend the Life of Seagate Hard Drives? Experienced "users" share another trick:
- Copy all the information stored on the internal hard drive to an external hard drive or other suitable storage device.
- Download and install the Victoria program on your computer.
- Use this application to perform low-level formatting.
- Download the data back to the cleaned up hard drive.
Protection against mechanical stress
Winchester, like other computer components, reacts rather painfully to all physical influences - tapping, shaking, shock, vibration, and so on. The fact is that during operation, certain parts rotate in it, and such mechanical influences impede their functioning.
Simple advice from experts: try not to move the PC system unit, laptop while the device is operating. Naturally, such a technique should be carefully protected from blows.
overheat protection
And the most serious recommendation: do not allow high temperatures of the hard drive! It is overheating that negatively affects both the performance of the device and its service life. Here, the wear of the reading heads and the mechanics of the component will increase many times over, which leads to failures and malfunctions.
Optimum temperature for internal hard disk operation: 30-40 ° C. Maximum permissible heating for modern types of devices: 65 ° C.
You can control the temperature with the help of a mass of utilities, paid and free, which are presented in virtual space... The most common ones are from HDDlife, AIDA.
Mechanical hard drive cleaning
How to extend the lifespan of your device yet? Finally, we will share a method that is especially good for hard drives over 3 years old. This is an independent cleaning of the component. The method is suitable only for confident PC users. If you are new to this business, then there is a great risk that you will incapacitate the device.
- Open the cover of the system unit. Find the hard drive among the other components and carefully remove the hard drive from the connectors. It is best to carry out the procedure in thin cotton gloves.
- Unscrew the back cover carefully.
- The device board will appear before your eyes. Examine it carefully for oxide and other small contaminants.
- Use a regular stationery eraser (it is best to use a thin and small one on the tip of your pencil). With these tools, carefully clean off the oxide.
- Now you need a regular brush (for painting or a special one for technique). She should brush off dust and traces of the eraser from the board.
- Then the matter is small: screw on the lid, insert the component back, close the system unit. Preventive cleaning passed!
Hard disk (external, internal, solid state) has a limited lifespan. On average, it is 5-10 years. However, to date, effective methods have been identified that can increase the life of this device. Many of them are also available to inexperienced users.
Greetings, dear readers! Despite the perfection of modern computer components, all of them, like any electronics, have one significant drawback. Each has a limited lifespan. Using the device for longer than the prescribed measure is more likely luck than a regularity.
This is a disadvantage when viewed from the side of an ordinary user. For manufacturers, this phenomenon is a huge plus, since the demand for parts will always exist. Today I will tell you about the lifespan of an HDD and what affects its lifespan.
Cache size
Buffer memory allows you to reduce the number of system calls to the hard, as it stores frequently used files. Accordingly, than bigger size cache, the less often the hard drive is activated, activating its mechanisms.
For a modern high-performance computer hard drive, 128 MB of cache is simply gorgeous. However, 64 MB is not a bad option either, especially if you are buying a budget model.
Rotational speed
The faster the disc spindle rotates, the faster the wear of the mechanical parts, as well as the drive electric motor. That is why designers set the speed of server drives to a low speed - usually 5200 rpm. Fast drives use more power and run hotter, which affects their lifespan.
Operation mode
How many hours a hard drive will last depends largely on the user. First of all, you should pay attention to the following factors:
- Power Supply. Insufficient power supply or a malfunction of the power supply unit can cause the hard drive to fail. For this reason, it is recommended to use not only a high-quality power supply unit of appropriate power, but also an uninterruptible power supply and, optionally, a voltage stabilizer.
- Moisture. High humidity can cause failure not only of the HDD, but of any electronics. A short circuit is unpredictable. Especially at risk are laptop owners who periodically spill tea or beer on the device.
- Heat sink. The normal operating temperature of the hard disk should not exceed 65 ° C. Poor heat dissipation can be caused by improper placement of the computer, or ordinary dust that has accumulated inside the case. Don't forget to clean it up periodically!
- Magnets. A powerful magnet in the immediate vicinity of the hard drive can demagnetize it. It is impossible to use such a device in the future.
- The number of rewriting cycles. Any magnetic storage device, starting with the ancient reels for a tape recorder, has this limitation. When the resource is exhausted, the hard disk begins to lose volume - at first gradually, then it completely fails.
- Defragmentation. During operation, when saving and deleting files, their fragments fall into different places on the disk. From the point of view of operation, it is better if the whole file occupies a certain place on the disk, and the head of the hard drive does not have to read it piece by piece from all clusters. Therefore, do not forget to defragment - using standard Windows tools or third-party utilities.
Average life of the hard drive
In general, under normal operating conditions, the service life of a hard drive is from five to ten years. Of course, no one is immune from a manufacturing defect and premature failure of the device.
Most manufacturers are Seagate, Samsung, etc. provide a two to three year hard drive warranty. WD alone guarantees five-year trouble-free operation (of course, not on all models).