Hard drives are vital data storage devices primarily used in computers and laptops. With poor maintenance and care, hard drives are easily prone to damage, resulting from drops, virus infection, and general hardware failure. Hard drives need close monitoring to sustain their lifespan through practices like safe storage, cyber hygiene, and regular cleaning. Here is a breakdown of how these practices can enhance the lifespan of the hard drive disk.
Cyber Hygiene
You should always expect the worst and take the necessary steps to protect your data. Ensure you exercise caution when browsing the internet and avoid installing untrustworthy software that may contain a virus. Additionally, avoid installing unnecessary programs to prevent eating up your hard drive space.
Install Reputable Antivirus or Antimalware
The market has several free antivirus options to consider but paying for subscription services gives you premium solutions like protection for bad malware like trojans, phishing, etc. Some operating systems like Windows come with free antivirus such as Microsoft Security Essentials. However, most free antivirus software is inefficient in protection. Having the right antivirus software will ensure your hard disk drive is protected from malware and other cyberthreats that can crawl in from the internet. Some of the antivirus solutions can erase malicious codes from your hard drive and help you confirm the “health” of your computer, hard drive, and other applications.
Use Network Firewalls
When you’re constantly browsing the Internet, using a network firewall can help you maintain good cyber hygiene, which helps to protect your hard drive’s lifespan. A firewall is each computer’s first line of defense in network security. It prevents unauthorized users from accessing your servers, websites, mail, and other information sources that are accessible from the web. This way, there is no way malware and cyber criminals can reach your hard disk drive to access your data.
Safe Storage
Your computer should be stored in areas that minimize any chances of accidents. Common accidents that can impact your laptop and hard drive include floods, burst water pipes, and mold. For safe storage, keep the computer in a sealed environment away from toddlers. Additionally, you need to maintain your computer’s ventilation to avoid the accumulation of dust in and around the computer.
Defragmentation
Hard drives do not store data in a particular order and defragmenting helps organize the data and improve its performance. In return, the process significantly increases the speed. If your computer is running slower than usual, it might be due to a defrag. Without defragmentation, the hard drive stores data by scattering it across, making it nearly impossible to access stored information while slowing down the overall performance. Worth noting is that you can leverage defragmentation tools which can reorganize all the software into an optimal arrangement.
Cleaning
This is among the most overlooked elements of maintaining computer hardware. With a hard drive standing out as a critical computer component, it should be cleaned thoroughly to enhance performance and avoid unexpected crashes. Cleaning ensures that the hard drive has airflow, minimizing overheating while keeping at bay components like dust and debris. When using your computer, avoid placing it in a congested environment to ensure the air vents are not blocked.
Delete Unnecessary Files
Make it a habit to periodically delete any junk files on your computer, including software and data. In some cases, if you can fail to spot the files; leverage software dedicated to scanning the drive for temporary files left over from updates and other installations. In most cases, when the drive is full, the computer struggles to perform optimally since it attempts to utilize the little available space to store data. Always ensure the drive has some free space for temporary files.
Endnote
Hard drives are the fundamental component for a computer to operate at optimum levels. Observe the highlighted maintenance practices that are likely to increase your device’s lifespan. Mostly, importantly, ensure your computer is well ventilated.
GAG Staff