Protect your files! Signs your hard drive is on its last legs and what to do about it

You’re cruising along when, suddenly, your computer starts misbehaving. Webpages are lagging, programs are slow to open, and then (uh oh), the blue screen of death or a spinning wheel.

It could be any number of things, but there’s a chance your trusty hard drive is giving out. “Kim! My files!” Yes, I know that’s what’s on your mind. But stay calm. There are ways to make sure your data remains safe and sound.

Before anything goes wrong

Protection begins with prevention, long before those data alarms can ring. 

Regular backups: Imagine never worrying about losing important pictures, videos, work documents and everything else on your computer. Spoiler: You don’t have to stress if you do regular backups. You can do this to an external drive, but cloud backups are easier. Oh, and if you don’t want to think about it, you can always set up automated backups. I recommend IDrive. Use my name and get 90% off the first year.

Scan and repair disk errors: Your computer has built-in ways to make sure nothing is going wrong behind the scenes. Disk Utility for Mac and CHKDSK for Windows can help scan and repair potential disk errors.

Check for updates: Regular system updates bring performance fixes and security enhancements that can save your data. Stop hitting “Remind me later.”

Antivirus and antimalware software: The days of getting by without software to protect your machine are over. Make it a habit to run routine system scans. My pick is TotalAV.

Surge protection: Electrical spikes can wreak havoc on hardware. Investing in a surge protector or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) shields you from that. Your data will thank you later!

Signs that should make you nervous

The early signs of data loss are subtle. Be on the lookout for these warnings. 

Unusual sounds: A strange clicking or grinding sound could be a sign something’s amiss, like the read/write heads scraping the hard disk platters. (Only the nerds know what that means.) If you have an SSD, you don’t hear anything, though.

Frequent crashes: Crashing apps or files on your operating system is a definite red flag. Look out for the notorious blue screen of death and messages that mention disk errors or corruption.

Sluggish performance: Slow boot times, “not responding” messages and files taking forever to open can be indicators that your hard drive has seen better days. 

Missing files: You had an important project on your desktop, and now it’s playing a game of hide-and-seek. Files mysteriously disappearing are a dead giveaway. It’s time to sound the alarm!

When the worst happens 

Sad day: You noticed the warning signs too late, or it’s been a long time since your last backup. Whatever the case, your files are nowhere to be found, or your computer won’t boot up. Don’t despair — there may be a chance to recover your data. 

Turn off your computer: Unless you do this professionally, troubleshooting data loss is not worth trying. If your system continues to run, it could potentially harm files that haven’t been affected yet.

Bring in the experts: Contact a local data recovery expert or a company like DriveSavers. It has advanced tools and the know-how to get files back without making the problem worse. A pro really is your best bet for rescuing files and diagnosing the problem. 

✅ OK, action plan time: Go back up your files. Seriously, you can avoid many headaches if you do it regularly. The pros use the 3-2-1 method and you should, too.