Handle with Care
Most of us take precautions not to drop or toss around our laptops or PCs. For some reason, external hard drives are often handled more carelessly. Internally, these drives have small moving parts that can be damaged with relative ease. Even if your brand of external hard drive boasts durability, it’s still a good idea to handle it with care as much as possible. You should also take measures to protect your drive from less obvious physical damage. Don’t slide it across carpet, which can cause static electricity. Keep it inside rather than in your vehicle, where it can be exposed to more extreme temperature shifts.
Give your Drive a Checkup
It can be easy to overlook the error messages from your computer because they’re often repeated and you can usually carry on without addressing them. Interrupting setup procedures, turning down the system without powering off, and ignoring disk errors can lead to data loss from an external hard drive. Instead, follow best practices for computer maintenance. Use one of several freeware programs to perform regular drive checkups.
Keep Your Drive under Storage Capacity
Don’t overload your external hard drive. Data should always be stored in more than one place. A comprehensive data loss prevention plan considers the possibility that your primary backup could fail. Sometimes more than one drive is preferable to one drive with a gigantic capacity. Filling a drive close to capacity forces the drive to work harder, which increases wear and tear. Always keep your external hard drive well under capacity. Consider the cloud for additional storage needs but remember-nothing is free from the risk of potential data loss.
When All Else Fails
Despite protection and proactive maintenance, accidents happen. When data loss strikes an external hard drive, you’ll often need the support of professionals for recovery. There are several challenges to recovering data from an external hard drive. The drive can be formatted in a number of different systems. The size can add another layer of challenge and depending on the reason for failure, you may need a Certified Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom to prevent contamination. Our team can handle these needs and more. Submit an online help form today for a free quote to recover your external hard drive.
