How to Repair a Hard Drive

Similar to other components in the computer, hard disks are also vulnerable to complications and problems. There are many times when you might have experienced some problems with your computer's hard drive. Do not worry, as with some simple steps and guidelines, you can diagnose the exact problem and try to fix it.

It is not necessary to call up a computer repair professional as soon as any related error pops up on the screen. You first need to diagnose the exact problem, try to troubleshoot it, and if you are not successful, then you can go ahead and call the computer services. There are a couple of tips on how to repair a hard drive.

There are many types of errors that may come up on the screen due to these problems. If there are errors on the computer monitor, but there is no clicking or scraping noise from the disk, then you need to know that it is a problem that can be resolved by using a software application.

But if there is a certain noise coming from the drive, you need to realize that it is a serious issue, which only needs to be handled by a professional. So, if you are thinking of getting this part repaired, it is better to take it to a PC shop. If the disk is in warranty, you can get it done for no charge at all.

If the disk is not making noise, but there are some errors popping up on the screen, you can try to resolve the problem with fixing bad sectors. The disk has several sectors on which the data gets stored, and if these sectors go bad, the data stored thereon is lost and cannot be accessible.

However, data on other sectors of the disk will remain as it is. The bad sectors then need to be tagged as unusable, after which the operating system will not try to store data on them. This would however reduce the overall storage capacity.

Those thinking of rectifying the disk problems on Mac OS or Windows need to understand that these operating systems have an inbuilt application, which scans the disk for errors and tries to resolve them. For fixing bad sectors, follow the given steps:

• Open 'My Computer', and right click on the drive, which is to be repaired

• Select the 'Properties' tab, and then the 'Tools' option.

• You then need to select the 'Check Now' button, which is located in the 'Error-checking' section. You may need to type some kind of a password or confirmation.

• A window will be displayed with two check boxes.

• Select 'Automatically fix file system errors' to automatically corrects problems with files and folders that the scan detects. Otherwise, the disk check will simply report problems but not fix them.

• To perform a thorough disk check, select 'Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors'. This scan attempts to find and rectify physical errors on the disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

• If you want both to be done, select both the check boxes. Click on 'Start' in the window to start the process.

If you want to repair a disk, which has been corrupted, you need to use a particular software for getting rid of all the corrupted data and emptying the disk.

Download a disk utility application to a floppy disk from another PC. Insert the floppy in your computer's floppy drive, and switch on the computer. After the BIOS of the PC loads, the utility will start. Follow the step by step instructions on the screen to delete all the corrupt data and make your disk free of it. You can now use your disk as new.

For ruling out the possibilities of data loss, it is strongly recommended to do a periodical data backup, which will certainly keep your important data safe.