Often, the processor of your computer is referred as the brains of the computer. Operations and calculations are demanded by the processor constantly from every user and program on the computer. With every keystroke and mouse movement, behind the scene workings are kept track of by the processor. The processor isn't the only critical device working away behind the scene. The hard drive is the workhorse of your computer. Information is saved and organized throughout millions of storage rooms called sectors. A typical 120GB hard drive can have over 200,000,000 sectors.

When you save a file to your hard drive, it is magnetically recorded onto a platter inside your hard drive. Most hard drives have several platters mounted on a spindle that allows them to spin as fast as 15,000 times per minute. Each two-sided platter is mounted on a single arm with a slider that lets the heads move across the surface of the platter to read and access data. This design is similar to a record player. In regards, to storage space and organization, data isn't always stored in the most efficient manner. Occasionally your hard drive will make a whirring sound as it searches for a file. This is the sound of the platters spinning as the read heads zoom back and forth to access each sector where the data has been stored. To increase data read and write capabilities, the hard drive must be maintained on a regular basis. Much like changing the oil in a car, it must be done to achieve proper operation and reach the life expectancy.

Proper hard drive maintenance involves disk defragmentation, hard drive performance checks, and file cleanup. Disk defragmentation is the process of reorganizing the data on the disk to increase file searching and saving. In addition to unorganized files, inactive and temporary files cause two problems. First, these unnecessary files clutter the hard drive result in slower searching and saving of files. Second, useful hard drive is deprived and wasted by these unnecessary files. Properly cleaning the inactive and temporary files will enhance the performance the computer. In addition to cleaning and organizing the hard drive, checking the performance of the hard drive is critical. This process should be done every two or threes months to ensure data is being saved to viable and safe sectors on the hard drive. If any type of physical damage is found on the hard drive's platters, such as a bump or scratch, data can be improperly saved and lost. A hard drive performance check will search for damaged areas, attempt to recover any data, and flag the area as a bad sector. This will stop the system from saving information in bad sectors.

The average life span for today's hard drive is between three and five years. Simple maintenance can keep your hard drive running efficiently and smoothly through its life expectancy. Unfortunately, the question isn't will my hard drive fail; the question is when will the hard drive fail? Since hard drives can't run forever, it is important to make sure all data is backed up on a routine basis.

Author: Chris Hubinsky, President, HuCor Technologies, www.hucortechnologies.com
Posted by InspireTomorrow.com